The iPhone may eventually lose this key feature

Apple has been trying to phase out physical SIM cards since the iPhone 14 launched in the US. At that time, the company began to offer phones that only supported eSIM, and by the time of the iPhone 17, this strategy had been implemented in about a dozen global markets. It seems that this policy will be even more widespread this year.

Europe may join the US, Mexico, Japan and other markets where Apple is offering eSIM-only iPhones. A report from Greek media Techmaniacs claims that iPhone 18 Max and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be exclusively available in European markets with dual eSIM support.

As with the iPhone 17 models, this could allow Apple to offer models with larger batteries, as the space freed up by the physical SIM card slot is used for the battery. The eSIM version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max may have a battery with a maximum capacity of 5,200mAh.

Rumors about Apple’s decision to go eSIM in Europe have been around for years. Reports about the iPhone 17 claimed that this model could be the first European iPhone without a physical SIM card, but in the end, only the iPhone Air was completely removed from the physical SIM card worldwide. This posed a problem for Apple, as eSIM was not widely available in China, limiting sales of the iPhone Air in that market.

Although the increased battery capacity is good news, some iPhone users may experience problems with the eSIM. Although the technology has been around for years, some European carriers still charge extra for eSIM activation. Also, operators do not offer eSIM for prepaid plans, which may be problematic for travelers. However, that will likely change in a few years if Apple stops offering iPhones with a physical SIM card slot.

The only devices launched in the US without a physical SIM card slot are the Pixel 10 models. Most other modern smartphones, including iPhones sold worldwide, support a combination of eSIM and physical SIM.

Apple’s expansion of the eSIM-only strategy was inevitable. I’m all for the increased battery capacity, but international travel will be a bit more expensive. While there are various travel eSIM plans, there’s no substitute for putting a pre-paid local card in your phone and using cheap mobile data.