The caller iPhone 14 lineup volition vessel without carnal SIM trays — but lone successful the US. They’ll beryllium capable to usage 2 eSIMs astatine erstwhile (and store much than that), but is the deficiency of a carnal tray a large deal? And is it user-hostile and stupid?

First, a refresher connected eSIMs: they’re SIM cards, but electronic, not physical. That means your telephone tin beryllium provisioned remotely — nary much going to a store to get a carnal SIM. This makes it easier (in immoderate ways) to power networks oregon effort 1 retired — T-Mobile present uses eSIMs to let radical test-drive its web for up to 3 months. As of iOS 16, you tin adjacent transfer your eSIM betwixt iPhones via Bluetooth, which should marque it astir arsenic casual arsenic a carnal SIM — arsenic agelong arsenic you’re staying successful the Apple ecosystem. Of course.

Most large US carriers, and galore worldwide, person eSIM support, and iPhones person supported them since 2018, including the quality to usage 2 SIMs astatine once. Up until the iPhone 13, that meant 1 eSIM and 1 carnal SIM; the iPhone 13 household introduced the quality to usage 2 eSIMs astatine the aforesaid time. Removing the carnal SIM — and the spread successful the lawsuit it requires — is the adjacent logical step. At slightest for Apple, and astatine slightest successful the US — the iPhone 14 inactive has a SIM tray everyplace else.

If you’re connected a large US compartment telephone web — AT&T, Verizon, oregon T-Mobile — the deficiency of a carnal SIM tray astir apt won’t interaction you much. Even if you alteration carriers oregon alteration phones, you tin download an eSIM straight from Verizon, AT&T, oregon T-Mobile without going to a store.

But if you are connected a bearer that doesn’t person eSIM enactment oregon you’re readying to power to one, well, you shouldn’t get the iPhone 14 close now. You mightiness not person to hold excessively long; this could beryllium the propulsion smaller carriers request to get connected committee with eSIMs.

(Outside the US, the iPhone 14 lineup inactive includes nano-SIM slots.)

That’s nary SIM slot; it’s a mmWave cutout

At the motorboat event, Apple spokespeople told The Verge that the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro tin store astatine slightest 8 eSIMS, with up to 2 progressive astatine once. Global eSIM reseller Airalo says erstwhile iPhones could clasp five to 10, depending connected the model. This could instrumentality immoderate of the sting retired of the nonaccomplishment of the carnal SIM tray, though not each planetary carriers enactment eSIMs. (I haven’t utilized Airalo and can’t vouch for them, but being capable to remotely proviso a section eSIM erstwhile traveling overseas could region the hassle of uncovering a section SIM.)

The quality to person much than 1 progressive SIM is large for predominant travelers, radical who unrecorded successful areas wherever immoderate 1 web has spotty coverage, oregon folks who person abstracted enactment and idiosyncratic numbers. I bought my iPhone 11 erstwhile I lived successful the Netherlands, and it has some a Dutch eSIM and a carnal Verizon SIM. That meant I could usage a section SIM whether I was successful Europe oregon the US without losing entree to my different fig oregon having to messiness with my iMessage oregon WhatsApp settings.

Physical SIMs marque it casual to bring your telephone to a antithetic bearer oregon bring your fig to a caller phone. They’re ubiquitous, enactment connected each phones, and are casual capable to usage (though besides casual to lose; inquire maine however I know). Many of my co-workers are not psyched astir losing the SIM slot. Moving an eSIM from an iPhone to an Android telephone isn’t needfully trivial.

I don’t deliberation removing the SIM tray is necessarily user-hostile for astir people; astir radical conscionable bash not power carriers oregon phones each fewer weeks. But that depends connected however casual providers marque it to instal and migrate eSIMs crossed platforms. We’ll spot however this plays out.

Correction Sept 10th, 9:26PM ET: An earlier mentation of this nonfiction stated the iPhone 14 tin store up to six eSIMs; some the 14 and 14 Pro models tin store astatine slightest eight.

Related: