Apple doesn't plan to fully transition to eSIM globally — at least not yet. According to a new leak, the global iPhone 17 Pro model will retain a physical SIM card slot.
Photos of the alleged SIM card slot were posted by Platform X insider Majin Bu on Twitter. If the images are accurate, they suggest that Apple is taking a gradual approach to introducing eSIM, leaving the physical slot in countries where digital SIM cards are not yet widely available.
In the US, Apple has already switched to eSIM, starting with the iPhone 14, completely removing the physical slot. However, the company's global strategy is less radical. Back in November 2024, it was reported that Apple plans to use only the eSIM format in the new iPhone 17 Air model - an ultra-thin device that is supposed to replace the Plus model. However, at that time it was not specified which countries would fall under this change.
The current leak suggests that Apple may take a two-pronged approach for the new iPhones — experimentally introducing only eSIM in the new 17 Air model, while retaining the traditional features in the flagship 17 Pro devices. This strategy allows the company to gradually adapt to changes in countries with different levels of digital adoption, avoiding abrupt transitions for users in regions with low eSIM adoption.