Apple removed the SIM card tray from the iPhone 14 units sold in the US. With the iPhone 15, the company seemingly plans to ditch the SIM slot on the iPhone in even more countries.
A new report indicates the iPhone 15 could launch with only eSIM support in France.
iPhone 15 could skip the physical SIM card slot in more markets
Apple was among the first companies to adopt the eSIM standard, starting with the iPhone Xs series in 2018. All iPhone models launched since then have supported eSIM. However, the company pushed the standard heavily with the iPhone 14 launch last year.
By removing the SIM slot from the iPhone 14 models sold in the US, the company left customers with no option but to switch to the digital SIM standard. This led to an increase in eSIM adoption and better carrier support globally.
Now, Apple seems set to push eSIM adoption in international markets as well. An iGeneration report claims iPhone 15 units sold in France will lack a physical SIM slot. Apple does not have separate iPhone SKUs for other European markets. So the 2023 iPhones sold across Europe could skip the physical SIM card slot. However, this is something that only time will tell.
eSIM has several benefits
eSIM comes with its own set of advantages. However, the biggest hurdle with the digital SIM is the setup process. Despite carriers having years to adopt the standard, there’s a high chance you will encounter issues switching from a physical SIM to an eSIM. Our own Leander Kahney had to reach out to T-Mobile to set up eSIM on his iPhone 14 Pro.
Once you get past the initial hurdle, you’ll like the advantages eSIM offers. Since iPhones support dual eSIMs, you can connect to two networks simultaneously using the digital SIM standard.
When traveling internationally, you can seamlessly connect to a local network operator without fiddling with SIM cards. Apple allows you to store up to eight eSIM profiles on your phone.
