Last month, a source claimed that Apple had advised major US carriers to prepare to launch eSIM-only smartphones by September 2022, suggesting that at least one of the iPhone 14 models may lack the traditional physical nano-SIM tray.
GlobalData analyst Emma Mohr-McClune said today that she believes Apple will not switch entirely to eSIM-only iPhones right away, but instead offer eSIM-only iPhone 14 models through its own online store and give carriers the option of eSIM-only The models are sold alongside more traditional models that have both an eSIM and a nano-SIM tray.
There are still many carriers in the world that don’t support eSIM, so Mohr-McClune’s prediction that the iPhone 14 models will still have nano-SIM card trays certainly makes sense. However, eSIM adoption is rapidly expanding, with more than 100 operators worldwide offering eSIM services, with more planned to roll out support this year, including three in the UK and Vodafone in New Zealand.
An eSIM is a digital SIM card that allows users to activate cell phone plans online without using a physical nano-SIM. Apple first introduced eSIM technology in 2018’s iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.
The iPhone 13 models already support multiple eSIM profiles, allowing users to digitally subscribe to multiple cellular plans and switch between them, a feature that could facilitate the eSIM-only model of the iPhone 14 in at least some markets. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 lineup in September as usual.