eSIM Weekly Briefing: Carrier Wars, Global Plans, and the Foldable Future

Coverage Period: November 29 – December 5, 2025

TL;DR: T-Mobile's aggressive switching tool sparked a federal lawsuit from AT&T, while Holafly launched what it calls the world's first permanent global eSIM plan with phone number included. Apple's rumored iPhone Fold will reportedly follow the eSIM-only path, legacy IoT devices are getting SGP.32 upgrades, and new market research pegs travel eSIM at $3.08 billion by 2032.

US Carrier Clash: AT&T Takes T-Mobile to Court Over Easy Switch

The week's biggest story pits two telecom giants in a legal showdown over customer acquisition tactics.

AT&T filed a federal lawsuit against T-Mobile on November 26, seeking to halt the magenta carrier's new "Switching Made Easy" tool. The feature, unveiled at T-Mobile's November 20 event in Las Vegas, promises to move AT&T and Verizon customers to T-Mobile in 15 minutes using the T-Life app.

The controversy centers on how the tool works. AT&T alleges T-Mobile's AI-powered system used automated bots to scrape customer account data from password-protected AT&T systems—collecting over 100 fields of information including billing history, contracts, and details about family members on shared plans. According to court documents, AT&T claims T-Mobile modified the scraping tool three separate times to bypass security measures, engaging in a "cat and mouse" game before the December 1 public launch.

T-Mobile has pushed back, calling AT&T's claims "wrong on the facts and the law." A spokesperson stated the tool "simply and safely empowers consumers to seamlessly access and share their own information." Before the December 1 launch, T-Mobile removed the scraping feature for AT&T accounts—customers must now manually input data or upload a PDF of their bill.

A court hearing is scheduled for December 16. The case highlights broader tensions as T-Mobile has officially overtaken Verizon to become the largest US carrier by consumer subscriber count, according to Recon Analytics.

Consumer eSIM: Holafly Declares "The End of Roaming"

Holafly made a bold play this week with the December 1 launch of what it calls the world's first permanent global data plan—a subscription-based eSIM that stays installed on your device indefinitely rather than expiring after each trip.

Meanwhile, the broader travel eSIM market continues its upward trajectory. DataM Intelligence released new projections this week forecasting the market will grow from $1.46 billion in 2024 to $3.08 billion by 2032, driven by international tourism's near-complete recovery to pre-pandemic levels—1.4 billion arrivals in 2024 according to UN Tourism data.

Device Ecosystem: iPhone Fold Points to eSIM-Only Future

Fresh rumors this week suggest Apple's long-anticipated foldable iPhone will follow the company's eSIM-only trajectory when it launches in late 2026 or early 2027.

Chinese leaker Instant Digital posted on Weibo that the iPhone Fold has "a great probability of not having a SIM card slot," echoing earlier expectations from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The device is expected to feature a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner panel with a book-style design reminiscent of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series. Gurman has described it as "super thin and a design achievement" comparable to "two titanium iPhone Airs side by side."

The eSIM-only approach makes engineering sense for foldables where internal space is at a premium. However, it presents challenges in China—a critical market where consumers prefer physical SIM cards and dual-SIM functionality. Even with China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom now supporting eSIM following Apple's earlier moves, activation still requires in-store visits.

TechCrunch reported this week that global eSIM adoption stood at 3% in 2024 and will cross 5% in 2025—modest figures that nonetheless represent accelerating momentum. GSMA analyst Pablo Iacopino noted that Chinese manufacturers including Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are expected to introduce eSIM support across wider price ranges now that domestic carriers have launched services.

Enterprise & IoT: Legacy Devices Get SGP.32 Lifeline

A significant breakthrough this week for organizations with existing IoT deployments: NuvoLinQ announced successful enablement of legacy and in-field devices on the SGP.32 eSIM platform.

Working with Kigen's SGP.32-certified eIM solution, NuvoLinQ proved that devices including pin pads, sensors, blades, and routers can achieve full SGP.32 compatibility without hardware modification. This addresses a costly challenge facing enterprises as the industry accelerates toward the new IoT eSIM standard.

"The shift from plastic SIMs to dynamic eSIM is now essential to enterprise cybersecurity, but it can create real friction for installed devices," said Vincent Korstanje, CEO of Kigen. The company is launching an eUICC Readiness Program to help organizations transition existing fleets.

Separately, IDEMIA Secure Transactions and Singapore-based eSIM Go announced a partnership to expand secure eSIM services across 190+ countries. IDEMIA will host eSIM Go's consumer platform in Europe with full EU security compliance, enabling brands in travel, telecom, and fintech to offer white-label eSIM services.

Market Intelligence

Travel eSIM Market Projections:
DataM Intelligence forecasts the travel eSIM market will reach $3.08 billion by 2032, up from $1.46 billion in 2024, growing at 9.8% CAGR. Europe leads adoption at 78%, with 24% of eSIM-aware European consumers actively using travel eSIMs.

Device Ecosystem:
Lyca Mobile projects 1.2 billion eSIM-enabled devices globally by end of 2025. The GSMA reports 60+ new eSIM smartphones launched in H1 2025 alone, with mid-range and budget devices increasingly gaining support.

The Week Ahead

The AT&T vs. T-Mobile hearing on December 16 will be closely watched for implications on carrier competition and customer switching tools. Meanwhile, the UBS Global Technology Conference December 9 features presentations from both T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan and AT&T CEO John Stankey—expect fireworks given the ongoing lawsuit.

The travel eSIM market heads into peak holiday season. And as Chinese OEMs digest their domestic carriers' eSIM support, 2026 could see the technology finally penetrate mid-range device segments at scale.

This weekly briefing covers developments in the global eSIM industry. Sources include company press releases, regulatory filings, market research reports, and industry publications.