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Google released Android 13 Developer Preview 2 (DP2) last month, but even weeks later, new features of Android 13 are being spotted. One such feature (found by Mishaal Rahman of Esper.io) is the support for Multiple Enabled Profiles (MEP) which lets a single eSIM simultaneously connect to two different carrier connections. This would open up possibilities for eSIM-only or even portless phones in the future.
But, what are Multiple Enabled Profiles, and how does it work?
How two connections on one eSIM would workEven with their size changes from full to mini to micro to nano, SIM card slots still take up space in our phones which the manufacturers may want to use for other applications. After all the size and number of different smartphone components have been increasing with each passing year. So, the eventual solution might seem like eSIMs but at present dual eSIM phones are also not that prevalent or ideally solving the aforementioned size constraints. What to do then?
Well, Google has a solution, it seems.
It’s called Multiple Enabled Profiles (MEP) wherein a single physical interface is involved between a SIM profile and a modem but with multiple logical (software) interfaces. All of these separate logical interfaces will have their own independent communication channel between the said SIM profile and modem.
The modem will identify the logical interfaces like physical ones only and multiple logical interfaces would be treated as multiple carrier connections.
It will be backward compatible and even existing devices with a single eSIM chip connected to a modem should be able to support MEP. It will be platform agnostic as well which means this concept of MEP and two carrier connections on a single SIM is something that could work on iOS, macOS, and Windows too. That said, we will have to see how Google decides to license its patented tech.
In the past, the company has been reportedly spotted testing MEP support on certain Pixel hardware. Now we will see if it decides to implement this feature, and how it pans out.
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