Is the Google Pixel 10 eSIM-only?
Best answer: The Google Pixel 10 does away with the physical eSIM card slot in favor of eSIM, at least for its version in the U.S.
eSIM is an electronic SIM card loaded onto the phone by your carrier. Google does one (rather, eight) better than that for customers in the U.S. as well. You're able to store multiple numbers on the same device and even use more than one at the same time. Don't worry, there's also an easy setup for those in other countries, too.
The Google Pixel 10 has dual eSIMs in the U.S.
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The Google Pixel 10 series is here, and the device, along with its sister devices, the Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, boast tons of impressive features, including simplified and more intelligent Google AI and a durable and seamless design. One question many have, however, is whether the Google Pixel 10 is eSIM only, meaning you can’t use a physical SIM card.
The Google Pixel 10, and all the new Google Pixel devices, for that matter, have not just one eSIM but dual eSIMs in the U.S. This means you can have two eSIMs active on the phone at the same time. This could be a personal and a work number, for example, or a local one and one local to your secondary office in another city or even country.
Further, those in the U.S. can store eight or more eSIMs and swap among them. You can make good use of the option if you travel a lot for work, for example, and you want to have a local number wherever you go. You don’t have to worry about getting a temporary local SIM card to swap into the device. You could also use this feature to load different travel eSIMs.
The dual SIM design in other countries
For users in other countries, including Canada, you get dual SIMs as well, but one is a physical nano SIM and the other is an eSIM. So, you get the best of both worlds: an eSIM embedded into the hardware that is activated digitally and a physical card if you want to transfer one from an older phone, for example.
Google says that the decision to go eSIM-only in the U.S. helps the company achieve its "cleanest Pixel designs yet with no SIM tray, no visible mmWave antenna cutout and the new elegant speaker mesh found on the bottom of our two pro models." Since mmWave is a frequency range predominantly utilized by U.S. carriers, it may explain the limited move to eSIM-only.
However, in other countries, you can still swap between two numbers, including one via eSIM and one via nanoSIM. Presumably, however, only one can be active at a time.
Can you convert a physical SIM to an eSIM?
If you’re getting the Google Pixel 10 in the U.S., you'll need to convert the existing SIM card in your current phone to a digital one. This will work for any carrier that supports eSIM activations.
You may, however, have to reach out to your carrier first to facilitate the conversion process. They can help you achieve this through various methods, which can include a QR code, a digital activation code, or a setup process through an app.
Once you’re done installing, you’ll need to deactivate the physical SIM and remove it from the old device. You can then switch over to the new phone using the eSIM, and it will work smoothly as butter.
For more news and information on Google's latest phones, check out our Ultimate Guide.
Work, play, and more
Thanks to the dual eSIM design of the U.S. version of the Google Pixel 10, you can add two eSIMs and connect to both at the same time. You can also store eight or more, having a local number anywhere you go, or accessing both your personal and work calls on a single device.
