2026 eSIM Compatible Phones: iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel List

One of the most frequent questions Polaris eSIM support handles: "Does my phone support eSIM?" This 2026 May guide covers iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OPPO, Xiaomi and the rest. The point is not to memorise every model — it is to spot the four traps: US iPhone 14 onwards has no physical SIM tray, iPhone Air is global eSIM-only, mainland China iPhones mostly do not support eSIM, and the Hong Kong / Macau "dual-SIM" variant is two physical nano-SIMs rather than eSIM.

30-second answer: scan this list first

Find your phone in the brand groups below — three seconds and you have your answer. If you also want a real Local Breakout plan after the check, jump to /plans/.

• iPhone: every iPhone from XS (2018) onward supports eSIM; iPhone Air and iPhone 17e are global eSIM-only models
• Samsung Galaxy: the brand with the messiest regional split. S20 / S21 US units don't support eSIM, S22 Korean units don't, S23 FE China and Hong Kong don't, Note 20 US / Hong Kong / Korea don't; most Taiwan and Macau retail units lack the chip too — only US / EU / Japan / Singapore / India "international" variants reliably ship with it
• Google Pixel: Pixel 4 onwards mostly supported; Pixel 3 sold in Australia / Japan / Taiwan does not support, and Pixel 3a sold in Southeast Asia / Japan does not support; Pixel 10 US units are eSIM-only (Pro Fold keeps a SIM tray)
• OPPO: Find X high-end (X5 Pro and later), Find N foldables, Reno 14 series
• Xiaomi / Redmi: Xiaomi 13 flagship and later; Redmi Note 13 and later
• Honor / Motorola / Vivo: flagship lines (Honor Magic V3, Motorola Razr 50 / 60, Vivo X90 onwards)
• Sony Xperia: as of 2026 May, still does not support eSIM
• HUAWEI: Hong Kong / Macau versions of P40, P40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro, Pura 70 Pro support eSIM; not officially sold elsewhere with eSIM

The fastest way to check your own phone

Skip the table — let the phone answer for you. The settings path differs per brand, so the section below splits by maker. Or jump straight to the universal trick at the bottom: dial *#06# and look for the EID, which works on every Android.

iPhone

Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Service). If you see an "Add eSIM" or "Set Up Cellular" button, the hardware supports it.

Samsung Galaxy

Settings → Connections → SIM Manager. An "Add mobile plan" or "Add eSIM" entry near the bottom means the chip is on board. If that option is missing, the unit is one of Samsung's regional eSIM-stripped builds (Taiwan retail, Hong Kong, Korean N-suffix, etc.).

Google Pixel

Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs. A "Download a SIM instead?" or "Download a new SIM card" link means eSIM is available.

OPPO, Xiaomi, and the rest of Android (universal trick)

Open the dialler and enter *#06#. If the popup shows an "EID" 32-digit code alongside the IMEI, the device has an eSIM chip. IMEI only, no EID = either a stripped regional variant or a model that simply lacks eSIM hardware. The trick works on iPhone and Samsung too — it is the most setting-path-independent way to check. When buying new, the model suffix on the retail box is also a fast signal: U / U1 = US (mostly with eSIM from S22 onwards), EUX = Europe (mostly with), N = Korea (without).

iPhone: from XS through iPhone Air, all covered

Apple introduced eSIM with iPhone XS / XR back in 2018, the earliest among major makers to roll it out across an entire lineup. But "supported" does not mean "identical" — a few generation breakpoints matter.

Generations and dual eSIM

• iPhone XS / XS Max / XR: one physical nano-SIM plus one eSIM
• iPhone 11, SE 2nd gen (2020): same setup
• iPhone 12 series, SE 3rd gen (2022): same setup
• iPhone 13 series and later: two eSIM profiles can run simultaneously — handy for keeping a work line and a home line on the same phone, or pairing a Polaris eSIM data line with your home carrier voice line
• iPhone 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 series: dual eSIM; international and Taiwan units still keep one physical SIM tray
• iPhone Air, iPhone 17e: global eSIM-only, no physical tray anywhere

US iPhones: every 14 onwards is eSIM-only (the grey-import trap)

Every iPhone 14, 15, 16, and 17 sold in the United States ships without a physical SIM tray — eSIM is the only option. Buying a US-region unit elsewhere means your existing physical nano-SIM will not fit; the home carrier has to convert it to an eSIM profile. Apple applies the same eSIM-only rule to iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max in Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the six Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait).

