Quite interesting information about this year's expected generation of apple phones has now flown through the apple community. According to a number of leakers and some analysts, versions without a traditional SIM card slot will be sold alongside the traditional models. So these phones will rely exclusively on eSIM. However, does such a change make sense and what benefits would it actually bring?
Unquestionable benefits of eSIM
If Apple went in this direction, it would offer people several interesting benefits, while at the same time it could improve itself. By removing the classic SIM card slot, space would be freed up, which the giant could theoretically use for something interesting that would move the phone forward in general. Of course, you can argue that the nano-SIM slot is not that big, but on the other hand, in the world of mobile technology and miniature chips, it is more than enough. From the point of view of user benefits, Apple users could enjoy easier network switching, when, for example, they would not have to wait a long time for a new SIM card to arrive and the like. At the same time, it is pleasing that the eSIM can store up to five virtual cards, thanks to which the user can switch between them without having to shuffle the SIMs themselves.
Of course, Apple users with newer iPhones (XS/XR and newer) already know these benefits very well. In short, eSIM sets the future direction and it is only a matter of time before it takes over and consigns traditional SIM cards to oblivion. In this respect, the aforementioned change, i.e. iPhone 14 without a SIM card slot, would practically not bring anything new, as we already have eSIM options here. On the other hand, of course, it also has its disadvantages, which are currently not so visible, since most users still rely on the standard approach. But if you take this option away from them, only then will everyone realize how they miss the given thing, or can miss it. So let's shed some light on the possible negatives.
Disadvantages of switching to eSIM completely
Although eSIM may appear to be a better option in all respects, of course it also has its disadvantages. For example, if your phone stops working now, you can pull out the SIM card in an instant and move it to another device, keeping your number. Although in this case you may struggle to find a pin to open the corresponding slot, on the other hand, the whole process will not take you more than a minute. When switching to eSIM, this situation could be a little longer. This would be a rather annoying change. On the other hand, it is nothing so terrible and you can quickly get used to a different approach.
But now let's move to the most fundamental problem - some operators still do not support eSIM. In that case, Apple users with the iPhone 14, which does not offer a traditional SIM card slot, would be holding a virtually unusable phone. Fortunately, this ailment does not affect the Czech Republic, where leading eSIM operators support and offer a relatively simple approach to change from standard plastic cards. However, it is also true that eSIM support is growing rapidly worldwide and it is only a matter of time before it becomes the new standard. After all, for this reason, the standard SIM card slot, which is still an inseparable part of all mobile phones, should not disappear for the time being.
This is precisely why it can also be expected that the transition will take several more years. Of course, such a change does not bring many advantages for individual users, on the contrary - it takes away from them a functional and extremely simple method that allows you to transfer a phone number from one mobile phone to another in a matter of seconds, without having to think about the process at all. However, as mentioned above, the change could primarily benefit manufacturers, who would thus gain a little extra free space. And as you all know, there is never enough space. How do you view these speculations? Does it matter to you whether you use a SIM or an eSIM, or could you imagine a phone without this classic slot?
I have been used to using 2 sim cards for several years. One Czech with flat rate and one foreign rechargeable. I bought an iPhone 11 a month ago. The unexpected hitch was the absence of 2 slots for physical SIM cards. I use the Czech card in dual SIM mode, where one SIM is in the modem and the other in the phone, and I always use only one of them. However, this option is not supported in the ESIM variant. My backup was the foreign sim. However, no operator offers esim for recharge cards... in addition, uploading and possible changes are only possible at the branch, which would mean a journey of several thousand kilometers in the event of a phone malfunction. As is known, Apple is sometimes ahead of its time, but in this case it rather complicates life...
Pretty good news about ESIM. The problem arises when you need to exchange your phone abroad, in my case IPhone. You are out of luck because esim activation must only take place on the territory of the Czech Republic. A big disappointment for T-Mobile, despite their great efforts it was not possible.