eSIM Device Shipments to Surpass 633 Million in 2026, Fueled by Chinese Smartphone Market and SGP.32 IoT Advancements

ABI Research, a global technology intelligence firm, projects that eSIM-enabled device shipments will reach 403 million for consumer devices and 140 million for IoT devices in 2025, totaling over 633 million by 2026. This growth follows a recovery in the smartphone market, with year-on-year declines in 2022 and 2023 reversing into a rebound in 2024 and 2025, driven by increased eSIM adoption among smartphone manufacturers.

Smartphones accounted for 66% of eSIM-enabled device shipments in 2024 and 74% in 2025, mitigating the impact of a slower IoT market, where delays in SGP.32 ratification have limited new deployments. Despite over 70% of smartphones still lacking eSIM support, the push toward full market penetration positions smartphones as the largest growth segment by volume through 2030, according to Research Analyst Georgia Cooke.

China’s upcoming pilot scheme with China Unicom will permit eSIM use in domestic smartphones, unlocking the final portion of the addressable smartphone market. This development will drive the Asia-Pacific region to a 22.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for eSIM-enabled smartphones from 2025 to 2030, compared to 6.2% in North America and 9.8% in Western Europe, where early adoption is transitioning to steady growth.

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