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The first iPhone generations to carry an eSIM, and what changes on the models sold in mainland China and Hong Kong.
These are the generations where the answer is least obvious, because the model names sit so close together. The iPhone XS and XR were the first iPhones with an eSIM chip. The iPhone X, released a year earlier and one letter away, has none. The same trap exists in the SE line, where the second generation supports eSIM and the first does not.
These three are the first iPhones with an eSIM. Apple's own wording for eSIM support is an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later, which makes this generation the boundary. All three keep their nano-SIM tray alongside the eSIM, so they run one physical line and one eSIM line at the same time. For a traveller that is the useful arrangement: home SIM in the tray, travel plan as the eSIM.
These handsets are several years into their life and many have been resold, which raises the odds of a carrier lock nobody mentioned. Read Carrier Lock under Settings, General, About before buying a plan.
The iPhone X takes a nano-SIM card and nothing else. It has no eSIM chip, so no iOS update, setting or app can give it one. This is the single most common mix-up in the whole iPhone range, and it costs people money when they buy a travel eSIM for a handset that cannot install it.
Settings, General, About, and read the Model Name row. It says the model outright. Do not judge by the size or the notch: the X and XS look nearly identical from the front.
A local physical SIM bought on arrival, or a roaming plan from your own network. The tray is the only route this handset has.
All three support eSIM and all three keep the nano-SIM tray. This is the generation people ask about most, judging by how often the question appears, and the answer is a straightforward yes. One eSIM and one physical SIM can be active together, which is exactly what you want when you land somewhere and need data without losing your own number.
The handset is old enough that a carrier lock is the first suspect, and the second is iOS being several versions behind. Check Carrier Lock, then check for an iOS update, then retry the install on wifi.
The SE line splits. The second generation from 2020 and the third generation from 2022 both support eSIM. The first generation from 2016 does not. Because all three carry the SE name and the second and third look alike, the model name in Settings is the only reliable way to tell them apart.
Settings, General, About, and read Model Name. It will say iPhone SE (2nd generation) or iPhone SE (3rd generation) outright. Both answer yes to eSIM, so for travel purposes the distinction matters less than knowing it is not the first.
Certain iPhone models sold in Hong Kong and Macao carry Dual SIM with two nano-SIM cards instead of an eSIM. Two lines at once, but both physical, and a travel eSIM has nowhere to install. If a handset from this generation was bought in either place, the EID check is not optional.
Settings, General, About, and look for an EID row. Present means eSIM hardware. Absent on an XS, XR or 11 usually means a two-tray regional model.
Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, then scan the code or enter the details by hand. Because these handsets keep their tray, nothing has to come out: leave your home SIM in place, install the travel plan as the eSIM, set it as the cellular data line, and switch data roaming on for that line only. Your usual number keeps ringing throughout.
| Model | eSIM | Nano-SIM tray |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone X | No | Yes |
| iPhone XR | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone XS | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone XS Max | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 11 | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 11 Pro | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 11 Pro Max | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone SE 1st generation | No | Yes |
| iPhone SE 2nd generation | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone SE 3rd generation | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 8, 8 Plus and older | No | Yes |
Yes. The XR is one of the first three iPhones with an eSIM, alongside the XS and XS Max. It keeps its nano-SIM tray too, so a home SIM and a travel eSIM can run together.
The second and third generations do. The first generation from 2016 does not. Read Model Name under Settings, General, About to see which one you have.
Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, then scan the QR code from your plan or enter the activation code by hand. Do it on wifi, then set the new line as the one for cellular data.
The likeliest cause on a handset this age is a carrier lock, which lets the profile install and then fails activation. Check Carrier Lock under Settings, General, About. After that, check for an iOS update and retry the install on wifi.
Settings, then Cellular. Each installed line appears there with its own name and its own on and off switch, including any eSIM. If a plan is installed but nothing loads, it is listed but not set as the data line.
The same path as the 11: Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, then scan or enter the code. The XR keeps its tray, so your existing physical SIM can stay where it is.
Settings, General, About, and read Model Name. It states the generation in full. Both the second and third support eSIM, so either way the answer for travel is yes.
For a travel plan you do not convert anything: install the plan as a second line and leave your physical SIM in the tray. Converting an existing carrier line to eSIM is a separate request you make to that network.
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