Tech-world expects radical changes in the upcoming Apple iPhone 14. Among the widespread rumours, the striking one was the launch of eSIM-only iPhones, where the company asked various US telecom service providers to prepare for its launch by September 2022. For those who are new to the concept, eSIM only phones will not support physical SIM cards; instead, they access cellular networks through the embedded SIM cards. Hence, they will have a physical nano-SIM tray. Apple may change the entire variants of iPhone 14 to eSIM-only models, according to a global data analyst Emma Mohr-McClune.
Apple may not completely shift from physical SIM to eSIM via a big bang approach, entirely eliminating the existing popular system and transferring all users to eSIM. If this is true, the buyer can choose between an eSIM-only iPhone or a model that supports a physical SIM card. The eSIM-only iPhone 14 models will be sold through Apple’s official stores and require support from US telecom companies for both eSIM and Nano-SIM, Mohr-McClune said in a blog post. Apple first introduced eSIM technology with the iPhone XS and its Max variant, and it was also seen in iPhone XR in 2018.
eSIM Adoption is Low in India
Considering that not many telecom service providers worldwide have not rolled out eSIM facilities entirely, Apple too may not take a leap. There are currently around 100 service providers globally that support eSIM technology, and many more are planning to transition to eSIM.
India’s adoption of eSIM is also low. All major telecom service providers, including Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vi, support eSIM technology. However, the adoption is less among the public as only a few devices support the technology. An Embedded SIM card forces a user to stick to a number for quite a long time, which means it is not easy to change phone numbers. With a slot for a physical SIM card, this aspect is easy. Although we cannot claim that it is not annoying sometimes, an eSIM-only iPhone can increase the inconvenience, especially for people who prefer to change their mobile numbers.
If the rumour comes true as per analysts assumption, people will have the option for an iPhone 14 model that will either use a physical Nano-SIM card or an eSIM.
