Apple just unveiled its iPhone 14 lineup, and overall, it looks awfully familiar to last year’s phones. Despite some minor, iterative upgrades, there’s one big difference Android users should note — and no, it’s not the iPhone 14 Pro’s “Dynamic Island” hole punch. The SIM card tray is no more in the US, with buyers forced to rely exclusively on eSIM from here on out. It’s a sign of the times in the smartphone industry, as Android manufacturers will likely follow suit over the next several years.
The headphone jack sets a precedent
It’s no secret Apple has a history of abandoning standards for something new. The headphone jack is the most obvious example, a move the company itself called courageous on stage exactly six years ago today. At the time, Apple was mocked by shoppers and competitors, deservedly so for those comments. A month later, Google joked about the first-gen Pixel keeping its 3.5mm port. Samsung released its “Ingenious” ads to advertise the Galaxy S9. Everyone was having a nice laugh at Apple’s expense.
It didn’t take long for all of that to change. In 2017, the Pixel 2 and 2 XL dropped their headphone jack, supplying a USB-C adapter in the box. Samsung went one step farther, pulling those “Ingenious” ads from the web when it debuted the 3.5mm jack-less Galaxy Note 10 series. One by one, nearly every phone brand dropped built-in wired headphones support from their devices, leaving it to niche companies like Asus and Sony or budget phones that most Android die-hards would never consider as daily driver material.
After today’s Apple launch, physical SIM card slots feel destined to follow the same pattern. It’s all too easy to imagine Google making a big deal out of its SIM card tray at next month’s Pixel 7 event, or spotting another cringey Samsung ad (as it’s wont to do) poking fun at its biggest rival. But it’s a safe bet that, one by one, we’ll see Android manufacturers follow Apple’s lead here. It might not be with this upcoming generation of smartphones, or even the one after it, but it’s coming.
We’ve reached out to Google, Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus to ask about their plans for physical SIM cards, specifically in the US. Motorola told us it couldn’t comment on future devices. We’ll update this article as we receive additional responses.
How will the death of SIM cards affect Android users?
Unlike with the headphone jack, I don’t expect general consumers to feel nearly as strongly about the looming death of SIM cards. For one, most people only interact with their SIM trays every two or three years — even us writers at Android Police, constantly jumping from phone to phone throughout the year, aren’t swapping SIMs on a daily basis. eSIM also, at least in theory, provides a much smoother experience for buyers. No more dealing with the hassle and headache of carrier stores — just scan a QR code and you’re good to go.
That said, we all should expect some bumps in the road to eSIM dominance. As AP’s Manuel Vonau detailed earlier this year, eSIM can bring along its own headaches, depending on your carrier and your smartphone. Some carriers have long, in-depth guides that convolute a process far beyond popping a physical SIM card into a tray. Others require you to chat with an associate online — so much for not dealing with customer service. AT&T makes eSIM support on iOS easier than ever, but you’ll still need to dive into settings and fuss around with QR codes and carrier logins on Android.
Phone manufacturers can make this process easier through software — in fact, that’s exactly what Apple’s done. In addition to that breezy process described by iPhone users on AT&T, iOS 16 now supports transferring eSIMs over Bluetooth. That sounds pretty easy, but it won’t help you if you’re swapping from iPhone to Android. In Apple’s mind, it’s yet another advantage to staying in its ecosystem. Stray, and the company can’t help you if you feel overwhelmed or frustrated at what you find.
Unfortunately, while Google has made some improvements to eSIM in Android 13, the experience of adding one isn’t uniform between devices. The Pixel 6 features an entirely different set of menus than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 when trying to add a new card to your phone.
eSIM might actually be a good thing — with some catches
There are some concerns for eSIM, pushed mainly by carriers more so than manufacturers. Not every phone supports virtual SIM cards, which also holds true for some MVNOs in the US. For every Straight Talk, there’s a Consumer Cellular. If you’re on a prepaid carrier, there’s a good chance the next iPhone — and future Android phones — won’t work on your plan. Travel might become more complicated; while some eSIM services do make flying overseas a breeze, you’ll be saying goodbye to grabbing a cell plan at the airport once you land. Some security concerns remain as well; while the FCC stresses that eSIM is actually more secure than a physical card, a T-Mobile representative has previously pushed back on this earlier in 2022.
All that aside, a move like this was bound to happen eventually, and if any brand can push it through, it’s Apple. Although all three major carriers in the US support eSIM, most aren’t quick to promote it. It makes swapping networks much easier — something T-Mobile has recently leaned into with a recent promotion. It’s no secret these companies don’t want you switching to their competition. It’s why they’ve routinely locked phones and tied the price of new hardware into your monthly plan. With eSIM becoming the go-to standard, one massive barrier could come crashing down.
That’s the bright spot in today’s news. There’s no doubt that an eSIM-only future is bound to be filled with pitfalls, but this move could lead to a space where trying out a brand-new carrier doesn’t require you to leave your couch or wait for a SIM card in the mail. It’s nothing but good news for the typical consumer, even if we on the Android side may have to deal with glitches and customer service calls along the way.
Physical SIM cards are far from perfect — some readers might even cheer on their impending death. If you’ve been considering shopping around your carrier with the goal of finding a more reliable network or lowering your monthly payment, the eSIM revolution might sound like a dream come true. But for those of us who find themselves rotating between phones on a regular basis — bloggers, developers, and enthusiasts alike — the road ahead looks rocky. While this doesn’t mean the Pixel 7 or the Galaxy S23 will drop the SIM tray altogether, don’t be surprised if your next phone is eSIM-only.
