Telstra eSIM vs Optus eSIM: What’s the difference?

Telstra and Optus are big rivals when it comes to all things telecommunications. The duo battle over the best phone plans. They war over the best NBN plans. They compete on coverage, and they even brawl over other forms of broadband like 5G home internet.

With that in mind, it's no surprise that both Telstra and Optus are looking to put their respective spins on the newfangled eSIM craze. While there are some differences between the duo, many of those differences aren’t as big as you might think.

Here's the low down on what an eSIM is, what devices support eSIM, which Telstra and Optus postpaid and prepaid plans are available on eSIM and how to set up eSIM with either of Australia biggest mobile providers.

Before you can even dive into an eSIM mobile plan, you’re going to need an eSIM-compatible handset.

Telstra puts the responsibility back on you to ensure you have a device with an “eSIM symbol” to confirm its eSIM compatibility. That’s not overly helpful, Telstra.

Thankfully, Optus offers a list of eSIM-compatible devices to use as a guide:

• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 11/11 Pro generation
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 12/12 Pro generation
• iPhone 13/13 Pro generation
• iPhone 14/14 Pro generation
• iPad Pro (2020)
• iPad (8th and 9th gen)

• Samsung Galaxy Fold
• Samsung Galaxy S20 5G generation
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G generation
• Samsung Galaxy S21 5G generation
• Samsung Galaxy S22 generation
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Flip
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4

• Google Pixel 4/4 XL
• Google Pixel 5
• Google Pixel 6
• Google Pixel 7

Though that list is helpful, it’s not an exhaustive breakdown of eSIM-compatible phones and other devices. The bottom line is you should check with Optus or Telstra before signing up if you’re interested in using an eSIM for your device.

Remember that the main difference between an eSIM and a SIM card is one is digital and the other is physical, which means there aren’t any differences in the plans you can sign up for.

Below is a daily updating list of popular postpaid Telstra mobile plans that support eSIM:

And below is a list of popular postpaid Optus mobile plans that support eSIM:

Here is a list of prepaid Telstra plans that support eSIM:

Here is a list of prepaid Optus plans that support eSIM:

Here’s what you need to do to prep your eSIM-compatible handset for use with Telstra:

1. Connect your eSIM-compatible handset to WiFi for configuration.
2. Now use the camera on your device to scan the Telstra eSIM Card’s QR code. Follow the prompts to finalise configuration.
3. For manual prep on an iOS device, head to Settings on your device. Go to Mobile and then ‘Add Mobile Plan’. Scan the Telstra eSIM Card’s QR code and follow the setup prompts.
4. For manual prep on an Android device, head to Settings, then ‘Network & Internet’ and finally ‘Mobile Network’. On this page, scan the Telstra eSIM Card’s QR code and follow the configuration prompts.
5. If your Telstra eSIM isn’t already activated, head to the Telstra activation page to start using mobile services.

And here are the steps to take with an eSIM-compatible device for use with Optus:

1. Connect your eSIM-compatible handset to WiFi for configuration.
2. Download and install the My Optus app. Log in with your account credentials, then select ‘More’ from the main menu. Go to ‘eSIM’ and ‘Set up my eSIM’.
3. Follow the prompts, selecting ‘Download eSIM’ followed by ‘Confirm’ and ‘Add Mobile Plan’. Finally, tap ‘Continue’ to download your eSIM.
4. Activate and deactivate flight mode on your eSIM-compatible device, or restart it to activate the Optus service.
5. For a streamlined alternative, just scan the QR Optus code Optus provides and tap on the link that pops up.