Why Wearables are Making SIM Provisioning an Essential Requirement for Mobile Operators

The wearable tech market, including products like smartwatches, sleep trackers, and connected fitness bands, is one of the largest consumer electronics success stories of recent years. Despite experiencing a minor dip in 2024, the global smartwatch market is projected to be worth over $100 billion by 2032.

This boom in connected devices has been made possible by two key technologies: eSIMs and Remote SIM Provisioning.

What is Remote SIM Provisioning?

Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP), is the process by which a digital SIM profile (or eSIM) is wirelessly transmitted from a mobile operator to the end-user device. RSP also concerns the remote monitoring and management of the eSIM once downloaded. Today, the space is divided into Consumer RSP, or the remote provisioning of eSIM profiles to consumer electronics devices like phones, tablets, and smartwatches; and M2M RSP, or Machine-to-Machine Remote SIM Provisioning, which concerns eSIM profiles for commercial and industrial contexts, such as IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

RSP is an essential component of the rapidly growing field of smartwatches and other wearable tech. The use of eSIM-enabled wearables, like the Apple Watch, is growing year-on-year. For mobile operators to serve this need and prepare for the ongoing surge in demand for eSIMs, they must have a viable RSP service in place.

Here, we explore how SIM provisioning works, how the rise of wearables has accelerated the need for suitable RSP solutions, and why operators need to act now to embrace this market shift.

How does Remote SIM Provisioning work?

There are many different shapes this process can take, depending on the use case and the device itself. The general framework is as follows: 

1. The end user requests an eSIM profile on their device.

2. An eSIM profile is “pulled” from a database of profiles, administered by the mobile network operator.

3. The eSIM is transmitted to the correct device and stored on the device’s eUICC (a secure microchip embedded within the device’s hardware).

4. Any management and monitoring of the eSIM profile can then be carried out remotely throughout the lifecycle of the eSIM.

There are multiple methods by which the eSIMs can be transferred in step 1, depending on the end-user device, the context, and the capabilities of the RSP system used. 1GLOBAL offers three separate methods for customers to receive an eSIM profile:

• Installed via a single QR code: The end-user scans an individualized QR code with their device, which pulls a corresponding eSIM profile from the network provider to the user device.

• Installed via a shared QR code: Multiple end-users scan a single QR code, for example, on display at an event or in a promotional document. Each scan pulls a different eSIM profile from a single shared pool and transmits it to the user’s device.

• In-app/website integration: The user selects a button in an app or website on their device to instantly download an eSIM.

• Zero-touch remote push: An eSIM profile is automatically “pushed” to the end-user device by the network operator, with no user effort required. For example, an eSIM can be remotely pushed to a new device when it is turned on for the first time.

Learn more in our guide to Remote SIM Provisioning.

Wearable tech: the numbers

The idea of a wrist-mounted computer has been around for decades – Seiko’s infamous “TV watch” (complete with 2-color LCD screen and accompanying antenna) was launched in 1982, while GPS-enabled watches have been a mainstay for runners and hikers since the early 90s.

Like so much of the current consumer tech landscape, it wasn’t until Apple refined the concept that it really took hold in the public consciousness. The original Apple Watch, released a decade ago, set the standard for smartwatches as we know them today.

By current standards, the 2015 Apple Watch doesn’t do much – it requires the constant presence of a Bluetooth-connected iPhone to function. It wasn’t until the release of the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017 that these watches became standalone mobile devices, able to access the internet, use apps, and operate independently of a phone. This was down to one innovation: the use of eSIMs.

These software-based SIM profiles can be downloaded instantly and saved on a minuscule chip inside the device, rather than inserted via a plastic card. In the hyper-compact world of smartwatch hardware, this finally provided a viable method for wearable devices to establish a cellular connection and get online just like a smartphone or tablet.

Apple Watches are still the dominant smartwatch model, making up approximately 22% of the market. Recent years have also seen more releases from brands like Xiaomi, Google, and Samsung.

The ongoing societal adoption of smartwatches and wearable tech has also produced a spectrum of other eSIM-enabled wearables, aimed at more specific usage for fitness, the outdoors, and extreme environments. The minimalist WHOOP fitness tracker, for example, has rocketed from a niche product for professional athletes to a widespread consumer accessory, endorsed by LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sha’Carri Richardson.

