iPhone 18 Series to Drop SIM Card Slot in Europe to Make Room for Slightly Larger Battery: Report

Apple launched iPhone 14, removing the physical SIM tray from its iPhone’s US-based model of an eSIM-only model, which was introduced in the United States by Apple. The tech giant, based in Cupertino, seems to be ready to implement a similar strategy in new markets now with the next iPhone 18 lineup. This is likely to help the battery size of the iPhone 18 lineup, as it will remove the SIM tray and add more internal space in the next series. However, in some countries and regions the iPhone 17 models do not support physical SIM cards.

Apple’s eSIM-Only iPhone Models Could Arrive in Europe

Techmaniacs (in Greek) report says Apple is launching eSIM-only iPhone 18 models in Europe. But if Apple removed the physical SIM tray, it would free up internal space in all iPhone 18 series smartphones for a larger battery. It is said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s global version has a battery rating of 5,100mAh and 5,200mAh, five percent more than the battery unit on the smartphone 17 ProMax.

In a shift to eSIM-based, users will have to activate their mobile plans digitally through their carrier rather than insert ‘traditional SIM card’ (i.e. The move – if true – may be inconvenient for users who often swap their SIM cards. There are also areas where suing a new (eSIM) often involves additional charges from carriers.

With the launch of the iPhone 14 series in 2022 in the US, Apple removed the physical SIM tray with the release of its newer model (the iPhone 4). It released iPhone models with a physical SIM slot alongside eSIM functionality in other international markets outside the US. Last year, Apple introduced e-SIM only iPhone 17 models in more markets (Japan), Canada and the UAE) for its first time.

The eSIM technology is an easy alternative to traditional SIM cards and provides instant deactivation with ease of activation and rapid deaktivation. But that’s not the case for people who often switch devices, a .

The iPhone 18 series is rumoured to be launched by Apple with the same starting price tags as its iPhone 17 counterparts. It is likely that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18, Pro Max will be announced in September this year alongside the new iPhone Fold. Next year, the standard iPhone 18 could be officially rolled out alongside the iPhone Air.