eSIM supported phones pass three checks before you buy a travel eSIM: the phone has eSIM, it is not carrier-locked, and your regional version keeps eSIM. Apple lists eSIM from the iPhone XS and Samsung UAE lists the Galaxy S20 to S26, but regional models with the same name can ship without it. We read every source on 15 Oct 2026. Want your UAE line on for calls? See keep your UAE number abroad.
How to check your phone in a minute
To check eSIM support, start with the phone itself: an Add eSIM option in the SIM settings. If it is missing, read the maker’s UAE page for your exact model; if it is there, check the carrier lock.
iPhone: Settings > Cellular > “Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM” (Apple Support UAE). Apple lists eSIM on “iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later”, so an iPhone X or older has none.
Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM. Samsung’s other UAE page calls it SIM Card Manager > Add Mobile Plan.
Google Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM.
Other Android: look for Add eSIM in the SIM settings.
No option? Read the maker’s page for your model. See what an eSIM is and how to install one.
Locked phones
A carrier-locked phone can have eSIM and still refuse another company’s eSIM. Apple’s rule for travel: “your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier.”
On an iPhone, open Settings > General > About. “No SIM Restrictions” next to Carrier Lock means it is unlocked (Apple Support UAE). Anything else, ask your carrier first.
The Samsung UAE pages we read mention a lock only for transfers: “Your new device must be unlocked for the transfer to be successful.” No page promises that a locked phone accepts a travel eSIM, and neither do we. Ask the carrier or shop that sold the phone.
Brands: iPhone, Samsung, OnePlus, Pixel and others
These eSIM compatible phones come from official pages of 4 makers, read on 15 Oct 2026. Many UAE residents carry Android phones, so the table goes beyond Apple.
| Maker | Official page | eSIM, in its words |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Apple Support UAE, published 17 Sep 2026 | “iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later”; iPhone 17, 17e, Air: “not compatible with physical SIM cards”. See iPhone. |
| Samsung | Samsung UAE list, updated 19 Sep 2026 | Galaxy S20 to S26, A57, A37, A56, A55; A36 only “Europe, North America, Korea”. See Samsung. |
| Google Pixel | Pixel Help (no UAE store) | One eSIM plus a physical SIM on a “Pixel 3a or later”; two eSIMs from the Pixel 7. |
| OnePlus | OnePlus UAE specs | OnePlus 13 and 12 list “eSIM”, adding that “feature availability may vary due to compatibility with local carriers”; the 13R lists a “Dual nano-SIM slot” only. See OnePlus. |
This guide gives no verdict of its own on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO, OPPO or vivo. We list a model only after checking the maker’s UAE page for it: the same name can ship with or without eSIM. Run the Add eSIM test first.
Regional versions cause the surprises: the iPhone 17, 17e and Air sold in the UAE are eSIM-only. One r/UAE user wrote on 1 Oct 2025: “the most important that I did not even think about is the eSIM only option for UAE.” That is one person’s experience. Samsung adds: “eSIM may not be supported even if your device is listed above.”