> There is no way to extract these cryptographic keys and enter them into another phone. Instead, you have to repeat the whole process and get a new QR code from the carrier. They may charge for this, or just be a pain in general and make it difficult or refuse for whatever reason.
Even worse, in many real cases. Let me give you an example, happened to me this October:
I get a new phone. I browse my carrier's website to find out how to transfer the eSim to the new one, but find nothing. I call them, they tell me it's impossible. I ask them to double check because this doesn't seem realistic - after one day of internal checks, they contact me saying they found a way! I just have to request to be migrated back to a physical SIM (costing me 15 EUR and 1 week of waiting), and when it will arrive I'll be able to migrate it to an eSIM again!
Isn't technology amazing?
This was in Germany, the operator is Congstar, an MVNO using Deutsche Telekom's network.
In all fairness, this is Congstar being shit, a low-cost MVNO. They could also be shit by locking your SIM to the first IMEI they see on their network, so the only difference is that they need to establish a porting process for eSIM but haven't done so.
Even worse, in many real cases. Let me give you an example, happened to me this October:
I get a new phone. I browse my carrier's website to find out how to transfer the eSim to the new one, but find nothing. I call them, they tell me it's impossible. I ask them to double check because this doesn't seem realistic - after one day of internal checks, they contact me saying they found a way! I just have to request to be migrated back to a physical SIM (costing me 15 EUR and 1 week of waiting), and when it will arrive I'll be able to migrate it to an eSIM again!
Isn't technology amazing?
This was in Germany, the operator is Congstar, an MVNO using Deutsche Telekom's network.