Tired of dealing with physical SIM cards? Get a phone that doesn't need one.

While you may be used to swapping SIM cards every time you switch phone carriers or travel internationally, those days could be a thing of the past thanks to eSIM. eSIM-compatible phones can make switching plans as seamless as downloading an app, allowing you to download a carrier eSIM and start using their network when you want. Despite the options in the U.S. being pretty limited right now, some of the best Android phones are eSIM-compatible.

In the states, Google has been supporting eSIM for the longest, so it's no surprise that its premium flagship — the Pixel 7 Pro — gives you the ability to get rid of those pesky physical SIM cards if you want. Plus, it's one heck of a phone packed with 12GB of RAM and a big, beautiful 120Hz OLED display.

While its visor camera bard on the back of the phone may be an acquired taste, the design has been subtly revised over its predecessor. The back panel is made of glossy glass, which, unfortunately, is prone to fingerprint smudges, but the camera bar is now polished aluminum that blends directly into the phone's frame. The screen is still curved, but not quite as much as before, so it should feel a bit more comfortable to hold in your hand. It's all powered by Google's own Tensor G2 chipset, which is full of a ton of cool AI-powered features, making the phone feel somewhat ahead of its time.

As you may expect, the camera on the Pixel 7 Pro is the bright star thanks to Google's amazing computational photography. Even though the Pixel 7 Pro kept the same 50MP primary lens, it can now crop in at 2x, resulting in some truly incredible images. The ultra-wide lens features a wider field of view and even has a dedicated Macro Mode for grabbing those up-close shots. The telephoto lens also got an upgrade, allowing you to optical zoom in 5X and digitally out to 30X. It's one of our favorite camera systems in a smartphone, making it an excellent phone to always have in your pocket.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the epitome of power and performance in the Android world, and this huge slab of a phone is perfect for those who want to get everything done. It supports eSIM and dual Nano SIM, making it easy to use multiple networks or just get rid of the physical cards altogether.

Packed with a ton of power thanks to the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, coupled with at least 8GB of RAM, the S23 Ultra is designed to handle anything you throw at it. It has an incredibly large 6.8-inch AMOLED and an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz - 120Hz, meaning it will give you smooth animations and sharper scrolling when you need it but conserve battery power when you don't.

The S23 Ultra's biggest claim to fame this year is an updated primary camera sensor, which is now 200MP. Plus, the entire camera array is extremely versatile, allowing for close-ups, wide-angle, portrait, and telephoto shots, all with pretty great results.

The Ultra is again paired with the S-Pen, which tucks neatly inside its chassis, enabling you to take advantage of the huge display it has for serious multitasking. So take notes, draw, or just zip around One UI 5.1 with more precision and ease than ever. When it comes to raw power, you can't beat the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Pixel 7 has kept up Google's tradition of making its non-pro Pixel a quality smartphone with a ton of upside, but not a $1,000 price tag as we see on many other flagship phones.

The design improvements over the previous Pixel 6 are very welcome. The matte aluminum finish covering the frame and blending in the camera visor on the back of the device looks really nice. The phone also downsized just a little bit, now featuring a 6.3-inch 90Hz OLED display and smaller bezels around the sides, making it easier to hold in your hand comfortably.

While Google's camera software is still phenomenal on the Pixel 7, it does have a few downsides compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. It has the same 114° ultra-wide lens as its predecessor — which means it doesn't have that cool Macro Mode — and it's missing that awesome telephoto lens. The fantastic 50MP main sensor still lets you crop in at 2x, though. Of course, anything more zoomed in than that will be digital zoom, which is also reduced to only 8X on the Pixel 7.

It's the value the Pixel 7 brings to the table that makes it such a good phone to consider as you're next daily carry. The $300 savings between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is a lot of money. And aside from a few premium features, you're getting nearly the same experience thanks to Google's awesome Tensor G2 chipset that powers all of its AI-powered tricks.

Google's midrange Pixel 6a is the best eSIM-compatible phone you can get for $450 because of its great camera, good performance, and fantastic software features.