The Hong Kong / Macau and mainland China variants

A common misconception: "Hong Kong dual-SIM iPhone supports eSIM." It does not. The Hong Kong / Macau variant uses two physical nano-SIM slots with no eSIM chip. Mainland China iPhones used to be the same dual-physical setup; an Apple support document updated in 2026 March confirmed only iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM in mainland China — every other model is still dual physical nano-SIM. To use an eSIM data plan while travelling in mainland China, bring an international-region iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy: the brand with the most aggressive regional split

Samsung's eSIM policy runs opposite to Apple's. Apple includes eSIM by default and removes it in a few specific regions (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau). Samsung defaults to no eSIM and decides per-model, per-region. The common assumption "a Galaxy S25 flagship must have eSIM" is wrong — the same model number sold in different countries can differ dramatically. The riskiest markets are the United States (older generations), mainland China, Hong Kong, and South Korea; Taiwan and Macau retail channels are also frequently stripped because of inconsistent sourcing.

Galaxy S series: heavy generation-by-region variation

Galaxy Z series (foldables)

Galaxy Note series (discontinued)

Galaxy A series (mid-range)

The A line's eSIM availability depends heavily on the specific model number and the country of sale. Confirmed support: A34 5G and A54 5G (in eSIM markets). A35 / A36 / A55 / A56 / A57 5G availability varies by regional release. Asian-market A-series units typically have the eSIM chip removed — always run *#06# before buying.

How to check your own Galaxy

The Samsung-specific path is Settings → Connections → SIM Manager — if "Add mobile plan" or "Add eSIM" appears, the chip is present. If not, your Galaxy is a regional eSIM-stripped build. The dialler check (*#06# looking for EID) works too. When buying new, look at the model suffix on the box: U / U1 = US (S22 onwards usually has eSIM), EUX = Europe (usually has it), N = Korea (no eSIM). Taiwan and Hong Kong retail units do not advertise the suffix on the box, but most do not include eSIM in practice.

Samsung's eSIM slot count: 5–8 profiles can be stored on a single device

Samsung allows 5–8 stored eSIM profiles per device (varies by model), but only one active at a time — until the S24 series, which raised the active limit to two. Useful for long trips across multiple countries: keep one eSIM per destination saved on the phone and switch on arrival rather than re-downloading each time.

Tablets and watches follow the same regional split

Galaxy Tab S9, Tab S10 and Tab S11 5G ship with eSIM only in the same "eSIM regions" listed above; Asian-market tablet variants generally lack the chip. Galaxy Watch LTE editions (Watch 4 LTE through Watch 7 LTE and Watch Ultra) follow the same logic — Asian Galaxy Watch LTE units often lack the chip, so run *#06# on the watch before pairing.

Google Pixel: from Pixel 3 onwards, but Pixel 3 / 3a have regional gaps

Google has been a long-time eSIM advocate — the Pixel 3 (2018) supported it from launch, and stock Android offers the cleanest eSIM management UI of any platform. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a generations carry specific regional gaps documented by Google itself; the table below lays them out so you can scan rather than read.

Pixel 3 / 3a regional gaps

Pixel 4 onwards: full support and dual eSIM evolution

• Pixel 4 / 4a / 4 XL, Pixel 5 / 5a: full support
• Pixel 6 / 6a / 6 Pro: full support
• Pixel 7 / 7a / 7 Pro and later: dual eSIM with two profiles active at once
• Pixel 8 / 8 Pro: same
• Pixel 9 / 9 Pro / 9 Pro XL / 9 Pro Fold: same
• Pixel 10 / 10 Pro / 10 Pro XL / 10a: US units are eSIM-only (no SIM tray); other regions ship with nano-SIM plus eSIM
• Pixel 10 Pro Fold: the exception — even the US unit keeps a physical SIM tray

Verification: Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs — "Download a SIM instead?" means eSIM is available. If you have a Taiwan-region Pixel 3 and want to switch to eSIM, the practical fix is upgrading to Pixel 4 or later — the regional gap is documented by Google directly and cannot be patched in software.

