can't get Esim to work

Langdon, Graeme 0 Reputation points
2026-05-05T15:23:28.4333333+00:00

Surface Pro for business - s/n [Moderator note: PII removed] and s/n [Moderator note: PII removed]

states an error when trying to scan QR for Esim - it states no hardware pressent

Do the above devices have Esim ability?

Surface | Surface Pro | Network
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-05T15:23:39.14+00:00

    Both Surface Pro for Business devices can use cellular data only if they are specific LTE/5G-capable models. eSIM support is limited to certain LTE/5G Surface Pro variants.

    From the available information:

    • Surface devices with LTE Advanced or 5G can get cellular data either via a physical nano SIM or via eSIM, depending on the exact model.
    • eSIM support applies only to these Surface models:
      • Surface Pro X
      • Surface Pro (5th Gen) with LTE Advanced
      • Surface Pro 7+ with LTE Advanced
      • Surface Pro 8 with LTE Advanced
      • Surface Pro 9 with 5G
      • Surface Pro 10 with 5G for Business
      • Surface Pro (11th Edition) with 5G
      • Surface Laptop 5G for Business
      • Surface Go 3 with LTE Advanced

    If the two serial numbers correspond to Surface Pro models that are not in this list, they do not have eSIM capability and the “no hardware present” message when scanning a QR code for eSIM is expected.

    To verify whether each device is LTE/5G and eSIM-capable:

    1. On the device, open the Surface app (Start → search for “Surface”).
    2. Expand Device information and check the Surface model.
    3. Compare the model name to the supported eSIM list above.

    If the model is one of the supported LTE/5G + eSIM devices and still reports “no hardware present,” contact Surface support, as the eSIM hardware or firmware may not be functioning correctly.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Lychee-Ng 28,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-06T09:04:07.9966667+00:00

    Hi Langdon, Graeme,

    Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

    In addition to the list from Q&A Assist, you can verify your device specifications directly on Microsoft’s official pages. As you can see in the screenshot below, the Surface Pro for Business 11th Edition – Copilot+ PC does not support eSIM:

    User's image

    Your model uses Intel hardware, which is Wi‑Fi only and lacks cellular capability. For the ones that include eSIM support, their specs page explicitly states this. For example, you can compare your device to the Surface Pro with Snapdragon:

    User's image

    If you’d still like to double‑check, go to Settings > Network & Internet. If you don’t see a Cellular section there, it confirms that eSIM is not supported on your Surface Pro.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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