It’s the beginning of the end of the physical SIM card, in favor of the eSIM. Last night Apple presented its new smartphones, from the iPhone 14 series. And if the Cupertino company has not yet completely abandoned the SIM card, some units without a slot for it.

Rest assured, if you buy an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max in France, it will still support nano SIM cards as well as eSIMs (you can check on the data sheets, on Apple’s FR site).

On the other hand, in the United States, it is the end of the SIM nano on the iPhone. Models sold in the land of Uncle Sam will only be able to receive eSIMs.

“eSIM technology allows users to quickly connect or transfer their existing plans digitally, is more secure than physical SIM cards and allows multiple mobile plans to be used on one device. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models sold in the United States no longer have SIM card support, making it easier and faster for users to set up their device”, says a statement from the Cupertino company. Same for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, but only in the USA.

In any case, the fact that Apple sells iPhones without a SIM card slot, even if it still concerns only the USA, marks a new era. And we can assume that, gradually, the Cupertino company could extend this to other countries in the coming years. Other brands could also follow suit.

But everything will also depend on the operators. Indeed, for Apple to remove the physical SIM card slot from its devices in a market, it is essential that the operators of this market support the eSIM.

Qualcomm is already working on iSIM

In addition to the benefits for the user mentioned by Apple, the fact of no longer including a physical SIM card slot on a smartphone also has advantages in terms of design (and we know the importance of design for Apple). In addition, companies are already working on integrating the eSIM component directly into the SoC (with the processor).

Earlier this year, Qualcomm announced that it had successfully tested a new technology called iSIM. While the eSIM is a separate component, the iSIM has been integrated into the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC.

Operation is the same for the user. But for device makers, it would free up even more space.

“iSIM solutions offer great opportunities for MNOs, free up valuable device space for OEMs, and give device users the flexibility to take advantage of everything the potential of 5G networks and experiences across a wide range of device categories. Some of the areas that will benefit the most from iSIM technology include smartphones, mobile PCs, VR/XR headsets and industrial IoT.”explained Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president, Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe.