POCO F9 Ultra eSIM: which POCO and Redmi have it

Yes for the POCO F9 Ultra and POCO F9 Pro; only the Pro and Pro Max in the Redmi Note 17 series (and not the Japanese Pro Max); no for the Redmi 17 5G, Redmi 15C and Redmi 13; and for the Redmi 15 5G and Redmi 12 5G, only the Japanese versions. That is what Xiaomi's own support FAQs and spec pages said when we read them on 27 October 2026.

Xiaomi publishes a short FAQ for every phone it sells, and on recent models one of its questions is literally "Does it support eSIM?". We used those answers and the spec sheets on mi.com and po.co, region by region, because the same Redmi name can ship with or without eSIM depending on the country. If you want the whole Xiaomi range, including the Xiaomi 17 and 15 flagships, read our complete Xiaomi and Redmi eSIM list; this page goes deeper on the POCO and Redmi models below.

Quick answer: eSIM on POCO and Redmi, model by model

The table gives Xiaomi's answer for each phone, the versions it applies to and the page where Xiaomi says it. "Single eSIM" is Xiaomi's own wording in the FAQ; the spec sheet line is quoted where it adds a dual-eSIM option.

Xiaomi does not print model numbers on these spec pages, so we do not list them here. The section "How to tell which version you have" below explains how to see yours. The same results are in our POCO series and Redmi series device tables.

Does the POCO F9 Ultra support eSIM?

Yes. The official POCO F9 Ultra spec page lists "Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM, eSIM + eSIM)", with two caveats in Xiaomi's own words: "Use of eSIM requires a wireless service plan" and "eSIM availability may vary depending on country/region and carrier".

The POCO F9 Ultra FAQ on Xiaomi UK answers the eSIM question like this: "The POCO F9 Ultra supports a single eSIM." It gives the switch to turn it on: Settings > Mobile networks > Turn on eSIM, then OK in the pop-up.

Dual SIM: standby or active?

The same FAQ adds a regional detail that matters if you use two lines every day. Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA), where a call on one line does not cut data on the other, is supported in India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. Everywhere else, including Europe, the phone runs Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS): both lines wait for calls, but only one is in use at a time.

What this means in practice

• Travel eSIM + your home nano-SIM: supported, this is the "nano SIM + eSIM" combination.
• Two eSIMs and no physical card: listed on the spec page as "eSIM + eSIM".
• How many eSIM profiles you can store: Xiaomi does not state a number for the F9 Ultra.

Does the POCO F9 Pro support eSIM?

Yes. The POCO F9 Pro spec page on po.co reads "Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM or eSIM + eSIM)" and repeats that "Use of eSIM requires a wireless service plan". The phone also has NFC.

Xiaomi's regional FAQs for the F9 Pro (for example the Greek FAQ) say it supports one eSIM, switched on from Mobile networks in Settings, with dual SIM dual standby. Unlike the Ultra's FAQ, the F9 Pro pages we read do not list the countries with DSDA, so we cannot tell you whether the Indian or Asian units get it.

Both phones belong to the POCO F9 series. If you are choosing between them for travel, eSIM is not a deciding factor: they list the same SIM combinations.

Redmi Note 17 series: only the Pro and Pro Max have eSIM

This is the series where the name alone misleads most. Xiaomi's FAQs give a clear split:

• Redmi Note 17 (4G): no eSIM, the feature "is not available".
• Redmi Note 17 5G: "The REDMI Note 17 5G does not support eSIM".
• Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G: "supports a single eSIM", turned on via Settings > Mobile networks > Turn on eSIM.
• Redmi Note 17 Pro Max 5G: "supports a single eSIM", same path.

Pro 5G: one eSIM next to a nano-SIM

The global Note 17 Pro 5G spec page lists "Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM)". There is no "eSIM + eSIM" option, so plan on one eSIM plus one physical SIM. The FAQ adds dual SIM dual standby with 5G on both lines, but not dual 5G SA.

India: Xiaomi India sells a Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G with a different chip (Snapdragon 6s Gen 4). We could not see an eSIM line for it on Xiaomi India's page, so we do not count the Indian unit as confirmed. Check the SIM line on the page or the box before buying one for eSIM.

Pro Max 5G: yes, except in Japan

The global Pro Max spec page lists nano + nano, nano + eSIM or eSIM + eSIM; the Mexican, Brazilian and Vietnamese pages say the same. The Saudi page drops the eSIM + eSIM option. The Japanese spec page lists two nano-SIM slots and no eSIM at all, so a Pro Max imported from Japan cannot take an eSIM.

Does the Redmi 17 5G support eSIM?

No. Xiaomi's Redmi 17 5G FAQ says it does not support eSIM; NFC payments on this phone go through the physical SIM in slot 1. The rest of the family is the same:

• Redmi 17: "The REDMI 17 does not support eSIM cards."
• Redmi 17C 5G: "The REDMI 17C 5G does not support eSIM."

No software update adds eSIM to these phones, because the eUICC chip that stores profiles is not there. If you need a travel line on a Redmi 17, buy a local physical SIM, or see our guide on cheap Android phones that do have eSIM.

Is the Redmi 15 5G eSIM compatible?

