An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a tiny chip soldered directly onto your device's motherboard that replaces the traditional plastic SIM card.

Instead of swapping a physical card, you download a carrier profile digitally, useful for travel, switching carriers, or running two numbers on one phone.

According to the GSMA, eSIM is on track to power roughly 76% of all smartphone connections globally by 2030, so understanding what is and isn't supported matters more every year.

The catch: eSIM support depends not only on the device model but also on where you bought it and whether your carrier has unlocked it. This guide walks through which devices work, which don't, and how to check yours in under a minute.

So first, how to check eSIM-supported devices.

How to Check if Your Device Supports eSIM

Before diving into model lists, try these three quick checks. Any of them will give you a definitive answer in seconds.

The universal dial code. Open your phone's dialer and enter *#06#. If an EID (Embedded Identity Document) number appears alongside the IMEI,

your device has eSIM hardware. No EID means no eSIM.

On iPhone. Go to Settings → General → About and scroll down. If you see an EID field, eSIM is supported. You can also check Settings → Cellular for an "Add eSIM" or "Add Cellular Plan" option.

On Android. Go to Settings and search for "eSIM" or "SIM Manager." Alternatively, navigate to Settings → Connections → SIM Manager (Samsung) or Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs (Pixel). An "Add eSIM" option confirms support. You can also check Settings → About phone → Status → EID.

One important caveat, regardless of model: your phone also needs to be network-unlocked to use a third-party or travel eSIM.

A device locked to a specific carrier may have eSIM hardware but block external profiles.

Apple iPhones

Apple was the eSIM pioneer in mainstream phones, introducing it with the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR in 2018. Every iPhone since then supports eSIM, with two notable shifts along the way.

Fully supported (with physical SIM tray): iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max, SE (2020 and later), 12 series, 13 series, and international versions of iPhone 14 through iPhone 17.

eSIM-only models (no physical SIM tray): US models of iPhone 14 and later are eSIM-only. The iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max are eSIM-only in the US, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and several other countries. The iPhone 17 Air is the first iPhone that is eSIM-only globally.

Not supported. iPhones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao generally do not support eSIM — Apple ships dual physical SIM versions there instead. A handful of exceptions exist (iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE 2020, and iPhone XS sold in Hong Kong/Macao retain eSIM), but as a rule, China-region iPhones are physical-SIM-only.

Samsung Galaxy

Samsung introduced eSIM to its flagship line with the Galaxy S20 series in 2020. According to Samsung's official compatibility list, eSIM-supported Galaxy phones include:

• S series: Galaxy S20, S21, S22, S23, S24, S25, and S26 — including the +, Ultra, and S25 Edge variants
• Z foldables: Galaxy Fold, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G, Z Fold2 through Z Fold7, Z Flip3 through Z Flip7 (including Z Flip 7 FE), and the Galaxy Z TriFold
• Note series: Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra
• A series (limited): A56, A55, A36, and A35 (Europe, North America, Korea only), A54 (Europe, North America, Korea, Japan only)

Regional restrictions are significant for Samsung. All Galaxy phones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan ship without eSIM support, even when the global version of the same model has it. Some South Korean variants also lack eSIM unless specifically confirmed (notably affecting parts of the S20–S23 range and earlier foldables). US carrier-locked devices, particularly from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, sometimes restrict eSIM activation to their own profiles.

Always verify by checking Settings → Connections → SIM Manager — if no "Add eSIM" option appears, your specific regional variant doesn't support it regardless of what compatibility lists say.

Google Pixel

Google has supported eSIM longer than almost anyone in the Android world, starting with the Pixel 2 in 2017. Every Pixel since then supports eSIM, with two regional exceptions:

• Pixel 2: Only supports eSIM on devices originally activated with Google Fi
• Pixel 3: Supported except for units sold in Australia, Taiwan, or Japan
• Pixel 3a: Not supported on units sold in Southeast Asia
• Pixel 4 through Pixel 10 series: Fully supported worldwide

Recent Pixels (Pixel 7 and later) also support dual active eSIMs, letting you run two digital profiles simultaneously.

Other Android Brands

eSIM support across the wider Android ecosystem has expanded substantially:

• Motorola: Razr 2019, 2022, 2024, and 2025; Razr 5G; Razr 40 / 40 Ultra; Razr+ / Razr+ 2024; Razr Ultra 2025; Edge 2022, 2023, 40 series, and 50 series
• Xiaomi: Selected flagships including parts of the Mi 11, 12, 13, and 14 lineups (varies heavily by region)
• Huawei: P40, P40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro (note: the P40 Pro+ does not support eSIM)
• Oppo: Find X3 Pro, Find X5, Find N2 Flip, Reno series (regional)
• Honor: Magic series (selected models)
• Sony, Sharp, Rakuten, Nuu Mobile, Fairphone: Various recent models

For Xiaomi, Oppo, and Huawei in particular, regional variation is the norm rather than the exception — the exact same model sold in two different countries may have completely different eSIM behavior.

Tablets

Apple iPads. Only cellular models support eSIM (Wi-Fi-only iPads do not have any SIM hardware). Cellular-capable models from the iPad Pro 3rd generation onward, iPad Air 3rd generation onward, iPad Mini 5 onward, and iPad 7th generation onward all support eSIM. The iPad Pro (M4) and iPad Air (M2 and later) are eSIM-only with no physical SIM tray.

Samsung Galaxy Tabs. Select cellular variants of the Tab S series support eSIM. Wi-Fi-only models do not.

Microsoft Surface. Surface Pro LTE/5G models (Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 9 5G, Surface Pro 11 5G, Surface Go with LTE) support eSIM.

Smartwatches

• Apple Watch: All cellular models from Series 3 onward support eSIM
• Samsung Galaxy Watch: LTE versions of Watch4, Watch5, Watch6, Watch7, and Ultra
• Google Pixel Watch: All cellular variants (Pixel Watch, Watch 2, Watch 3)
• Huawei Watch: Selected models with cellular connectivity

Laptops

Windows laptops with cellular connectivity have steadily added eSIM support. Notable examples include the recent ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the Dell Latitude 9000 series, the HP Elite Dragonfly, the Microsoft Surface Pro/Laptop with cellular, the Lenovo Yoga and Flex series with WWAN, and the Samsung Galaxy Book models with 5G. Apple's MacBook line still does not include cellular connectivity.

Devices That Do NOT Support eSIM

A non-exhaustive list of devices commonly assumed to support eSIM but that don't:

• iPhones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao (with the narrow exceptions noted above)
• Samsung Galaxy phones are sold in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Hybrid Dual SIM variant
• Huawei P40 Pro+
• Google Pixel 3a sold in Southeast Asia
• All Wi-Fi-only tablets (no SIM hardware at all)
• Most budget Android phones, especially in the entry-level segments
• Most pre-2018 smartphones across all brands

The Bottom Line eSIM Supported Devices

If you bought a flagship smartphone in the last four or five years, the answer is almost certainly yes. eSIM is now standard across Apple, Samsung, Google, and most major Android brands. The exceptions worth knowing are regional variants (especially anything sold in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and parts of Southeast Asia), carrier-locked devices, and budget models.

When in doubt, dial *#06#. If an EID appears, you're set. If not, your device is a physical-SIM-only, and if you travel often, that's a strong argument for your next upgrade.

So before you purchase an eSIM plan for Europe or anywhere else, check whether your device is compatible.