Three has confirmed that it will be launching eSIM services later in the year - and it sounds like these plans will also include the Apple Watch

In a tweet, Three UK’s customer support said that "you may have heard we trialled eSIM last year in selected retail stores. This has now been completed and we’re working on a full launch later this year."

We did indeed previously know that Three was undertaking trials - and that it had paused them -  but not that a full launch is confirmed to be in the pipeline. However, Three has sid this before.

One user has documented in a post on MoneySavingExpert just how often Three has overpromised and underdelivered on eSIM and managed to get some compensation from the network as a result. In December 2018, Three suggested: "we’re working with Apple on supporting eSIM and plan to introduce soon as we can”. Autumn 2019 and Spring 2020 launch dates came and went. Then trials were delayed - apparently due to the pandemic - before trials finally launched last September. 

Customers have been asking for eSIM from Three for a while and it remains bizarre that the network hasn’t launched it, particularly for Apple Watch. This Facebook post from 2018 about Apple Watch Cellular support still gets new posts put on there on a regular basis and appears to still be monitored by Three Support admins. 

There are several posts on that Facebook thread from Three Support, one of which says "the plan is for our full launch later this year to include support for Apple Watch." Another says that existing eSIM customers - from the trial - will continue to be supported.