According to information from the French website MacGeneration, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro could be launched in France this year without a SIM card slot. This means that the devices would only work with eSIMs for cellular connectivity.
If the SIM card slot in France disappears, it will likely be dropped in some other European countries as well, as Apple only sells one iPhone model in most European countries. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro model A2890 sold in France is also sold in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and dozens of other countries. Back in September last year, Apple had removed the SIM card slot from all iPhone 14 models in the US, forcing customers to use an eSIM, a digital SIM card that allows users to activate a cellular contract without having to use a physical nano-SIM card.
iPhone 15: Mobile operators switch to eSim technology
Apple has a support document with a list of mobile operators worldwide that support eSIM technology. When the iPhone 14 launched in the US, Apple touted that eSIMs were more secure than physical SIM cards because they couldn't be removed from a lost or stolen iPhone. Apple added that up to eight eSIMs could be managed in the iPhone's Settings app, eliminating the need to buy, carry, and swap physical SIM cards when traveling. With eSIM availability rapidly increasing, the elimination of the SIM card tray outside the US seems inevitable, although it will still take a few years for the transition to be fully complete. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series in September as usual. (Photo by hadrian / Bigstockphoto)
