Unreliable sources from Brazilian bloggers say Apple plans to remove the SIM card tray component starting with the iPhone 15. The source said that the iPhone 15 Pro model released in 2023 will provide consumers with dual SIM support, but only two eSIM cards will be used. If the message is true, it means that the model will not use the SIM tray.
Image from iFixit
While the rumor is questionable given industry agreements and international requirements, it has somehow gained some support. On Sunday, an anonymous source said Apple had told U.S. carriers that it would launch a model of a purely electronic SIM card in September 2022, a year earlier than previous rumors. The whistleblower also provided the publication with a "seemingly legitimate document" outlining the program's rollout timeline, though the document did not specifically mention the iPhone or Apple at all.
The plan will allegedly involve some carriers offering iPhone 13s without a box nano SIM starting in the second quarter of 2022. If this is correct, then in theory Apple will do the same with the "iPhone 14".
The leaker @Dylandkt posted on Twitter on Monday that he "agrees with the recent rumors about removing the physical SIM card tray," adding evidence to the rumor again. The leaker also retweeted a Feb. 14 post in which a claiming source alleged that Apple wanted to remove the tray faster and was testing an eSIM-only iPhone.
Given that apple sells iPhones in China with trays capable of accommodating two SIM cards, and continued international demand for the model, it seems unlikely that Apple will eliminate the SIM tray anytime soon. While many carriers offer eSIM services, Apple will most likely still produce models with SIM card trays, as well as so-called pure eSIM versions.