Which phones support eSIM? The 2026 list

By Coco Lin · 2026-07-11

Before you buy any travel eSIM, two things must be true: the phone supports eSIM, and the phone is carrier unlocked. Here is the current state of both, plus the 30-second check that settles it for your exact device.

The 30-second check (do this, not the lists)

Dial *#06#. If an EID number appears alongside the IMEI, your phone has eSIM hardware. On iPhone you can also look in Settings, General, About for an EID row; on Android, Settings, About phone. No EID, no eSIM.

For the unlock question: iPhone shows it under Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock (“No SIM restrictions” is what you want). On Android, ask your carrier or try a friend’s SIM.

iPhone

Supported: every iPhone from the XS, XS Max and XR (2018) onward, including all SE models from the 2020 SE.
eSIM-only: US-market iPhone 14 and later have no physical SIM tray at all.
Not supported: iPhone X and older.
Note: iPhones sold in mainland China have no eSIM (dual physical SIM instead); Hong Kong and Macau models vary by generation.

Google Pixel

Supported: Pixel 3 onward, so effectively every Pixel you would still carry, including the a-series from the 3a.
Early Pixel 2 units had eSIM locked to Google Fi; treat the 3 as the practical floor.

Samsung Galaxy

Supported: Galaxy S20, Note 20, Z Flip and Z Fold families onward, plus A-series flagship-adjacent models from roughly the A54.
The trap: some carrier-sold US Galaxy models shipped with eSIM disabled in software, and cheaper A-series models often skip eSIM entirely. Samsung is the brand where the *#06# check matters most.

Everyone else

Motorola: Razr foldables and most Edge models from 2022 on.
OnePlus: OnePlus 11 and later (region dependent).
Xiaomi: flagship models from the 13 series on global ROMs; many regional variants lack it.
Huawei: P40 era had it; newer models vary and Google services absence complicates provider apps anyway.

When in doubt, the EID check beats any list, including this one.

Tablets, watches and laptops

iPads from 2018 onward, Apple Watch cellular models, Galaxy Watch LTE and many Windows laptops with LTE modems all take eSIMs. Most travel providers sell plain data plans that work fine in tablets and laptops; watches are a special case tied to your home carrier and generally cannot use travel eSIMs.

Buying a phone partly for travel?

Any current mainstream flagship or upper-midrange phone from Apple, Google or Samsung is safe. The models to double-check are budget Androids and anything bought through a carrier, where locks and disabled eSIM features hide.

Phone confirmed? Then the decision is just the plan. Start with how a travel eSIM works if you are new to this, size it with the data guide, and compare live prices for your destination on the country pages.