iPhone 15 Rumored to Lack SIM Card Tray in France and Likely Other Countries

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models could launch without a SIM card tray in France this year, according to information obtained by French website MacGeneration. This means the devices would work with eSIMs only for cellular connectivity.

iPhone eSIM Setup
If the SIM card tray is removed in France, it would likely be removed in at least some other European countries as well, as Apple typically sells one iPhone model in most of Europe. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro model A2890 sold in France is also sold in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and dozens of other countries.

Apple already removed the SIM card tray from all iPhone 14 models in the U.S. last September, forcing customers to use an eSIM, a digital SIM that allows users to activate a cellular plan without having to use a physical nano-SIM card. Apple has a support document with a list of carriers that support eSIM technology around the world.

When the iPhone 14 series launched in the U.S., Apple promoted eSIMs as being more secure than a physical SIM since they cannot be removed from an iPhone that is lost or stolen. Apple added that up to eight eSIMs can be managed in the iPhone's Settings app, eliminating the need to obtain, carry, and swap physical SIM cards while traveling. iPhone 13 and newer models can have two eSIMs active at the same time.

With eSIM availability rapidly expanding, the removal of the SIM card tray beyond the U.S. seems inevitable, even if the transition takes a few more years to be fully completed. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series in September as usual.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

josecuervo888 Avatar
21 months ago
Call me crazy but I prefer my physical SIM.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
match14 Avatar
21 months ago
A lot of MVNO’s in the UK don’t support eSIM yet.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
senttoschool Avatar
21 months ago

Simple solution. Don't go to China
It's a beautiful country with a rich history. You can visit their Tier 1 cities, which are world-class. You can visit their natural wonders or historical monuments. All on their country-wide high-speed trains. If you're a girl, you can walk at night by yourself at 3am and no one would bother you. Super safe country - like all the East Asian countries such as SK, Japan, Singapore. People are also very friendly and they enjoy meeting foreigners. You should visit. No joke.

And while you're there, you can buy an iPhone with dual physical SIM cards.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
21 months ago
There was never a doubt. eSIM availability was going to expand swiftly as soon as Apple made this change last year.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gpat Avatar
21 months ago
Dammit. Here comes the deal breaker for us Europeans.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mthomas184 Avatar
21 months ago

Until you visit China, and be asked to buy a new phone.
Simple solution. Don't go to China
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)