Apple could be the first brand to offer smartphones without a SIM card reader. And this from 2022. A financial analyst believes that certain versions of the iPhone 14 should offer an “eSIM only” option. Apple would have decided not to completely remove the player because not all operators support this technology yet.
We talk about it regularly: the eSIM is a SIM card format that should gradually replace the removable SIM card that we know. What is it about ? The eSIM is a small component attached to the motherboard of the smartphone which supports all the functions of the traditional SIM card, in particular identification with the networks of the operators. This technology is increasingly common in Apple, Samsung, google, Oppo, Huawei or sony.
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A rumor relayed in our columns in December 2021 claimed that Apple could even completely remove the SIM card in favor of the eSIM from 2022 with the iPhone 14. The Cupertino company would have contacted the operators to warn them of this change. A financial analyst, however, partly denies this leak: in a report, it states that there should be an intermediate stage with some models SIM and eSIM compatible and others only eSIM.
Some iPhone 14 would be offered with SIM card and eSIM or with eSIM card only
The analyst explains that the number of operators compatible with the eSIM is not yet high enough for Apple’s needs. Those who do not support these cards could therefore decide not to include them in their catalogs. Which would be a very bad sign, since the share of sales with operator is still very high in some countries. According to her, Apple would therefore offer a single eSIM “option” on certain smartphone models (or even on all of them), thus giving users and operators a choice. And it’s not crazy.
The eSIM card is already available in many smartphones. Several dozen models are compatible, especially on the top of the range. Apple is one of the big supporters of the eSIM. All iPhones have been equipped with them since 2018 (the first compatible ones are the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max), even the iPhone SE 2020. They have enabled the Cupertino company’s smartphones to be Dual SIM compatible without having to integrate a dual SIM drawer.
More space for other components and no disadvantages for the user
The biggest advantage of the eSIM for Apple is to remove one more element that takes up space inside the hull, like the 3.5 mm jack port. Its eviction would therefore leave more room for other components. It also allows the user not to be blocked by his operator, since a simple manipulation allows him to switch from one package to another. In addition, the iPhone 13 benefit from a more advanced version of the eSIM: it is virtually dual SIM compatible. An iPhone equipped only with eSIM would therefore retain this advantage.