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The Airalo E-SIM card service is really a great newcomer to the SIM card market, undercutting the need to even bother with physical SIM cards and roaming charges, which we’ve covered elsewhere on this blog as a key tourist issue.
But whilst it’s a great service for getting pay-as-you-go mobile data when traveling to pretty much any country, not all devices will be compatible with the service.
Here’s a quick run down of what you need to get started:
- Your device needs to be carrier unlocked
- Your device needs to be E-SIM compatible
- Sometimes you may need to remove or disable existing physical SIM cards to get it working.
Other than that, you’re good to go with Airalo! And the good news is that a lot of modern phones and other devices are E-SIM compatible.
Let’s run through a complete list of all currently compatible devices, also with a quick beginner’s guide on getting started with an Airalo E-SIM if you’ve not used one before.
Complete List of E-SIM Compatible Devices (Phones/Tablets/Desktop)
Here’s a list by manufacturer:
Compatible Apple Devices (Phones/iPads):
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- iPad Air (5th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (8th generation)
- iPad (9th generation)
- iPad (10th generation)
- iPad Mini (5th generation)
- iPad Mini (6th generation)
Samsung Devices:
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Samsung Galaxy S20+
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20+
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
There are some important exceptions, Galaxy devices that are NOT E-SIM compatible:
- All Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE models.
- USA models of the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S21, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G.
- USA and Hong Kong models of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2.
- Most Samsung devices purchased in South Korea
- USA and Canada models of the Galaxy S21, with a few exceptions.
- See here for Airalo’s own help page that covers these rare exceptions.
Google Pixel devices:
- Google Pixel 7
- Google Pixel 7 Pro
- Google Pixel 6
- Google Pixel 6a
- Google Pixel 6 Pro
- Google Pixel 5
- Google Pixel 5a
- Google Pixel 4
- Google Pixel 4a
- Google Pixel 4 XL
- Google Pixel 3 & 3 XL
- Google Pixel 3a & 3a XL
And then some non-compatible Pixel device exceptions:
- Pixel 3 models bought from Australia, Taiwan and Japan, and also any models bought from US and Canadian carriers other than Sprint and Google Fi
- Pixel 3a models bought in South East Asia with the Verizon service
Motorola Devices:
- Motorola Razr 2019
- Motorola Razr 5G
Hammer Devices:
- HAMMER Explorer PRO
- HAMMER Blade 3
- HAMMER Blade 5G
- myPhone NOW eSIM
Huawei Devices:
- Huawei P40
- Huawei P40 Pro
- Huawei Mate 40 Pro
And then there are some NON compatible Huawei devices:
- Huawei P40 Pro+
- All Huawei devices purchased in China are not eSIM capable.
OnePlus devices:
- OnePlus 11 5G (certain regions only – contact carrier for clarification if needed)
Oppo Devices:
- OPPO Find X3 Pro
- OPPO Find X5
- OPPO Find X5 Pro
- OPPO Reno A*
Australia, Japan and other regions may not be covered. Contact carrier for assistance if needed.
Sony Devices:
- Sony Xperia 10 III Lite
- Sony Xperia 10 IV
- Sony Xperia 1 IV
Other Mobile Devices:
- Nuu Mobile X5
- Gemini PDA 4G+Wi-Fi
- Xiaomi 12T Pro (Global Version)
- Fairphone 4
Windows 10/11 Devices:
Acer Devices:
- Acer Swift 3
- Acer Swift 7
ASUS Devices
- ASUS Mini Transformer T103HAF
- ASUS NovaGo TP370QL
- ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 TP401NA
Dell Devices:
- Dell Latitude 9510
- Dell Latitude 7410
- Dell Latitude 7310
- Dell Latitude 9410
- Dell Latitude 7210 2-in-1
HP Devices:
- HP Elitebook G5
- HP Probook G5
- HP Zbook G5
- HP Spectre Folio 13
Lenovo Devices:
- Lenovo Yoga C630
- Lenovo Miix 630
- Lenovo Yoga 520
- Lenovo Yoga 720 convertible laptops
Surface Devices:
- Surface Pro 9
- Surface Go 3
- Surface Pro X
- Surface Duo 2
- Surface Duo
Surface devices purchased through AT&T are usually locked and not compatible. Other carriers can vary. Contact carrier if unsure.
See Airalo’s own compatibility page for more exceptions and clarifications.
Simple Steps To Get Started With An Airalo E-SIM Card
OK, so now we’ve run through an E-SIM compatible device list, and your device is on it, how do you actually get started with an Airalo E-SIM card?
The process is usually quite simple, you just need to check off a few boxes, and you’re good to go:
Step #1 – Check that your phone is carrier unlocked – Pretty easy step. You may already know whether it is or not straight away, but if you don’t:
- Find the IMEI of your phone. Dialing *#06# works on most phones in displaying the IMEI (international identification number for your phone). See here for other ways to find the IMEI if stuck.
- Note down the IMEI and plug it into a free IMEI checker tool like this one, and it will display a bunch of information about your phone, including whether it’s locked or unlocked.
If it’s unlocked, you’re good to go with the next step!
Step #2 – Check that your device is E-SIM compatible – Check list above. If it’s not listed or you’re still not sure, contact your carrier or phone manufacturer to check. Airalo’s own Support team may also be able to help.
Step #3 – Find and purchase the Airalo E-SIM plan you need – They cover pretty much every country in the world now, so visit their site and sign up if needed, find the country and data plan you need (data amount and validity), and purchase (prices are very cheap compared to local/tourist SIM cards when you get there, and you’re not locked into paying for a massive amount of data that you won’t need for a short trip somewhere. You can start with just 1GB packages). Install your E-SIM by following the steps given after purchase – it’s usually very easy and Airalo have a comprehensive help section and support team to help with any issues.
Click here to check current E-SIM Plans for Airalo
Note that all their packages are Data Only (No calls/texts data), but that often doesn’t matter as the concept of calls/texts data is becoming redundant as people use Whatsapp and other apps instead to communicate.
