Apple has plans to remove the physical SIM card tray in its iPhones in additional countries in 2025, according to a report from The Information. The report focused on the much-rumored super-thin “iPhone 17 Air,” although it did not mention any specific countries where the SIM card tray would be removed.
iPhone 14 through iPhone 16 models sold in the United States are not equipped with a SIM card tray. They instead rely completely on digital eSIM technology. While Apple has yet to remove the SIM card tray from its iPhones sold in any other country, the report indicates Apple is finally ready to expand the tray removal to iPhones sold internationally, as of the release of next year’s iPhone 17 lineup.
The report claims that all current prototypes of the “iPhone 17 Air” do not have a SIM card tray. Models destined for the Chinese market may still use physical SIM cards, as the country has not yet approved the use of eSIM cards in smartphones sold within its borders. However, that could change between now and next September.
At least eight eSIMs can be managed on an iPhone at once, eliminating the need to purchase, carry, and swap physical SIM cards while traveling internationally. eSIMS are also more secure than physical SIM cards as they cannot be removed from a stolen or lost iPhone.
For a list of carriers around the globe that offer support for eSIMs, read this Apple support document.
