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

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

Shifting to eSIM-based will require users to activate their mobile plans digitally through their carrier.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 16 February 2026 19:30 IST

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

The eSIM technology is convenient alternative to traditional SIM cards

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Highlights

Apple started removing physical SIM tray with the launch of the iPhone 14
Apple launched the e-SIM only iPhone 17 models in Japan and Canada
iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumoured to get a battery upgrade

Apple introduced an eSIM-only model of its iPhone in the US with the launch of iPhone 14, eliminating the physical SIM tray. Now, the Cupertino-based tech giant appears to be getting ready to implement a similar strategy in new markets with the upcoming iPhone 18 lineup. The removal of the SIM tray is expected to bring more internal space in the upcoming series, and this could contribute towards battery size of the iPhone 18 lineup. The iPhone 17 models do not support physical SIM cards in select countries and regions.

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

A report by Techmaniacs (in Greek) states that Apple is planning to launch eSIM-only iPhone 18 models in Europe. By eliminating the physical SIM tray, Apple could free up the internal space in all iPhone 18 series smartphones for a larger battery. The global variant of iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumoured to feature a battery rated between 5,100mAh and 5,200mAh, a five percent increase over the iPhone 17 Pro Max's battery unit.

Shifting to eSIM-based will require users to activate their mobile plans digitally through their carrier rather than inserting a traditional SIM card. The move, if true, could be inconvenient for users who frequently swap their SIM cards. In some regions, issuing a new eSIM often involves additional charges from carriers.

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Apple dropped the physical SIM tray with the launch of the iPhone 14 series in 2022 in the US. In other international markets outside the US, the company made iPhone models available with a physical SIM slot alongside eSIM functionality. Last year, Apple launched e-SIM-only iPhone 17 models in more markets, such as Japan, Canada and the UAE.

The eSIM technology is a convenient alternative to traditional SIM cards and offers easy activation and instant deactivation. But it is not suitable for people who frequently switch devices.

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Apple is speculated to launch the iPhone 18 series with the same starting price tags as its iPhone 17 counterparts. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are likely to be announced in September this year alongside the iPhone Fold. The standard iPhone 18 could go official next year alongside the iPhone Air.

iPhone 17

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Transformative and brighter ProMotion display
Powerful performance
Meaningful camera upgrades
More value-for-money
Great battery life

Bad
iOS 26 has glitches
Ineffective anti-reflective coating

Read detailed Apple iPhone 17 review

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Apple A19

Front Camera 18-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 26

Resolution 1206x2622 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good overall performance
Great camera quality in daylight
iOS ecosystem and ease of use

Bad
Dated design and notch
Very similar to iPhone 13
Relatively slow charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 review

Display 6.06-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iPhone 18 Series, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18

Nithya P Nair

Email Nithya P Nair

Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More