How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?

Dial *#06#. If a 32-digit EID appears next to the IMEI, the eSIM hardware is there. The GSMA defines the EID in its SGP.29 standard as 32 digits, made of 6 issuer digits, 20 assigned digits and 2 check digits. Then check that the phone is not carrier locked, because the hardware alone is not enough.

Does an iPhone bought in China support eSIM?

Apple lists iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air (model A3518) as supporting eSIM in China mainland, activated at a China Mobile, China Telecom or China Unicom store with an ID check, and up to two eSIMs can be stored. Apple also states that eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers cannot be installed while you are located in China mainland, so a travel eSIM has to be set up before you arrive.

Which iPhones have no SIM tray at all?

Apple says iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were reported on 9 September 2026 as eSIM-only in twelve markets: Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the US Virgin Islands. On those phones a local physical SIM is not a fallback.

Do all Pixel phones support eSIM?

Pixel 4 and later do. Google publishes the exceptions: Pixel 3a phones bought with Verizon service or in Japan do not work with eSIM, Pixel 3 phones bought with US or Canadian carriers other than Sprint and Google Fi do not, nor do Pixel 3 phones bought in Australia, Taiwan or Japan, and on Pixel 2 only Google Fi units work. In the US, Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are eSIM-only.

Which Samsung Galaxy phones support eSIM?

Samsung lists the Galaxy S line from S20 to S26, Note20 and Note20 Ultra, the Z Fold and Z Flip line through Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy A36, A55 and A56 5G, XCover 7 and 7 Pro, and several Tab S models. Samsung also warns that some A-series models are eSIM-enabled only in certain regions and that the country of origin can override the list, so check the handset with *#06#.

My phone is on the list but the eSIM still fails. Why?

In order of likelihood: the phone is carrier locked, it is a market or carrier variant that shipped with eSIM disabled, it is a managed work phone, you are inside a country whose rules block the install, or the line is installed but not selected for cellular data with roaming on. Do not delete the eSIM to retry, because a deleted eSIM cannot be reinstalled from your side.

Can I move an eSIM to a second phone?

No. Each eSIM works on one device only, and once it is activated it cannot be transferred. Install it on the phone you will actually carry. If you need a second device online, use the phone's hotspot rather than trying to move the profile.

What does a travel eSIM cost once my phone passes?

It depends on the country, and the fair comparison is per GB. On 23 September 2026 a Japan 5 GB plan valid 7 days was US$10.12, about US$1.45 a day and US$2.02 per GB, on KDDI 4G and 5G. A Thailand 10 GB plan valid 7 days was US$12.87, about US$1.84 a day and US$1.29 per GB, on TrueMove H.

eSIM

Which Phones Support eSIM in 2026? The Compatibility List, With the Regional Traps

If you bought your phone abroad, on a carrier plan, or from an import shop, the model name is not the answer. Here is what Apple, Google and Samsung actually publish, the checks that take 30 seconds, and what a plan costs once your phone passes.

Quick answer: Written for the traveller whose phone came from somewhere else: an import, a carrier plan, a work phone. Your model name is not the answer, the variant is. Dial *#06#: a 32-digit EID means the hardware is there. Then check Settings, General, About for Carrier Lock reading No SIM Restrictions. Apple, Google and Samsung all publish region exceptions, and mainland China is the big one that changed in 2026.

Key takeaways

Two gates, not one. The phone needs an EID (eSIM hardware) and it must not be locked to a carrier. Both are checkable in under a minute, before you spend anything.
The EID is a 32-digit number defined in the GSMA SGP.29 standard: 6 digits identifying the issuer, 20 assigned digits and 2 check digits. Dial *#06# and it appears next to the IMEI if the hardware is present.
Mainland China is no longer a blanket no. Apple lists iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air (model A3518) as supporting eSIM in China mainland, activated in a carrier store with an ID check. Other models, including ones bought outside China, cannot install a China mainland carrier profile.
A China-bought iPhone still cannot install a foreign eSIM while you are inside mainland China. Apple's wording: eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers cannot be installed while located in China mainland. Buy before the trip, install after you land somewhere else.

The phone that fails is almost never the phone someone bought new, at home, from their own carrier's shop. It is the import picked up on a trip, the handset still being paid off on a contract, the work phone under a company profile, the model that looked identical to the one in the review but came from a different market. That traveller is the one who buys an eSIM at 11pm the night before a flight and then finds out at the gate.

How do I check if my phone supports eSIM, in 30 seconds?

Two gates. Fail either one and the eSIM will not install, no matter how new or expensive the phone is.