For mobile operators, the rise of cellular wearables presents new opportunities to widen their customer base and explore new opportunities. The wearables market presents a new world of possibilities for mobile network operators and telecommunications providers.

Leveraging this opportunity requires an optimized SIM provisioning service.

eSIMs and wearable technology

Device manufacturers like Apple are one of the driving forces behind consumer eSIM adoption. The Californians released an eSIM-only iPhone 14 in 2022, a move that cemented eSIM connectivity as a benchmark feature of high-end smartphones. The Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Hermès lines both come with eSIM connectivity as standard. At the same time, the mid-range Apple Watch 10 and entry-level SE are also available in eSIM-enabled versions. Even iPads have received the cellular treatment.

Today, almost every major device manufacturer, including Google, Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, offers their own eSIM smartwatch model.

For manufacturers, the advantages of eSIMs are twofold:

• eSIMs are an attractive value proposition for customers: the added security, convenience and ease of eSIMs can attract new customers

• Doing away with an internal plastic SIM card and tray frees up precious real estate within the device hardware – space that can be utilized to fit a larger processor, battery or camera. This need is amplified in wearables like smartwatches, where every square millimeter counts. The new, slimmer dimensions of the Apple Watch 10 formed the bulk of Apple's marketing efforts, highlighting the new model's 9.7mm casing – an eSIM makes this much easier to achieve.

This mutually beneficial arrangement has resulted in skyrocketing adoption of both eSIMs and connected wearables around the world. A cellular smartwatch offers a new degree of freedom for the user, essentially functioning as a replacement smartphone.

As a relatively new consumer trend, the potential of cellular wearables is still being explored. One of the most significant new developments is the growing popularity of cellular smartwatches as a way for parents and caregivers to keep in touch with their children. Many face the dilemma of staying in contact and granting independence while avoiding the pitfalls of child online safety.

Cellular smartwatches aim to address this gap by providing an “always-on” method of communication and tracking (provided they’re kept charged), without the screentime, camera, or social media capabilities of a fully-fledged smartphone. Ticktalk and Imoo are examples of smartwatch brands aimed exclusively at this market, reflecting the increased demand in recent years and the broadening customer base of the wearables field.

For service providers, catering to this growing demand requires eSIMs, and by extension, an effective RSP service.

Why mobile operators need Remote SIM Provisioning in 2025

The wearable tech market is continuing to grow, spurred on by increasing public acceptance, new developments like Apple Watch For Your Kids, and the rise of new formats like fitness bands and sleep trackers.

Further developments in the eSIM space, such as cellular tablets, necessitate RSP services for operators – wearables aside, eSIMs are set to become the standard format for SIM profiles, accounting for the majority of all smartphone connections worldwide by 2030.

A viable SIM provisioning solution is now fundamental for future business. Any operator who wishes to remain operational as eSIM adoption grows must continually search for the best available RSP supplier and avoid overreliance on a single partner. Doing so now prepares operators for the future of the industry and delivers the best possible experience to new and existing customers. Sticking with a suboptimal RSP service risks losing customers to competitors, especially as eSIM usage spikes in the coming years.

An ideal RSP service must be:

• Cost-effective

• Reliable

• Scalable

Even for operators with existing RSP services in place, it's important to continually consider alternatives. As the market continues to widen in scope, a worldwide RSP supplier like 1GLOBAL facilitates rapid international expansion and avoids reliance on a single supplier.

1GLOBAL Remote SIM Provisioning

1GLOBAL occupies a unique position within the RSP industry – we are a telecommunications provider and network operator ourselves, with our own eSIM provisioning service designed specifically for multinational, digital-first businesses. We fully understand the needs of other telcos and how best to serve them. We work closely together with each client to determine the RSP solution for each individual use case and provide ongoing, personalized support throughout, while enabling operators to take control of their eSIM provisioning.

1GLOBAL is one of only two non-military companies in the world with a proprietary SM-DP+, and one of the only telcos to develop an in-house Remote SIM Provisioning service and eSIM management platform.

An in-house SM-DP+ database allows us to deliver unmatched ease of use with highly competitive pricing.

Learn more about our RSP services and reach out to our team directly to explore how to implement 1GLOBAL Remote SIM Provisioning solutions within your organization