The change might happen even sooner, according to a rumor from the Brazilian website do iPhone, which claimed that some countries and regions might not have a physical sim card slot.
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An anonymous person told MacRumors that Apple has told major U.S. carriers to prepare for the launch of eSIM-only phones by September 2022. The document shared by the tipster does not specifically mention Apple or the iPhone, but it does outline a time frame for this initiative.
Some US carriers will start selling select iPhone 13 models without a nano-SIM card in the second quarter of 2022, as part of the transition.
It is possible that Apple will remove the physical sim card slot from some of the newer models, rather than the ones that were originally rumored, but nothing is certain at this point.
An eSIM is a digital device that allows users to use a cellular plan without having to use a sim card. It's worth noting that eSIM service is not available in all countries, so it's possible that the iPhones with a sim card slot may still be available in some markets. More and more carriers are offering eSIM service worldwide and more are planning to support it in the future, including Three in the UK and New Zealand.
The ability to subscribe to multiple eSIM profiles in the iPhone 13 models could pave the way for the removal of the sim card slot in some countries.
Jony Ive, Apple's former design chief, once imagined the iPhone as a single slab of glass, and the removal of the sim card slot would be another step towards a seamless design. Taking out the slot would free up some space in the phone.
