It's time for Apple to remove the SIM card slot from the Pro models. No one needs it anymore. It's an old technology that takes up precious space inside the phone. Don't you agree?
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Other iPhone 17 Pro - No SIM card slot
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No I don’t agree. It makes it very easy when swapping phones.
Provided that the system works correctly.
Yesterday while upgrading from 15 to 16, the eSIM transfer failed for both EE and O2. With O2, I ended up without service for several hours and had to call for them to issue manually a new eSIM.
Yet, last year moving from 14 to 15 was seemless.
So no, I don't think the SIM tray is ready to go despite mine being empty for three years.
If you travel internationally outside of the most advanced nations, you'd reach a different conclusion. There are many places where the best, most reliable, and cheapest way to access data and voice is inserting a SIM you bought at a local kiosk or even vending machine. (Looking at you, Vodacom, Telkom, and Telcel.)
Irrelevant. I want the ease of putting my SIM card in any phone that I choose at any time I choose. eSIMs might work for you, and that’s great, but for me they don’t. I will always choose a physical SIM over an eSIM.
Where are you? US 16 Pros don't have SIM slots.
It’s easy to convert it to an eSIM and to transfer it to another iPhone.
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Some carriers don't give a **** about eSim. With my carrier, it's not transferrable via iPhone. I have to get a new eSim.
eSIM is not illegal in China, Apple is selling iPad with eSIM in China. China Unicom is the only carrier support eSIM on iPad.
eSims are not illegal in China, but their regulations do require that phones have a sim slot.
it is silly two years after yoinking SIM cards in US, starting with iPhone 14 models, they still just put a random plastic block in there.
@thadoggfather not sure why we need to dig up this month old thread but have let's apply some simple logic.
They can't actually redesign the internal layout of the iPhone internals as long as they support iPhone units for other Major markets around the world that utilize Nano-SIM technology.
It is one set of internal layout vs a unique design for USA and another for the rest of the world. If you travel internationally you would understand that by not having a iPhone with a Nano-SIM slot you are limited in your Carrier options.
Dave
They can't actually redesign the internal layout of the iPhone internals as long as they support iPhone units for other Major markets around the world that utilize Nano-SIM technology.
It is one set of internal layout vs a unique design for USA and another for the rest of the world. If you travel internationally you would understand that by not having a iPhone with a Nano-SIM slot you are limited in your Carrier options.
Dave
Apple already did it with iPhone 15. The logic board components on U.S. models were laid out differently. They were spread out to use the empty space. It was inefficient and stupid, but they did it. There was no plastic spacer.
For iPhone 16, Apple reverted back to an optimized layout (similar to iPhone 14) and used a plastic spacer in the tray area.
It’s clear that Apple doesn’t want nano-SIM for U.S. models, not for efficiency or water resistance. The reason seems to be carrier control or potential commissions like the App Store.
Here are few things:
I don’t like Bell and I have no intention of using Bell.
I am Freedom Mobile users, they don’t support eSIM transfer.
I think keeping SIM tray is very important and it will be cumbersome for lots of people.
Not all places/countries yet fully support eSIM yet, just a random example, some may accept postpaid, but not prepaid (which would be one of the popular usages of eSIM for pre-paid while travelling/tourism). Some have transferring eSIM from phone to phone very buggy etc.
I like both eSIM and physical for different scenarions. A random example of eSIM being an advantage is when for me AT&T was able to sign me up for a new line and activate an esim for it, while being half a world away. That saved me.
So both have have cons and pros. Overall I believe eSIM is several years away from being magical and fully embraced by carriers.
eSIM is still SIM card... it uses same protocol, same electrical interface, same standard. You can even un-solider the eSIM card from iPhone and solider physical SIM card to the eSIM's connection pins on the motherboard.
That's good for you. My carrier won't support swap eSIM between iPhones and iPhone certainly can't transfer the eSIM to my Pixel phones.
The eSIM is pain in the ass to deal with. It is difficult to swap SIM between different types of phones, if you accidentally deleted SIM or you need to reset your iPhone, you need to get new eSIM code.
Sure. Until that day, physical SIM is here to stay
I think ability to easily swap SIM card between devices is more free than have to request carrier for new QR code each time you need to change SIM.
Sure. Not until China approves use of eSIM... Physical card is here to stay.
I don't know why you keep insist eSIM is entirely different technology than physical SIM. It is like you are arguing soldered SSD with removable SSD.
eSIM still follows same security protocol, communicate with cell tower in same way, function exactly same way. Believe or not, there was a programable physical SIM card before.
Does not matter if one agrees or not. The industry is moving away from removable SIM cards.
No. I have been use eSIM for very long time. QR code are one time use only and cannot be used if you setup on other phone.
This is the annoying part of eSIM. New QR code will need to generated each time if you want transfer to new phone.
They are legal, but not being used on phones. Until a time, when all Chinese carriers starting accepting eSIM, physical card is here to stay.
Again, no. The physical SIM is LOT more convenient. Until all carriers supports eSIM, and allow switch eSIM between phones (between iPhone and Android), then physical SIM card won’t replace eSIM.
eSIMS have come a long way in that it's so easy to swap them from phone-phone these days. I like em!
The news was a fake.This is great news. The SIM card slot will probably be replaced by a memory chip in 2026. They need to make place for it. R.I.P. SIM card slot.
Apple Looking to Fundamentally Change iPhone Memory Design to Enhance AI Performance [Update: False]
Update 6:44 p.m.: Samsung has informed MacRumors that the original report from The Elec is "completely incorrect" and that the "details...www.macrumors.com
By the way it isn’t sure they were planning to remove SIM slot to make space…