Apple is expected to bring the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models without a physical SIM card tray slot to more countries this year, rumor has it.
Apple’s transition to eSIM-only iPhones won’t be complete with this year’s iPhone 17 lineup, if an image shared on X by hit-or-miss leaker Majin Bu is anything to go by.
According to the leaker, the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will retain a physical SIM card tray slot in some countries (the United States not being among them).
Apple expanding eSIM-only iPhones to more countries
However, the rumored iPhone 17 Air model is expected to be offered exclusively with eSIM support in every country Apple chooses to sel it because of to its ultra-thin design, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year in a blog post on Medium.. It’s unclear, however, if and how Apple plans on bringing the iPhone 17 Air to China, which has yet to approve eSIMs in smartphones.
iPhone 17 Pro Sim Card Slot pic.twitter.com/Q1uunrCRsf
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 15, 2025
In November 2024, The Information reported that Apple would remove the physical SIM card tray on iPhones in more countries in 2025.
What iPhone models support eSIM?
Apple began phasing out physical SIM cards in favor of the electronic SIM, or eSIM, starting with the iPhone 14 lineup (2022). In the United States, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were sold without a physical SIM tray, operating exclusively via eSIM
In other countries, however, these phones were offered in dual-SIM configurations with both a physical nano-SIM and eSIM support, and in China, the devices came with dual physical SIM card slots and no eSIM support to comply with regulatory requirements.
All models in the iPhone 15 (2023) and iPhone 16 (2024) lineups sold in the United States also lack a physical SIM tray, with international variants adopting a dual-SIM approach. eSIM technology allows you to add a SIM line digitally, by scanning a QR code received from your carrier. Unlike physical SIM cards that can break and malfunction, especially when your iPhone is exposed to direct sunlight over time, there are no such worries with eSIM.
eSIM is also more secure than a physical SIM card, as it cannot be stolen and inserted into another device. You can add up to eight eSIMs to your iPhone, which is great for international travelers, but only two SIM lines can be active at a time. For further information about eSIM support on the iPhone, visit Apple’s support page.