According to a new report, the upcoming iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models may be launched exclusively with eSIM connectivity in France this year. This means that the lineup will not offer traditional SIM card trays.
eSIMs could take over as this year’s iPhone 15 lineup is rumored to ditch SIM card trays outside the U.S.
As reported by the French website MacGeneration, this year’s iPhone 15 models – standard and Pro – will not come with a SIM card tray. This means that the devices would only work with eSIMs for cellular connectivity. This move is not surprising, as Apple removed the SIM card tray from all iPhone 14 models in the U.S. last September, forcing customers to use eSIMs instead.
While the SIM card tray may be removed in France, it is expected that this change will be rolled out to other European countries as well. Apple typically sells one iPhone model in most of Europe, which means that if the tray is removed in France, it is likely to be removed in other countries where the same iPhone model is sold. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro model A2890 sold in France is also sold in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and dozens of other countries.
eSIMs offer several advantages over physical SIM cards. Apple has been promoting eSIMs as being more secure than physical SIM cards, as they cannot be removed from an iPhone that is lost or stolen. In addition, up to eight eSIMs can be managed in the iPhone’s Settings app, which eliminates the need to obtain, carry, and swap physical SIM cards while traveling.
Apple has a support document that provides a list of carriers that support eSIM technology around the world. As eSIM availability continues to expand, the removal of the SIM card tray beyond the US seems inevitable, even if the transition takes a few more years to be fully completed.
The iPhone 15 series is expected to be unveiled in September, as per Apple’s usual product launch schedule. It remains to be seen whether the new models will be available in all countries without a SIM card tray or whether this change will be limited to specific regions. Nonetheless, it is clear that Apple is continuing to innovate and push forward with new technologies that offer greater convenience, security, and flexibility to its customers.
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