Apple may kill SIM card tray in 27 European countries

Apple is reportedly preparing to phase out the physical SIM card tray from iPhones in more countries this year, according to recent leaks.

This was reported by MacRumors.

Expanding eSIM-only iPhones beyond the US

According to a source familiar with the matter, retail employees at Apple Authorized Resellers in the EU must complete a training course on iPhones with eSIM support by Friday, September 5. The EU consists of 27 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.

The training information is available in the SEED app from Apple, which employees at Apple stores and Apple Authorized Resellers around the world use. Therefore, it is possible that the eSIM-related course extends beyond the EU.

According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Air will lack a SIM card tray due to its ultra-thin design, at least in most, if not all, countries. However, there is a decent chance that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will also be eSIM-only internationally. There may still be a few exceptions, though, such as China.

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