Other Android brands

OPPO Find / Reno

Find X5 Pro, Find X8, Find X8 Pro, Find X9, Find X9 Pro flagships all support eSIM; Find N3 and N3 Flip foldables support it; Reno 14, Reno 14 Pro, Reno 14F mid-rangers support it.

Xiaomi / Redmi

Xiaomi 13, 14, 15 flagships are all covered; the 12T Pro is included too; Redmi Note 13 and later in the Note line follow.

Honor / Motorola / Vivo / Nokia / OnePlus / ASUS

• Honor: Magic V3 foldable, Magic 4 Pro / 5 Pro / 6 Pro, Honor 90 / 200 / 200 Pro
• Motorola Razr: every Razr from the 2019 reboot through Razr 60 Ultra; Edge 50 Pro / Fusion and Moto g34 / g55 5G as well
• Vivo X series: X90, X100, X200, X300 lines plus X Fold5 and iQOO 15
• Nokia: XR21, X30 5G, G60 5G
• OnePlus: OnePlus 11, OnePlus 12, OnePlus Open foldable
• ASUS: ROG Phone 9, ROG Phone 9 Pro, Zenfone 12 Ultra

Sony Xperia and HUAWEI: the holdouts

Sony Xperia: as of 2026 May, Sony still has not added eSIM hardware to Xperia 1, 5, or 10 lines — Sony users are stuck with physical SIM. HUAWEI: with restricted international distribution, eSIM is limited to Hong Kong / Macau editions of P40, P40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro, and Pura 70 Pro.

iPad, Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch

Phones are not the only story. On tablets and watches, eSIM is the cleanest way to share one number across devices.

iPad (cellular models)

• iPad mini: 5th gen (2019) and later
• iPad Air: 3rd gen (2019) and later; the 2024 M2 / M3 generation went global eSIM-only
• iPad Pro 11" / 13": 3rd gen (2018) and later; the 2024 M4 generation went global eSIM-only
• iPad (base): 7th gen (2019) and later

Apple Watch (Cellular)

Every GPS + Cellular Apple Watch from Series 3 (2017) through Series 10 and Ultra 3 (2025) supports eSIM. Apple Watch eSIM uses number sharing — it rides the iPhone's existing carrier line rather than buying a separate eSIM data plan.

Galaxy Watch / Pixel Watch (LTE)

Galaxy Watch LTE editions from Watch 4 LTE through Watch 7 LTE and Watch Ultra support eSIM; every Pixel Watch generation (1, 2, 3, 4) in the LTE variant supports it too.

"Phone supports eSIM" is not the same as "you can buy that country's eSIM"

Plenty of travellers have an eSIM-capable phone, buy a random eSIM, and find the signal is poor or the speed is well below what was promised. The phone is not the bottleneck — the relationship between the eSIM provider and the local carrier is. A "Japan eSIM" can be a roaming line through a third-country carrier, or it can be a real KDDI / SoftBank Local Breakout line opened to you natively. The speed and stability gap is significant. The deeper write-up is in Local Breakout vs roaming.

Polaris eSIM runs a dual-track strategy: Europe, Japan, Korea, and core Southeast Asia get Local Breakout first, with high-quality roaming as a fallback for everything else. Nine languages (Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish, French, German) plus an AI travel concierge named Stella. Browse the catalog at /plans/, run your phone through the auto checker at /esim-check/, or open /chat/ and ask Stella directly.

One last note: this list is current as of 2026 May. New flagships keep arriving — Apple, Samsung, and Google all refresh their main lines around September each year. Confirm your phone's EID and eSIM activation flow at least 72 hours before departure so a surprise does not greet you at the airport.