Apple has internally discussed the idea of launching some iPhones without SIM slots by next year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said in his latest Power On newsletter that the move would be part of Apple’s push for eSIM penetration.
Gurman said the SIM card slot may be removed from some iPhone 14 models, an announcement Apple is expected to make in three days, although he said the change is likely to happen only with next year’s iPhone 15.
“Apple will give eSIM a bigger push this time around, with carriers ready to steer users to digitally embedded SIMs instead of physical cards. In fact, Apple is already considering removing physical SIM slots altogether for certain models starting this year or next.”
IT Home has learned that eSIM is a digital SIM card that allows users to activate carrier-provided cellular numbers without using a physical nano-SIM card. eSIM availability is expanding rapidly, but the technology is not available in all countries, so some iPhone models with SIM slots will remain available during the transition.
iPhone in mainland China does not currently support eSIM. iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), and iPhone XS support eSIM in Hong Kong and Macau.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 / Pro Series at a special event in the early morning hours of September 8, Beijing time. Additional product announcements are likely to include the Apple Watch Series 8, the new Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Pro and the new AirPods Pro.
