Apple’s new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max support eSIM-only in select countries and regions, dropping the physical SIM tray entirely.
According to Apple, the change applies in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Everywhere else — including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea — the devices retain a nano-SIM card tray alongside eSIM support. In China, the models support nano-SIM cards only.
Apple first phased out SIM cards in the U.S. with the iPhone 14 series in 2022. The company says eSIM allows mobile plans to be activated digitally without the need for a physical card.
The all-new, ultra-thin iPhone Air is Apple’s first smartphone to launch as an eSIM-only model worldwide. That includes China, where the Pro and standard iPhone 17 models still support physical SIM cards.
