A story of phones, robots, and the next generation: from push to pull and back again
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🔍 Not All eSIMs Are the Same
When people say "eSIM," they might mean one of three completely different systems! SGP.02 was for robots (push). SGP.22 was for phones (pull: the one most of us know). And the newest one, SGP.32, is for smart IoT devices that are like robots but use the pull model too!
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🤖 SGP.02: Robots (Push)
SGP.02 was the first eSIM standard ever created (2013). It was built for machines: smart meters, connected cars, factory robots. Because these devices have no screens, the Commander pushes orders. The Key Factory (SM-DP) and Commander (SM-SR) are separate roles: this lets you change one without touching the other!
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📱 SGP.22: Phones (Pull)
SGP.22 arrived in 2016 for consumer devices. You scan a QR code, tap "Add eSIM," and the phone pulls the profile. The Key Factory and Commander are combined into one role: SM-DP+. With a human user driving everything, the system can be simpler. This is the eSIM most people know!
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✨ SGP.32: New Robots (Pull Too!)
SGP.32 is the newest eSIM standard (2023), designed for IoT devices without screens. It keeps the pull model from SGP.22: but instead of a human scanning a QR code, an IPA helper does the pulling for the device. It's like SGP.02 and SGP.22 had a baby: pull like phones, resilient like robots!
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The eSIM family tree shows a beautiful evolution: SGP.02 (2013) created the secure foundation, SGP.22 (2016) made it user-friendly for phones, and SGP.32 (2023) blended the best of both for the next billion IoT devices. Even today, SGP.02 remains the backbone for millions of industrial robots!