European iPhones may finally lose this key feature
European iPhones may finally lose this key feature
https://www.phonearena.com/news/european-iphones-may-finally-lose-this-key-feature_id178230
Publish Date: 2026-02-16 09:06:00
Source Domain: www.phonearena.com
An European iPhone 17 Pro with its SIM tray out. | Image by PhoneArenaApple has been on a quest to eradicate physical SIM cards since the launch of the iPhone 14 in the US. That’s when the company started offering only phones with eSIM stateside, which, by the time the iPhone 17 launched, was the case for about a dozen markets across the globe. It appears that this year the strategy will expand even further.
iPhone 18 in Europe may be eSIM only
Europe may join the US, Mexico, Japan, and the rest of the markets where Apple sells eSIM-only iPhones. A report (translated source) from Greek outlet Techmaniacs claims that the iPhone 18 Max and iPhone 18 Pro Max will sell exclusively with double eSIM support across European markets.Just like with the iPhone 17 models, that could allow Apple to offer models with larger batteries by utilizing the space freed by the physical SIM slot. The eSIM version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max could feature a battery with up to 5,200 mAh capacity.
Another push for the carriers
The iPhone 14 series was the first to feature eSIM only in the US. | Image by PhoneArena
Rumors about Apple making the jump to eSIM in Europe have been running for years. Reports about the iPhone 17 claimed that it could be the model to make the switch, but it turned out that only the iPhone Air has ditched physical SIM completely across the globe. That caused some trouble for Apple, as eSIM isn’t widely available in China, which hindered the sales of the iPhone Air in that market.While the battery gain is great news, some iPhone users could face difficulties with eSIM. Despite the technology being available for years, some European carriers still charge extra for issuing an eSIM. Carriers also don’t offer eSIM for prepaid plans, which could be annoying for travelers. That’s likely to…
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