Apple looks like it’s about to take another big step toward a SIM-less future. Reports say retail employees across the EU are being trained on how to handle eSIMs ahead of the iPhone 17 launch, a sign that the next generation of iPhones could lose the physical SIM card slot altogether. According to a report on GSMArena, staff must finish their eSIM training in early September through Apple’s SEED app.
If that’s true, it wouldn’t be the first time Apple has gone eSIM-only. The iPhone 14 dropped the SIM slot in the United States, but the rest of the world kept the tray. This time, however, Apple may be preparing to expand the change globally. MacRumors points out that China might be one of the last holdouts, since its carriers and regulators are still slow to adopt eSIMs.
Part of the push may come down to design. The rumored iPhone 17 Air is said to be just 5.5 millimeters thick, making it Apple’s slimmest phone yet. To reach that size, something had to go, and the SIM tray is a logical sacrifice. Skipping the slot also frees up valuable internal space for a bigger battery or advanced hardware.
The shift to eSIMs could change how people use their phones in a big way. Instead of swapping little plastic cards, users will activate new lines or switch carriers with a few taps. Travelers could add short-term local plans instantly, and people could keep multiple numbers active on the same device. Tom’s Guide notes that it also makes phones more secure, since thieves can’t simply remove a SIM card to cut off tracking.
If Apple really does go all-in with the iPhone 17, the move could push the whole industry to follow. What once felt like a niche feature could soon be the standard. For users, it means more flexibility, less hassle, and the end of the tiny card that’s been part of mobile phones for decades. The iPhone may finally be about to make the SIM card history.