Hardware. Open the dialer and type *#06#. If a 32-digit EID appears next to the IMEI, the eSIM chip is there. On iPhone you can also look under Settings, General, About for an EID field. On Galaxy, Settings, Connections, SIM manager will offer Add eSIM if the feature is enabled on your unit.
Carrier lock. On iPhone, Settings, General, About, then read the Carrier Lock line. Apple's requirement for using another carrier's eSIM abroad is blunt: your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier, and an unlocked device reads No SIM Restrictions. On Android, a phone bought outright is usually unlocked, a phone financed on a contract usually is not, and the carrier is the only one who can release it.

Which iPhones support eSIM in 2026, and where does the region matter?

Market	What Apple publishes	Traveller takeaway
China mainland	eSIM supported on iPhone 18 Pro (A3715), iPhone 18 Pro Max (A3718), iPhone Duo (A3721), iPhone 17e (A3635) and iPhone Air (A3518). Activation in a China Mobile, China Telecom or China Unicom store with a government ID or passport. Up to two eSIMs stored on the same eSIM-capable iPhone bought in China mainland.	Check the model number, not the model name
China mainland, any other iPhone	Apple: other iPhone models, including those purchased outside of China mainland, are unable to install an eSIM profile from carriers in China mainland.	A foreign iPhone cannot take a Chinese carrier eSIM
Inside China mainland, foreign profiles	Apple: eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers cannot be installed while located in China mainland.	Buy and install your travel eSIM before you are inside the country
Hong Kong and Macao	eSIM listed on iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini and iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).	The mini and SE models are the odd ones that do work
eSIM-only, no SIM tray	iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide. iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are eSIM-only in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the US Virgin Islands (reported 9 September 2026).	No fallback to a local SIM card on these

Which Android phones support eSIM, and what do Google and Samsung actually say?

Pixel

Google's rule is simple at the top and messy at the bottom: Pixel 4 and later all support eSIM. The exceptions are published word for word, and they are all about where and how the phone was bought.

Pixel 3a: phones bought with Verizon service or in Japan do not work with eSIM.
Pixel 3: phones bought with service from any US or Canadian carriers other than Sprint and Google Fi do not work with eSIM, and phones bought in Australia, Taiwan and Japan do not either.
Pixel 2: only phones bought with Google Fi service work with eSIM.
Pixel (2016): no phones work with eSIM.
Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL in the US: no physical SIM at all, eSIM only.

My phone passes. What does a plan actually cost?

Prices below are from the Fizen catalogue on 23 September 2026, shown the way you compare them: total, per day and per GB. Fixed plans stay connected after the high-speed data is used, at the speed in the last column.

Destination plan	Carrier and networks	Total	Per day	Per GB	After the bucket
Japan, 5 GB, 7 days	KDDI, 4G and 5G	US$10.12	US$1.45	US$2.02	384 kbps
Japan, 10 GB, 7 days	KDDI, 4G and 5G	US$17.18	US$2.45	US$1.72	384 kbps
South Korea, 5 GB, 30 days	LG U+, 4G and 5G	US$10.12	US$0.34	US$2.02	128 kbps
Thailand, 10 GB, 7 days	TrueMove H, 4G and 5G	US$12.87	US$1.84	US$1.29	none stated
South-Eastern Asia, 10 GB, 7 days, 18 countries	NTT DoCoMo, SKTelecom, AIS, Viettel by country, 5G or 4G	US$23.52	US$3.36	US$2.35	128 kbps

Terms and conditions

Information only. Fizen publishes this article to inform, not to sell. Nothing here is an offer, solicitation or sale of any product or service, and it is not financial, investment, legal or tax advice.
For readers in the United States. This article provides information only. It is not an offer, solicitation or sale of any product or service, and it is not financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Fizen is not offered to US Persons.
Not affiliated. Fizen is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a partner of Apple, Google, Samsung, the GSMA, KDDI, LG U+, TrueMove H, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom or any other third party named here.
Device lists and prices change. Device support is what Apple, Google and Samsung published on their own support pages as read on 23 September 2026, and manufacturers change these lists. Plan prices are those shown in the Fizen catalogue on 23 September 2026 and change without notice. Check the official source before you rely on anything here.
Your variant may differ. A model can appear on a manufacturer list and still not support eSIM on your unit: carrier editions, market variants, managed work phones and modified devices all behave differently. Dial *#06# on the handset you will actually travel with.
Data only. A travel eSIM provides mobile data. It does not give you a local phone number, voice calls or SMS. Keep your home SIM active for bank codes. Your phone must support eSIM and must not be locked to a carrier.
Full terms. Master Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer on the Fizen site.

Sources

Updated 23 September 2026.

City guides: Beijing eSIM guide, Tokyo eSIM guide.

Which Phones Support eSIM in 2026? The Compatibility List, With the Regional Traps

How do I check if my phone supports eSIM, in 30 seconds?

Which iPhones support eSIM in 2026, and where does the region matter?