It could be the beginning of the end for the humble SIM card, as eSIM adoption increases across Asia and European markets.
A report by the Wall Street Journal speculates that US adoption is set to increase rapidly, with three major providers preparing to go SIM-free.
The report reiterates that the iPhone 13 didn't ship with a physical SIM in the box, and some Android handsets already forego SIM card support entirely.
However, we shouldn't expect Apple to just wipe out SIM card support immediately, as that would cut off a lot of its market.
Instead, the analysis states we should expect "an eSIM-only variant of its upcoming new model â€" retaining the dual eSIM-plus-physical SIM slot model for the mass market and its key carrier channel."
"To that end, we believe telecom companies will be given the choice of whether to stock and sell a new eSIM-only iPhone variation alongside more cellular business-friendly dual eSIM/physical SIM support models."
As well as convenience benefits, there are also safety reasons to support the cardless future.
Anthony Goonetilleke, head of strategy at Amdocs said that with eSIMs "you can suddenly send out a security update to millions of people globally if an issue is found. You can't do that with physical SIMs."
Then, there's the fact that European Union wants to make it mandatory for iPhones to feature USB-C ports.
This might spur the tech giant on with its long rumoured plans for a completely portless iPhone, with only MagSafe charging, sooner rather than later.
Source : https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/161933-apple-iphone-14-might-have-an-esim-only-variant
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