Only the Japanese version. The global Redmi 15 5G FAQ says: "The REDMI 15 5G does not support eSIM." Its SIM tray is SIM1 + hybrid (a second SIM or a microSD card). The French, German and Spanish FAQs give the same answer, and so does the Redmi 15 (4G) FAQ.

Xiaomi Japan's Redmi 15 5G spec page is different: it lists dual SIM "nano SIM + eSIM", with Japanese 5G bands, and the microSD card shares a SIM slot. That is the version sold in Japan, including by SoftBank.

One caution: Xiaomi Japan's own Redmi 15 5G FAQ answers "no eSIM" and describes the global SIM1 + hybrid tray, so it looks copied from the global FAQ. We go with the Japanese spec page for Japanese units, but if you are buying a used Redmi 15 5G in Europe, assume no eSIM unless its SIM settings show an eSIM option.

Redmi 15C and 15C 5G: no

The Redmi 15C FAQ says the phone has no eSIM: it has "SIM card slot × 2 + MicroSD card slot × 1" and supports Dual SIM Dual Active with two physical cards. The Redmi 15C 5G FAQ also says no eSIM.

Redmi 12 and Redmi 13: do they have eSIM?

Not outside Japan. Xiaomi does not have a one-line "no eSIM" answer for these older models, but its pages list only physical SIM slots:

• Redmi 12 (4G): the Redmi 12 FAQ names "nano-SIM/micro-SD + nano-SIM" as the SIM type.
• Redmi 12 5G (global): the global FAQ gives the same physical-SIM setup.
• Redmi 12 5G (Japan): the Xiaomi Japan spec page and the SoftBank version page list "nano SIM + eSIM". This is the only Redmi 12 with eSIM.
• Redmi 13: the spec page lists one SIM plus a hybrid slot (SIM or microSD), no eSIM. The Redmi 13x FAQ says outright that it does not support eSIM.

So a Redmi 12 or Redmi 13 bought in Europe, India or Latin America has no eSIM. For the reasons manufacturers drop the chip in some markets, see why regional variants lack eSIM hardware.

How to tell which version you have

For the Note 17 Pro Max, Redmi 15 5G and Redmi 12 5G, the region matters more than the name. Three checks, quickest first:

1. Look for the eSIM switch. On HyperOS, open Settings > Mobile networks (on some versions Settings > SIM cards & mobile networks). If there is a "Turn on eSIM" or "Use eSIM" option, the hardware is there. If there is none, the unit has no eSIM, or the software hides it: our guide to a missing eSIM option goes through the causes.
2. Read the model number. Xiaomi's official path is Settings > About phone > Detailed info and specs > Model. The same number is printed on the box label. Xiaomi does not publish the eSIM status per model number for these phones, so use it to compare with the seller's listing and the region of the spec page.
3. Find the EID. A phone with eSIM has a 32-digit EID, shown in the eSIM management screen once eSIM is on. No EID means no eSIM chip. Steps in our EID guide.

The free eSIM Check app reads the chip directly and answers in a few seconds, which is handy on a second-hand phone.

Setting up the eSIM next to a nano-SIM

On the 2026 models above, Xiaomi's FAQs give a short path: Settings > Mobile networks > Turn on eSIM > OK. Xiaomi's general guide describes the full flow on HyperOS:

1. Go to Settings > SIM cards & mobile networks (Mobile networks on newer builds).
2. Switch on Use eSIM and tap OK.
3. Tap Manage eSIM, then Add mobile plan.
4. Scan the QR code from your carrier or travel eSIM provider, or enter the activation code by hand, and follow the on-screen steps.
5. Back in Mobile networks, choose which line handles calls and which handles data.

Carriers that issue eSIMs to Android phones include EE, Vodafone UK and O2 in the UK, and AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in the US; each decides which handsets it activates, so ask before switching.

If the eSIM will not activate

Xiaomi's eSIM troubleshooting page says that on the models it covers, "eSIM card and SIM 2 cannot be used at the same time": take out or turn off the second physical SIM, then try again. On the new phones the spec pages list nano SIM + eSIM as a normal dual-SIM setup, so this applies mainly to older models. How many profiles you can store: Xiaomi's general FAQ gives up to 5 per card slot, depending on memory, but no figure for these specific phones. More fixes: eSIM stuck on activating and activating an eSIM on Android.

Moving from a phone without eSIM? See how to switch your number to eSIM, then browse all eSIM-compatible phones or the Xiaomi model list.

How we checked

On 27 October 2026 we read, for each model, Xiaomi's support FAQ and its spec page on mi.com or po.co, in the global edition and in the regional editions where versions differ (Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, Spain, France, Germany). The po.co spec pages were opened directly; mi.com blocked automated access, so we read those official pages through their indexed text and did not try to bypass the block. Every claim links to the Xiaomi page it comes from.

Where two Xiaomi pages disagree (the Redmi 15 5G in Japan, "single eSIM" versus "eSIM + eSIM" on the POCO F9 Ultra and Note 17 Pro Max), we quote both and say which we follow. Where Xiaomi says nothing, such as model numbers or the number of stored eSIM profiles per model, we say so rather than guess. Models are added to our device database only when Xiaomi confirms eSIM.