Only in the US will the new iPhone 14 range be sold without actual SIM trays. Although they can utilize two eSIMs simultaneously (and store more), does the absence of a physical tray really matter? And is it foolish and user-hostile?

To recap, eSIMs are SIM cards, however they are electronic rather than physical. As a result, you can furnish your phone remotely rather than having to visit a shop to purchase a real SIM. Because T-Mobile now employs eSIMs to let consumers to test-drive its network for up to three months, it is now simpler (in certain respects) to transfer networks or check one out. As long as you remain inside the Apple ecosystem, you can even transfer your eSIM between iPhones through Bluetooth as of iOS 16. This should make it practically as simple as using a real SIM. No doubt.

Since 2018, iPhones have enabled eSIM, including dual SIM functionality, which is supported by the majority of major US carriers as well as many other carriers globally. Before the iPhone 13, there could only be one eSIM and one conventional SIM; the iPhone 13 series made it possible to utilize two eSIMs simultaneously. The natural next step is to remove the physical SIM and the hole it needs in the casing. The iPhone 14 still has a SIM tray in every other country, at least for Apple and in the US.

The absence of a physical SIM tray generally won’t have much of an effect on you if you use one of the main US cellular networks, such as AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. You may download an eSIM from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile without visiting a shop, even if you switch providers or phones.

However, you shouldn’t purchase the iPhone 14 at this time if you are using a carrier that does not support eSIM or if you want to switch to one. You may not have to wait long since this could be the motivation smaller carriers need to adopt eSIMs.

The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro can contain at least eight eSIMs, with up to two of them being active at once, according to Apple officials who informed The Verge during the launch event. Depending on the type, older iPhones might carry five to ten eSIM cards, according to global eSIM vendor Airalo. Though not all global carriers accept eSIMs, this can lessen the blow of losing the actual SIM tray. When going overseas, being able to remotely provide a local eSIM could make getting a local SIM unnecessary (I haven’t used Airalo and can’t speak for them).

For persons who travel often, reside in locations with patchy service from any one network, or have distinct work and personal numbers, having more than one active SIM card is a terrific idea. My iPhone 11 includes both a real Verizon SIM card and a Dutch eSIM, which I purchased while I resided in the Netherlands. That allowed me to use a local SIM whether I was in the US or Europe without having to change my iMessage or WhatsApp settings or lose access to my other number.

Physical SIMs make it simple to transfer your phone’s number to a new phone or to a different provider. They are widely used, compatible with all phones, and manageably simple to operate (though also easy to lose; ask me how I know). The loss of the SIM slot hasn’t gone down well with many of my coworkers. It’s not always simple to transfer an eSIM from an iPhone to an Android phone.

For the majority of consumers, I don’t believe eliminating the SIM tray is necessary user-hostile; they simply don’t often move carriers or phones. However, it relies on how simple it is for carriers to install and transfereSIMs across systems. We’ll see how this develops.