Which phones support eSIM?
Every iPhone since the XS and XR (2018), with US iPhones eSIM-only since the 14 and most iPhone 17 models eSIM-only worldwide. On Android: Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, and most recent flagships. Many budget Android phones still lack it. The phone must also be carrier-unlocked to use travel eSIMs.
Apple drove eSIM adoption hardest: support started with 2018’s iPhone XS/XR, US models dropped the physical SIM tray entirely with the iPhone 14 in 2022, and with the iPhone 17 generation Apple extended eSIM-only to most of the world. If you carry any iPhone from the last six years, you are covered.
Android is more fragmented. Google Pixels support eSIM from the Pixel 3 onward, Samsung from the Galaxy S20 and the foldables, and recent flagships from Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and others mostly include it, though regional variants of the same model sometimes do not (Chinese-market phones often ship without eSIM). The reliable check takes ten seconds: in settings, search for "eSIM" or look under SIM management for an "add eSIM" option; on any phone, dialing *#06# shows an EID number if eSIM hardware exists.
The second requirement gets forgotten: carrier lock. A phone bought on an installment plan, especially in the US, may be locked to that carrier and will refuse foreign eSIM profiles. Carriers unlock paid-off phones on request, but the process can take days, so sort it the week before your trip. The industry direction is unambiguous: the GSMA projects the majority of smartphone connections will be eSIM by 2030, and new mid-range models add support every quarter.