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Apple iPhone 14 series could include models with eSIM-only support. In India, Airtel, Jio, and Vi offer eSIM support.
"We don't believe that Apple will take the 'big bang' approach—getting rid of existing systems and transferring all users to eSIMs—but rather launch an eSIM-only variant of its upcoming new model—retaining the dual eSIM-plus-physical SIM slot model for the mass market and its key carrier channel," the analyst stated in the report.
The Apple iPhone 14 eSIM-only model is likely to be available through Apple stores alongside a physical SIM alternative, as many carriers in the global market do not support eSIM technology yet. With the iPhone 15 series in 2023, Apple could go the eSIM-only route as the company looks to eventually achieve a port-less and tray-less design. Also Read
An eSIM-only phone does not support physical SIM cards and communicates via embedded SIM cards with cellular networks. This means the user will not have to install a physical nano-SIM card on their device, and carriers of the user's choice will embed a digital SIM card on the phone.
In India, the adoption of the eSIM is slow, given that there are not a lot of devices that support it. Popular carriers like Airtel, Jio, Vi do offer eSIM support. Although the eSIM technology is more futuristic, it lacks convenience, as one needs to delete the existing service to change the network, which is much easier to do with a physical SIM card. It will be interesting to see how Apple and carriers deal with eSIM-only models in India.