The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro could ditch the same feature in Europe that Apple decided to remove from the entire iPhone 14 series in the U.S.
According to a new report by French site MacGeneration, the iPhone 15 models will launch without a physical SIM card slot in France this year. And as reported by MacRumors, the SIM tray will likely be removed in other European countries as well.
Is this a big deal? Apple moved to eSIMs for the iPhone 14 models in America, and we found it pretty easy to use when we set up our phones. An eSIM digitally stores your carrier information on the iPhone, which Apple says reduces the risk of damage, loss or theft.
Plus, you can install eight or more eSIMs on your iPhone and use two numbers at the same time. For example, you could use one eSIM for personal calls and one for business calls.
iPhone 15: Why adopt eSIM in Europe now?
Still, there's a reason why Apple didn't roll out eSIM support in Europe first. It's very common for people to pick up a new SIM card for their phone when they are traveling to a different country. And there's a much higher comfort level with swapping out SIM cards there.
However, one of our reporters tried traveling with an eSIM on a trip to France and Italy, and found the experience intuitive. She also found it easy to switch networks. You can also custom label your various active lines so it's easy to keep track of which is which.
To make things even easier there are apps like Airalo for iOS and Android that makes it simple to choose eSIM plans on the go. There's also Holafly.
Another reason Apple could be making this move with the iPhone 15's upcoming release is that more carriers appear to be embracing the feature. According to Apple's website, for example, five U.K. carriers support some form of eSIM activation on the iPhone, including EE, O2, Truphone, Ubigi and Vodafone.
Other big iPhone 15 changes
The SIM card tray isn't the only thing Apple is leaving on the cutting room floor. The biggest dropped feature is rumored to be the Lightning port, as the iPhone 15 is widely expected to feature a USB-C port instead. This is good news, but we've also heard that Apple may decide to reserve the fastest charging and transfer speeds for Apple-approved USB-C cables.
Also on the chopping block? That could be physical buttons, as the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to feature haptic buttons instead. The volume buttons could become a volume rocker and the mute switch could become a button.
Other notable iPhone 15 upgrades include the Dynamic Island for all four models, meaning the end of the notch. But the iPhone 15 Pro devices are tipped for the biggest upgrades, including a titanium design, periscope zoom camera and faster and more efficient A17 Bionic chip.
Be sure to check out our iPhone 15 hub and iPhone 15 Pro hub for all the latest rumors and leaks.
