LONDON, Sept 13 (The African Portal) – With smartphones, where Apple leads others often follow. Its decision to launch an iPhone this week without a traditional Sim card is raising questions over the future of a very familiar piece of phone technology.
For years, mobile phone users have relied on small plastic Sim cards that must be delicately inserted into devices to make them work. But for buyers of the new iPhone Air, that will be a thing of the past.
The device will only operate with an eSim – a digital version that allows users to switch networks or plans without the need for a tiny tray and pin.
Analyst Kester Mann, from CCS Insight, told BBC News that Apple’s announcement “marks the beginning of the end of the physical Sim card.”
But how long will it be before we all discard our little chip-carrying pieces of plastic – and what difference will it make to how we use our phones?
Sim stands for Subscriber Identity Module. The chip is a key part of your phone, enabling connection to your mobile network provider, handling calls and texts, and managing data usage.
In recent years, the eSim has emerged as an alternative. Newer smartphones often provide the option to use both a traditional Sim card and an eSim.
On Tuesday, during its product announcement, Apple revealed that the iPhone Air – the newest and thinnest addition to the Apple family – will feature an eSim-only design.
This marks the first time that an eSim-only iPhone will be available globally. Customers in the US have had eSim-only iPhones since 2022.
However, Apple is not abandoning the physical Sim card altogether. Other new models it announced this week – the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max – will be eSim-only in some markets, but in most countries they will still retain physical Sim card slots.
Other major manufacturers, including Samsung and Google, have also embraced eSims as an option, but continue to maintain physical Sim slots in many regions.
Still, industry experts say there is little doubt about the direction of travel.
According to CCS Insight’s latest forecast, 1.3 billion smartphones with eSims were already in use by the end of 2024. That figure is expected to grow to 3.1 billion by 2030.
“In time, expect the Sim tray to disappear altogether,” said Paolo Pescatore, a technology analyst at PP Foresight.
Credit: BBC
