Which phones support eSIM in 2026?
Most flagships since 2018 do, but lists go stale every autumn. Check your own phone in ten seconds with one dial code, then check the thing that catches more people: whether it is carrier-locked.
Leonardo B. Oct 8, 20264 minute read
Most flagship phones released since about 2018 do. Rather than work through a list that goes stale every autumn, check your own phone directly: it takes about ten seconds and gives you a definitive answer that no list can.
Check your own phone in ten seconds
Every eSIM-capable phone carries an EID - a unique identifier for the embedded chip. If your phone has an EID, it has an eSIM. If it does not, it does not. There is no in-between.
| Phone | Where to look |
|---|---|
iPhone | Settings > General > About, scroll to EID |
Android (most) | Settings > About phone, look for EID |
Either | Dial |
A phone without an EID has no eSIM, whatever any compatibility list says about that model.
The dial code is the fastest of the three and works on almost everything. If you see only an IMEI and no EID, stop there - the phone cannot take a travel eSIM, and nothing on the software side will change that.
The second check that catches more people than the first
An eSIM-capable phone that is carrier-locked still will not work.
A locked phone only accepts profiles from the operator that sold it. This is common on contract and instalment deals, especially in the US, the UK and Japan, and it is invisible until you try to install something.
How to tell:
- If you bought the phone outright, from the manufacturer or a retailer, it is almost certainly unlocked.
- If it came with a contract or on instalments, assume locked until you have checked.
- The practical test: put a different operator's SIM in and see if it registers. Failing that, ask the operator directly. Most will unlock free once the contract or the instalment plan is paid off, and they are obliged to in several markets.
Do this before you buy a travel plan, not after. It is the single most common reason an install fails, and it is not something support can resolve from their end.
What Nimbus supports
Nimbus travel eSIM is compatible with iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S22 and newer, Google Pixel 6 and newer, and most other recent flagship Android phones. Your phone must be carrier-unlocked.
That list is deliberately conservative. Plenty of phones outside it work; the EID check above is the reliable test for any individual handset.
Three exceptions worth knowing
Phones bought in mainland China or Hong Kong. Some iPhone variants sold in those markets ship without eSIM hardware, even though the identical model elsewhere has it. The model name is the same. The model number is not. If your phone came from either market, run the EID check rather than trusting the model.
Phones with eSIM hardware but no carrier support. Rarer now, but some mid-range Android models carry an EID while the manufacturer never finished the software side for some regions. The EID check will suggest it works. An install attempt is the only definitive test, and it is why installing at home rather than at the airport matters.
eSIM-only models. Some recent iPhones sold in the US have no physical SIM tray at all. These support eSIM by definition, but they also mean you cannot fall back to a local SIM at your destination, and transferring your home line to a new phone works differently. Worth knowing before you travel rather than at the airport.
Tablets, watches and laptops
| Device | Travel eSIM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Cellular iPad | Usually yes | Same EID check applies |
Apple Watch cellular | Generally no | Tied to your home line rather than an independent plan |
Samsung and Pixel tablets, cellular models | Usually yes | Check the EID |
Windows laptops with WWAN | Sometimes | Varies widely by model and region |
A cellular tablet taking its own travel plan is a reasonable setup for a working trip. A watch is not: it rides on your phone's line and is not an independent device for this purpose.
If your phone does not support eSIM
Three options, in descending order of sense:
- Use a hotspot from someone else's phone. If you are traveling with anyone whose phone does take an eSIM, one plan plus hotspot sharing covers both of you. Size it for two.
- Buy a local SIM at the destination. Still works, still cheap, still an hour of your first day.
- Roam on your home plan, having checked the rate first and set whatever cap your operator offers.
The one thing not to do is buy a travel eSIM hoping it will work. It will not install, and the EID check would have told you in ten seconds.
Key facts
- No EID means no eSIM. Check Settings, or dial *#06#.
- An eSIM-capable phone that is carrier-locked still will not work. Check before you buy a plan.
- Nimbus supports iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S22 and newer, Google Pixel 6 and newer, plus most other recent flagship Android phones.
- Some iPhones sold in mainland China and Hong Kong ship without eSIM hardware.
- Cellular tablets usually work. Watches do not, in this sense.
- No eSIM? Hotspot from a travel companion, or buy a local SIM on arrival.