With this year’s iPhone launch, Apple has expanded its rollout of eSIM-only iPhones. In previous years, only US iPhones were eSIM only, while the rest of the world got both eSIM and a physical SIM slot.
Starting with the iPhone 17, more countries have been added to the eSIM-only list. These countries, just like the US, will get iPhones without a physical SIM tray that houses a plastic SIM card.
Most of the countries added to this list are from the Middle East and Asia, while Canada and Mexico have also made the list for the first time. EU countries and the United Kingdom are still getting the physical SIM iPhones this year.
Apple says eSIM-only models benefit from a larger internal battery, which offers a longer battery life compared to models with a physical SIM card slot.
All models of iPhone 17, which include iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will be eSIM only in the following countries.
- Bahrain
- Canada
- Guam
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Mexico
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- U.S. Virgin Islands
While all iPhone 17 models will be eSIM only in the countries above, the new iPhone 17 Air is going to be eSIM only across the world, as it does not come with a variant that supports a SIM card due to its thin profile.