The Pixel 6a is a little bit of a Frankenstein phone as it kind of mashes up the Pixel 6 with the Pixel 5a to make a phone that has its advantages and disadvantages over its predecessors. For starters, its 60Hz display is a bit less bright, and it doesn't have wireless charging; however, that's about the only thing from the Pixel 6 that you'll really miss. Since the first-generation Tensor chip offers fast and consistent performance, the software feels as smooth as ever, even when stacked up against today's flagships. Plus, all the power and AI features help the camera to be one of the better systems at this price point by offering features like Real Tone and Magic Eraser.

The signal strength on the Pixel 6a is noticeably weaker than you may like it to be, so be wary if you live in an area with very minimal coverage. This will likely not be noticeable at all if you live in a city with good strength or use Wi-Fi calling most of the time, but it is something to note.

If you're looking to get into the foldable game, both of Samsung's foldable phones support eSIM, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is still a decent phone if you want something unique but don't mind some compromises.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a minimal upgrade over the 2021 model, with the same matching clamshell design and external cover screen of its predecessor. When you unfold the device, it will look like a standard Galaxy device, and that's the whole point. The Z Flip 4 gives you the ability to have a small, pocketable phone with a large display that you see on most other flagships.

Unfortunately, some of the compromises may be deal-breakers for you. For example, the cameras are lacking when compared to the great camera systems you see on other phones considering the price tag — and the battery struggles to get you through a whole day. But, in the end, the software tricks the Z Flip 4 has up its sleeve make shooting with the device pretty enjoyable and takes away some of the stings of a subpar camera array.

If you want your eSIM phone to be a little more unconventional and love the idea of a small phone that still offers a nice big display, you can't get much better than the Z Flip 4.

If you don't mind spending a fair amount of money on an eSim-compatible phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the best foldable phone on the market and gives you a phone and tablet experience in one device. It's a productivity powerhouse powered by the powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is pretty power efficient as well, giving it decent battery life for a device with a massive 7.6-inch display when unfolded.

Unlike the Z Flip 4, the Fold 4 has decent camera performance and is better than ever, though it's still a bit lacking compared to the S23 Ultra. The under-display camera on the interior screen isn't great either, but it's much less distracted and noticeable than it was on the Fold 3, so that's a plus in our book. Still, the camera system has a 50MP primary sensor that captures good-quality pictures that will make most people pretty happy; it's definitely good enough for taking shots for Instagram and other social media.

Ultimately, what's going to make you choose between a phone like the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is its foldable design. If having a tablet and phone in one device seems like a no-brainer to you, and you can afford the $1,800 starting price, you won't find a better smartphone.

Apple made headlines when it announced its most recent set of flagships — the iPhone 14 lineup — were going eSIM in the states, but the technology is still new, and companies have been slow to get on board.

Google has included eSIM on its Pixel line of phones since the Pixel 3, and Samsung has included them on their S20-series phones, but not too many other easy-to-use phones support them in the U.S. Of course, technology can adapt fast. So going into the future, we may see many more phones with eSIM — much like we've seen an explosion of 5G phones in the past few years.

If you want your next phone to be an eSIM-compatible Android phone, it's hard not to suggest the Pixel 7 Pro. Google's shining achievement shows how smooth the Android experience can be when incredible AI features, like Call Screening and Hold for Me, take center stage. Plus, Google's computational photography prowess makes snapping photos on the Pixel 7 Pro a blast, often returning truly incredible results.

If it's raw power and performance you crave, you can't go wrong with the newly minted Galaxy S23 Ultra. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8 or 12GB of RAM will handle everything you throw. Its large 6.8-inch display is best-in-class, offering fantastic color and contrast and a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Add in the S-Pen for note-taking, drawing, and more precise control when tapping the screen, and you have a phone ready to go hard during work and play.

If you'd like to try and save a little more but still get an eSIM-compatible phone worth carrying around, the standard Pixel 7 is a pretty good deal. For $600, it offers most of the same performance and features as the pro version. And even though it doesn't have a very versatile camera array, it does take impressive pictures.

Luke FIlipowicz has been writing about tech for the better part of a decade and has been obsessed with smartphones since he first picked up an iPhone when he was 18.  While it all started with an iPhone, Luke gets his hands on all sorts of technology, including speakers, headphones, keyboards, apps, games, and more.  Luke's love of technology isn't just limited to mobile tech; you will often find him tinkering with cameras, microphones, and lights in his off time. Photography and video editing are two passions left over from his college days, where he got his Creative Communications Diploma from Red River College Polytechnic in 2015.