In short
Dial the *#06# code on your phone. If a line called EID appears, the phone has an eSIM. EE calls this “the quickest way to check that your device supports eSIM” (EE, checked on 25 October 2026). Then make sure the phone is unlocked, and only then buy a plan.
We sell travel eSIMs, not phones. No eSIM compatible phones list beats the check on your own phone: the model lists on this page quote the makers’ help pages, and Samsung warns that, depending on the country of origin, eSIM “may not be supported even if your device is listed”.
How do I check my phone in 30 seconds?
Open the dialler, type *#06# and look for an EID number. Vodafone puts it plainly: “If you’re shown an EID number, your device supports eSIM” (Vodafone, checked on 25 October 2026). Asda Mobile and iD Mobile give the same code on their eSIM pages (Asda Mobile, iD Mobile).
On a Samsung Galaxy the EID is also on the box, or in Settings → About phone → Status (Samsung, page updated 22 January 2025).
No EID line? Don’t buy an eSIM yet. Look the phone up on its maker’s UK page first; the table below links them. Without an eSIM, you need a physical SIM.
Tablet and smartwatch eSIM is a separate question. Asda Mobile says its eSIMs “aren’t currently compatible with tablets and wearables”, and iD Mobile offers eSIM on phones only. Samsung adds that “Wi-Fi only tablet models do not support eSIM functionality”. Check a tablet or watch with its maker before you buy.
Is your phone locked to a network?
A locked phone will not take another provider’s eSIM. Vodafone: “Your device must be network unlocked to use a Vodafone eSIM. If it’s locked to another provider, you’ll need to contact them to unlock it first” (Vodafone, checked on 25 October 2026).
Apple says the same for a travel eSIM. On an iPhone, open Settings → General → About. If it is unlocked, “No SIM Restrictions” appears next to Network provider Lock (Apple, checked on 25 October 2026). Menus can differ by model and software version.
On a Samsung or a Pixel, ask the network that sold you the phone whether it is unlocked. The makers’ UK pages we checked give no lock-check menu.
Which brands take an eSIM: iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel?
Each maker publishes its own line. The table quotes them, and the last column shows what each page leaves out.
| Maker | What the maker’s page says (checked on 25 October 2026) | What it leaves out |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | “An iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later”: iPhone XS and later (Apple) | No model-by-model list; the same page says that in China mainland only some recent models take an eSIM, and in Hong Kong and Macao certain models use two nano-SIM cards |
| Samsung | “Galaxy devices that support eSIM”: the Galaxy S20 to S26 lines, every Z Fold and Z Flip back to the first Galaxy Fold, the S23 FE to S26 FE, and some A and XCover models (Samsung UK, updated 16 September 2026) | Several A models are marked for other regions only |
| “Pixel 4 and later: All phones work with eSIM” (Google Pixel Help) | Pixel 3a, 3 and 2 depend on where and with which operator they were bought |
UK vs US models matter on the Samsung Galaxy eSIM models list. Samsung marks the A27, A17 5G, A26 and A16 5G “(Only North America)”, and the A36 and A35 “(Only Europe, North America, Korea)”. So on that list, an A26 has eSIM only in North America.
Google’s Pixel models page marks one note “[US only]”: “You can’t use a physical sim (pSim)” on the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro or Pixel 10 Pro XL (Google, checked on 26 October 2026). It is a US rule, not a UK one.
Dual SIM with two eSIMs is narrower on iPhone. Apple says “iPhone 13 models and later also support Dual SIM with two eSIMs, in addition to a physical SIM and an eSIM” (Apple, checked on 25 October 2026).
For other brands we have no maker’s UK page on file, so we name no models. Use the *#06# check and the maker’s own UK support page.
More on each brand: eSIM on iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel. Once the check passes, see how to install an eSIM.