With the launch of the upcoming iPhone 14 lineup just around the corner, a new report suggests Apple could switch to eSIM-only iPhone models this year or by 2023 as adoption of the technology increase. In addition, it is prepared to give eSIMs a bigger push in the upcoming iPhone 14 cycle.
Apple will give eSIM a “bigger push this time around,” reveals Gurman
In the latest edition of his “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman revealed that “Apple will give eSIM a bigger push this time around, with carriers preparing to steer users toward the digital, embedded SIM cards rather than physical ones. ”
In addition to this, Gurman shockingly stated that the Cupertino tech giant “has considered removing the physical SIM card slot altogether beginning either this year or next for some models.”
The tech giant was once rumored to be testing a port-less iPhone after the EU’s USB-C proposal, which seems more plausible now that it has discussed ditching the SIM card slot and has introduced MagSafe integration with the iPhone. However, Ming-Chi Kuo previously explained that a “Portless iPhone may cause more problems due to current limitations of wireless technologies & the immature MagSafe ecosystem.”
It was previously reported that eSIM adopted in Europe and Asia has been ramping up with an AT&T executive calling it “a natural evolution” that is going to “make the experience better down the road.”
Apple first began offering SIM-free functionality with the iPhone X that allowed users to keep multiple lines with an eSIM as well as physical SIM cards. The same functionality was also available in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12. However, with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, users can keep an eSIM and a physical SIM or two active eSIMs.
It is possible that Apple could release the SIM-free iPhone in certain markets. iPhone 15 Pro models might still have a physical SIM card slot in countries where eSIM service is not available. However, we will just have to sit tight and wait to see what the company announces at its upcoming event.
