Despite persistent rumors surrounding the abandonment of the nano-SIM card on the iPhone 15 in Europe, Apple has decided to give it a reprieve. But the advent of eSIM as the only solution seems to be only a matter of time.
In the spring, we told you about the possible abandonment of the drawer for nano-SIM cards on the iPhone 15. Freshly presented, Apple’s latest smartphones will ultimately not switch to eSIM immediately in Europe.
The nano-SIM card is resisting on the iPhone 15
History seemed already written for the nano-SIM card at Apple. In fact, the company completely abandoned it on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro in the United States last year. We expected a similar change this year for the new iPhone 15s in our region, but it ultimately didn’t happen. But until when ?
As you can see in the image above, we can see the drawer that houses the SIM card on the right edge of the phone. A location that is simply absent on American models.
Are the French ready for eSIM?
Today, the four major French mobile operators (Orange, Free, SFR and Bouygues) offer eSIM, or virtual SIM. France is therefore technically ready to accommodate phones that no longer contain any physical SIM cards. Indeed, Apple is not the only manufacturer to offer this option.
The latest mid-range and high-end smartphones from Google and Samsung offer it, for example. This is also the case for Honor with its Magic 5 Pro or even Xiaomi on its 12T Pro.
The user must then subscribe to an eSIM plan or request a transfer from their SIM card. Then simply activate your eSIM using a QR Code by scanning it with the camera or by entering two codes to enter manually on the phone.
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On the side of smartphone manufacturers, the eSIM saves space inside the product for other components. This also improves the waterproofness of the device, which also benefits the user. The latter will also no longer have to find the small SIM drawer extraction tool that we tend to lose a little too often.
The fears of mobile operators
Today, only 5 to 10% of Orange customers have adopted the 2023 eSIM. A figure that doubles every year and which could explode the day Apple decides to no longer offer a physical alternative on its smartphones in Europe (for iPhone 16?).
Questioned by Challenges, the operators do not hide their concerns. “Won’t Apple risk signing wholesale contracts with operators and intermediaries? » worries the director of a telecoms group. “The relationship with the customer is much less controlled with the on-board SIM. Apple is becoming the gateway to subscription,” warns Stéphane Piot, consultant at Analysys Mason.
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Apple could also launch its own mobile phone service and could thus completely do without operators. Although this is not news, it would represent a real earthquake in the mobile industry.
Tell us in the comments whether or not you use eSIM, and why?
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