Having done exactly that, I can tell you that your information is not accurate. The damaged iPhone was completely unusable, and I had no trouble transferring the eSIM to an older spare iPhone. There was no need to touch any approval message on my old phone.

Maybe the procedure has changed, or has changed in some cases, definitely the Apple support page text I quoted was changed, still:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212780

>3. Check for instructions on your previous iPhone to confirm the transfer. To confirm, tap Transfer or, if asked for a verification code, enter the code that's displayed on your new iPhone.

Maybe there is some misunderstanding.

The hypothetical case is the following:

1) Your smartphone fell and the screen broke (or some other problem).

2) You have another smartphone (an old one or a spare).

In this case the phone is broken but the SIM is just fine.

With the old physical SIM you take it out of the old phone and you put it in the spare phone (no need whatsoever to contact anyone, not the phone manufacturer, nor your ISP, nor any website), both the old phone and the spare one can be any phone model (as long as they both use the same format of physical SIM).

With the new eSIM there is a procedure that needs that BOTH the old phone and new phone are working AND/OR you need to contact the ISP, the phone manufacturer or anyway you need to have an internet connection, additionally it seems that for some easier procedure both phones need to be running iOS 16 or above or however be connectable to iCloud.

This is more complex, and in some cases (connection to internet not available because you are alone in the woods or whatever and don't have a third device) impossible.

BTW this is not "my" information, is what I could find on the official support page of the manufacturer, maybe it is inaccurate or I am failing to understand what it says.

With Vodafone UK, you just scan the same QR code they originally sent you.

Might be different for different carriers.

Yes, very likely carriers (and phone manufacturers) are in the process of making the transfer easier, but it remains more complex than a physical SIM.

I wonder how the "same QR code" might work, I mean, let's say you have your e-sim on your phone, and someone steals the original QR code, if all is needed is to scan it, then the thief could "install" your e-sim to another phone, there must be something else in the procedure to guarantee the de-activation on your phone and allow the transfer, the point is if it is doable with the old phone not functioning.