IPhone 15 Pro Might Ditch SIM Cards Completely

Given that there are still a few days left to enjoy 2021, it’s no surprise that plans for the iPhone 14 of 2022 are still a bit of a mystery. Rumors are naturally thin on the ground, but an intriguing has emerged in recent days from two different sources, with two possible delays mentioned.

We are talking about Apple killing the SIM card slot and adopting eSIMs, but is it for the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 or none?

First of all, a little history. The Brazilian site Blog Make iPhone claimed that Apple is experimenting with dropping physical SIM cards for its 2023 Pro iPhones and switching to dual eSIMs instead. The site cites a UK public limited company that allegedly worked on the project as the source of the leak.

This was treated with extreme skepticism on the part of the commentary for two reasons: First, the website in question is not a proven site for specific Apple leaks. And second, the report only says that Apple is “experimenting” with the technology, and that’s not the same as guaranteeing the switchover will happen.

But there could be something to that, and maybe even sooner than the Blog Do iPhone timeline suggests. After reporting the above rumor as “wave”, MacRumors posted a tracking piece giving credit to the initial report and suggesting it might be something for next year’s iPhone 14 instead.

An “anonymous informant” contacted the site claiming that Apple had been in contact with “major US carriers” advising them to prepare for eSIM smartphones only in September 2022. Backing up this claim was a “seemingly legitimate document” with deadlines for the plan, although the site notes that neither Apple nor the iPhone are mentioned by name in the text.

According to this document, operators are expected to start offering iPhone 13 handsets without a nano-SIM card in the box in the second quarter of 2022, which is already the case for handsets sold directly by Apple.

“Given the alleged deadline of September 2022, it is possible that Apple will remove the physical SIM card slot starting with certain iPhone 14 models, rather than certain iPhone 15 models as claimed by the site.” , speculates the site. “But nothing is final at this point.”

Is an iPhone without a SIM plausible?

Commentators are divided on whether an eSIM-only iPhone is something Apple will support, especially in the tight suggested timeline.

Otherwise, the change could prove confusing for those who are used to moving their SIM card from one phone to another. Additionally, eSIM services are not available worldwide, which means Apple may need to create region-specific models without, at additional cost.

But there is also a case for removing the SIM card slot. Apple is rumored to be moving to a truly portless design for its iPhones in the long term, and that would be a worthwhile step on that journey. Additionally, removing the SIM tray could both improve water resistance and (slightly) improve aesthetics, as well as freeing up a tiny bit of internal space inside the iPhone.

You might consider this reasoning shaky, but there was arguably an equally weak case for removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 – something Apple claimed to have taken “courage”. Five years later, Apple has yet to see the need to give in, and if the SIM card tray meets the audio jack on the scrap heap, then we could be a small but significant step closer to that ambition. iPhone without a port that will become reality.