Almost every flagship phone released from 2018 onward supports eSIM — that includes iPhone XR and XS and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, along with recent models from Motorola, Huawei, Oppo, Honor and Sony. The fastest way to check your own device is to dial *#06# on the keypad: if a long number labelled EID appears alongside your IMEI, your phone has an eSIM chip.
That’s the short answer. The longer answer matters, because a phone can have the hardware and still refuse to accept a travel data plan — usually because it’s carrier-locked, or because it’s a regional variant sold without eSIM. Below is how to tell the difference in a couple of minutes, before you’re standing in an arrivals hall trying to get online.
What "eSIM support" actually means
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a small chip soldered onto your phone’s mainboard that does the same job as the plastic SIM card you’d normally slide into a tray. Instead of posting you a card, a mobile operator sends you a profile — a set of credentials your phone downloads, usually by scanning a QR code (quick response code, the square barcode you point your camera at).
So "phones that support eSIM" really means three things stacked together:
- The hardware — an embedded SIM chip with its own EID (eUICC Identifier), the serial number that identifies the chip.
- The software — an operating system that lets you add and switch between mobile plans. Anything running iOS 12.1 or later, or Android 9 or later, generally does.
- The permission — the phone must be unlocked, or at least not locked in a way that blocks third-party eSIM profiles.
Miss any one of the three and the eSIM won’t activate. The GSMA, the industry body that defines the eSIM standard, maintains a technical overview of how the specification works if you want the underlying detail.
How to check if your phone is eSIM compatible
There are three checks, in ascending order of effort. Start with the first.
The keypad check
- Open your phone app and go to the keypad.
- Type
*#06#. You don’t need to press call — the screen usually updates on its own. - Look at the information that appears. You’ll see one or two IMEI numbers, and on an eSIM-capable device, an EID: a 32-digit number.
If the EID is there, the hardware is there. If nothing happens on an older Android, move to the settings check.
The settings check
On an iPhone, go to Settings → General → About and scroll down. You should see an "Available SIM" or "Digital SIM" entry, plus the EID. On iPhone 14 and later sold in the United States there is no SIM tray at all — those models are eSIM-only.
On Android, the path varies by manufacturer, but look under Settings → Network & internet → SIMs (Pixel), Settings → Connections → SIM manager (Samsung), or search your settings for "SIM". An option worded like "Add eSIM", "Download a SIM instead" or "Convert to eSIM" confirms support.
The manufacturer check
If you’re still unsure, check your exact model number against the maker’s own documentation — Apple publishes a country-by-country list on support.apple.com, and Samsung, Google and Motorola all maintain equivalent pages. Model numbers matter more than marketing names, because the same phone name can ship with different hardware in different markets.
eSIM iPhone and Android: the models that work
This is the general picture as of mid-2026. Treat it as a starting point and verify your specific model, because regional variants are the exception that catches people out.
| Brand | Broadly eSIM compatible devices |
|---|---|
| Apple | iPhone XR, XS, XS Max and every iPhone since; iPad Pro (2018+), iPad Air 3+, iPad mini 5+ |
| Pixel 3 and later (Pixel 2 supported it only on Google Fi) | |
| Samsung | Galaxy S20 series and later, Note 20 series, Z Fold and Z Flip lines, recent A-series such as the A54 and A55 |
| Motorola | Razr 2019 and later, Edge series, some G-series models |
| Others | Huawei P40 and Mate 40 series, Oppo Find X3 Pro and later, Honor Magic series, Sony Xperia 10 III and later, Nothing Phone (1) and later, Rakuten Mini |
Two well-known exceptions are worth memorising. iPhones sold in mainland China have no eSIM and use two physical SIM slots instead. Some Hong Kong and Macau iPhone models followed the same pattern up to the iPhone 13 generation. Certain early Samsung Galaxy S20 units sold in the US and South Korea also shipped without an active eSIM.
Budget Android phones are the other soft spot. A sub-£200 handset from 2024 is considerably less likely to support eSIM than a flagship from 2019, so recency alone isn’t a reliable guide.
Hardware isn’t the only requirement
Say your EID shows up and your model is on the list. There are still two things that can stop an eSIM working.
Carrier locking. If you bought the phone on a contract or instalment plan, your operator may have locked it to their network. A locked phone will often download an eSIM profile and then refuse to connect. Ask your operator to unlock it — in most countries they’re obliged to once the contract or payment term is finished.
Region-locked eSIM slots. Rarer, but some operators restrict which eSIM profiles a device will accept even when the phone itself is technically unlocked. If in doubt, the question to ask your carrier is specific: "Is this handset unlocked for use with any network, including third-party eSIMs?"
Once you’re past both, installing the profile itself is a five-minute job you can do at home before you fly. Many travellers keep their home number active on the physical SIM and run data on the eSIM — the dual-SIM setup for travel that avoids roaming charges while keeping you reachable.
When a travel eSIM isn’t the right call
Being honest about the limits: an eSIM isn’t always the sensible option.
- Your phone doesn’t support it. No workaround exists. A physical local SIM or a portable hotspot is your route.
- You’re transiting for a few hours. Airport Wi-Fi will usually do, and a data plan you barely use is money spent for nothing.
- You’re staying for months. A local contract with a domestic number is often cheaper and gives you a number for banking and deliveries.
- The destination is genuinely cheap for prepaid SIMs. In parts of South and Southeast Asia, a local SIM bought at the airport can undercut most travel plans if you’re comfortable queuing and showing ID.
For a two-week holiday in a country where you’d rather not deal with paperwork, though — a first trip to Japan, say — the maths tends to favour arriving already connected. If a plan misbehaves once you land, most problems trace back to a handful of causes covered in our eSIM troubleshooting notes.
eSIM compatibility FAQ
Is my phone eSIM compatible if it has a SIM tray?
Yes, very possibly. Most eSIM-capable phones still include a physical SIM tray, so the presence of a tray tells you nothing either way. The EID check via *#06# is the reliable test.
Can I use an eSIM on a phone that’s still on a contract?
Only if the handset is unlocked. Being mid-contract doesn’t automatically mean locked — many operators sell unlocked phones — but if you’re unsure, contact your carrier and ask directly about third-party eSIM use.
Do eSIMs work on smartwatches and tablets?
Many do. Apple Watch cellular models, recent Samsung Galaxy Watch cellular versions and cellular iPads all support eSIM, though watch profiles are typically tied to your home operator rather than a travel plan.
Does my phone need to be new to support eSIM?
No. An iPhone XR from 2018 supports eSIM, while some 2024 budget Androids don’t. Flagship status at launch is a better predictor than age.
What happens to my eSIM if I change phones?
Profiles aren’t automatically portable. Some can be transferred during device setup, especially between iPhones, but many need to be reinstalled or reissued — so check before you wipe an old handset mid-trip.
Once you’ve confirmed your device is eSIM ready, Atlas eSIM plans let you set up your data before departure and connect the moment you land.