eSIM deals

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is an embedded SIM card, meaning that unlike standard SIM cards you can’t take it in or out of the device. That might sound like a bad thing, but it’s designed so that you don’t have to, as rather than being locked to a specific network the SIM card can change network when you do.

What are the benefits of eSIMs?

At a minimum, an eSIM can take some of the hassle out of changing networks, plans and devices. No longer will you have to wait for a new SIM card, instead you just request the move and you’ll instantly receive an eSIM for your new network.

While if you buy a new device on your existing network you can typically move your eSIM to it via a simple in-app transfer process, and you won't have to worry about the various different SIM card sizes we have today.

It could even theoretically mean the freedom to change network as and when you choose, though in practice the mobile networks are currently still locking us into contracts most of the time.

Multiple networks and numbers can be stored on a single eSIM too, so you can have more than one number. This could be handy if for example you want both a work and personal number on one phone, or if you’re travelling abroad and want a local number to avoid roaming fees. Although note that you’re typically limited to only having either one or two lines active at a time.

Plus, if phone-makers can remove the SIM card slot they can save a little bit of space, as not only is there no need for a SIM tray and an ejection mechanism (to remove it from the phone) with an eSIM, but an eSIM itself is smaller than a nano SIM. That means there’s more room for other components or for example a slightly bigger battery. The saved space will be tiny, but then so are some smartphone components.

Alternatively, that saved space could be used to make a device smaller. In either case this could be even more beneficial to smaller devices like smartwatches, which we’re also starting to see eSIMs in.

Another advantage of them is that by not having a physical SIM card, phones will likely become less popular targets of theft, since thieves won’t be able to remove the SIM card and replace it with a new one.

Are there any downsides of eSIMs?

Any eSIM depends on networks supporting it, though these days most networks do.

Still, at the time of writing, almost all phones with eSIM cards also have a standard SIM card slot, in part because some networks don’t support the tech yet. But this removes the tech’s space-saving benefits.

However, that’s likely to change soon. In the US, recent iPhones only have an eSIM, which is sure to encourage networks to more widely support eSIMs over there. It’s probably only a matter of time before a similar push is made in the UK.

Which networks offer eSIMs?

EE, O2, Three, Vodafone, 1pMobile, Giffgaff, Honest Mobile, iD Mobile, Lebara, Lyca Mobile, Mozillion, ParentShield, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Spusu, Tesco Mobile, Talkmobile, and VOXI all support eSIMs at the time of writing.

So most – but not all – networks do now support eSIMs, making them a lot more useful than they once were.

Handily, the GSMA has now agreed upon a standard for eSIMs, which is another thing that should help push them out into the mainstream, since the tech will be much the same whatever phone you go with.

What phones support eSIMs?

You can already get many devices with eSIMs, and there are a growing number of them. The most high-profile examples include every iPhone from the iPhone XS range onwards, plus many high-end Samsung phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S26 range.

Many phones from other brands also support eSIMs, including various mid-range handsets and even some quite low end ones.

However, most of these also have a standard SIM card slot as well, since some networks don’t yet support eSIMs. You’ll find many of the phones that have eSIMs in the chart below – though with so many phones now having eSIMs, this isn’t a complete list.

Apple hasn’t just put eSIM cards into phones either, as the company has also put one in the Apple Watch Ultra 4, Apple Watch 12, Apple Watch 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch 10, Apple Watch 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE 2, Apple Watch 7, Apple Watch 6, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch 5, Apple Watch 4, Apple Watch 3 and various iPad models, though it used to call it an Apple SIM in earlier devices.

As you can see in the chart above, Samsung and Google are also using eSIMs in a lot of their devices, and these companies aren’t limiting them to phones either, with many models in the Samsung Galaxy Watch range along with the Google Pixel Watch series also having an eSIM, for example.

Companies such as Sony, Xiaomi, Nokia/HMD, Fairphone, Oppo, and Motorola are now either dabbling in or widely using eSIMs as well.

The only phones that only have an eSIM at the time of writing though in the UK (as opposed to also having a removable SIM) are the iPhone Air, the iPhone Duo, and the Motorola Razr (2019).

It’s worth noting too that some of these devices also come in versions that only have a removable SIM card, and not all networks or countries will offer the eSIM versions, so check which version you’re buying if you specifically want an eSIM.