iPhone 15 Models Sold Outside U.S. Still Have Physical SIM Card Tray

Apple's new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models all remain equipped with a physical SIM card tray outside of the United States, as a rumored eSIM-only expansion with the devices failed to materialize.

iPhone 15 SIM Tray
Tech specs on Apple's website confirm that all four iPhone 15 models remain compatible with nano-SIM cards in countries such as the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Singapore, Turkey, and everywhere else they are sold. In most countries, the devices also continue to support eSIM as well, allowing for dual-SIM functionality with cellular networks.

Apple removed the SIM card tray from all iPhone 14 models in the U.S. last year, 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 expanding, the SIM card tray might eventually be removed from iPhones sold outside of the U.S., but for now it lives another year.

Related Roundups: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

iOS 18 Coming Later This Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday September 3, 2024 12:07 pm PDT by
iOS 18 has been in beta testing for nearly three months, and the software update will finally be released for all compatible iPhones soon. Apple should reveal iOS 18's exact release date during its September 9 event, with the most likely possibility being Monday, September 16. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18. Note that Apple Intelligence is not coming...
iPhone 16 Side New Action Button Emphasis Bump

iPhone 16 Apple Silicone Cases Have No Cutout for New Capture Button

Wednesday September 4, 2024 3:19 am PDT by
Apple is introducing a new camera-based "Capture" button on at least some iPhone 16 models this year, and a new rumor claims that Apple's own silicone cases will have a design that is specially made so as not to impede the use of the capacitive button's multiple functions. Several rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it...
iOS 18 CarPlay Feature

iOS 18 Adds These 6 New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday September 3, 2024 12:59 pm PDT by
Apple did not mention CarPlay when it unveiled iOS 18 in June, but the update includes a handful of new features for the in-car iPhone system. iOS 18 includes some changes to the Messages app, Settings app, and Siri on CarPlay. The update should be widely released later in September. Below, we recap CarPlay's key new features on iOS 18. 1. Contact Photos in Messages App iOS 18 adds...
sonny iphone 16 pro colors

New iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Colors Revealed Ahead of Apple Event

Friday September 6, 2024 5:01 am PDT by
Apple is "shaking up its color palette" for its iPhone 16 lineup this year, according to well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Early iPhone 16 Pro dummy models via Sonny Dickson According to Gurman, the iPhone 16 Pro models will come in a Gold Titanium to replace Blue Titanium, while the Black, White, and Natural Titanium options that debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro will remain...
iPhone 16 Pro Mock Article

iPhone 16 Launch Month Is Here: Everything We Know

Sunday September 1, 2024 4:30 am PDT by
Apple has announced that on Monday, September 9 it will hold its annual fall event, which means we are just days away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. ...
its glowtime event youtube

Report Details Last-Minute Apple Event Rumors About New iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods

Friday September 6, 2024 4:40 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared his final expectations for Apple's "It's Glowtime" event, providing some new tidbits and clarifications about the new devices set to be announced on Monday. iPhone 16 Pro Along with larger 6.3- and 6.9-inch display sizes, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have bezels that are "now about a third slimmer" for a "sleeker overall look." The...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

When to Expect iOS 18 on Your iPhone as Beta Testing Wraps Up

Wednesday September 4, 2024 10:50 am PDT by
iOS 18 has been in beta testing for nearly three months, and the software update should finally be widely released later this month. Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18 to be available on all compatible iPhones. iOS 18: Beta Testing Wraps Up In his Power On newsletter last weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said iOS 18 beta 8 will likely be the final developer beta version for the...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
13 months ago
eSim is cool and handy but I prefer Physical Sim Card Tray iPhones. Especially for those who travel internationally. Makes it so much easier.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doboy Avatar
13 months ago
Pretty stupid to have 2x SKU's just for the SIM tray. Just make it all with the SIM tray.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canadianspeculator Avatar
13 months ago
ESim is great in theory, but I travel abroad frequently for work and on more than one occasion I've bought an Airalo or Ubigi SIM that simply doesn't work, and then I can't even get my money back. It's a bad system for those who actually need to do frequent SIM changes. I'm actually in Japan right now, and I bought an Ubigi - it wouldn't activate for three days straight, leaving me no choice but to pay for expensive roaming.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nozuka Avatar
13 months ago

eSim is cool and handy but I prefer Sim Card Tray iPhones for those who travel internationally. Makes it so much easier.
Getting an e-Sim for traveling from an App seems easier to me, than buying one in a store and putting in the phone.
You can even do it before you get there and have one less thing to worry about when you arrive.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canadianspeculator Avatar
13 months ago

I'm in Japan and getting an Ubigi sim card was extremely simple; activated right away for me. And similar issues can (and have) happened with physical sim cards as well.
I'm glad you had that experience, but this is literally my 8th time having an ESim fail out on me. It's happened a ton, particularly in Asia and Africa. It's simply not a reliable experience- or maybe my 14 is the issue (doubtful)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
13 months ago
Is it just me or does eSIM in the U.S. only seem to be getting uptake with the full-price majors while most- but not all- of the relatively cheap MVNOs don't seem to be going there (or at least not very quickly)? It doesn't SEEM like a technology that would require MVNOs to spend a lot of money to support it (in fact, it seems like it could save them money for not having to make & mail SIM cards and provide support on installing them)... so I wonder why the uptake seems slow or even "no" after all this time?

Meanwhile, they all still support SIM cards. So if me, I'd want this kind of iPhone too... so I don't find myself having to choose between only a few players that mostly demand maximum profit plans in the U.S. Once I could see many value-minded MVNOs offering eSIM, this opinion would change. But before then, I'd want to keep my options as open as possible until many of them are on board.

Apparently the SIM-capable phone can do everything the SIM-less one can do and I don't read that it costs more either... so I see it as a phone with a money-saving bonus feature that can use eSIM or SIM vs. those only able to use one of them. So far eSIM in America feels like a "big 3" service provider cash grab to me.

Do I prefer an eSIM world? Yes, but let's get the value service players on board fast... instead of forcing the option that mostly the more expensive service providers can actually fulfill (in America). Since we can't do that with words posted in a bulletin board online, the action a consumer could take is to go to the trouble of getting a new phone that also has the SIM option too.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)