The iPhone 13 is still very recent and the iPhone 14 will not be released until the end of 2022. However, rumors concerning the iPhone 15 series, which will not arrive until 2023, are already circulating on the web.
The latest suggests that on the Pro models of the iPhone 15 series, Apple could get rid of SIM cards! This is indicated by an article published by GSMArena, which relays an information from the Brazilian site Blog do iPhone.
According to this source, instead of having a slot for SIM cards, the iPhone 15 Pro would only use eSIM cards (therefore, virtual SIM cards). More precisely, the device would allow two eSIMs to be used simultaneously, which would allow users to have two phone numbers.
Is this really Apple’s next “brave” move?
For now, the info should be viewed with extreme caution. However, if these rumors are true, they should be corroborated by other, more reliable sources. In addition, given that the iPhone 15 Pro will not be released until 2023, the company still has time to change its mind.
Since Apple would like to launch portless iPhones, using only wireless technologies, it would make sense that it would also consider phasing out SIM cards as well. But even if it does, the Cupertino company should continue to offer models with SIM cards for regions where eSIM is not yet supported by telephone operators.
In any case, if the Cupertino company decides to gradually get rid of physical SIM cards, it is quite likely that other manufacturers will follow suit. For example, it was Apple who first decided to no longer use a headphone jack on its iPhones. Then, the manufacturers of Android smartphones decided to be inspired by it for their premium models.
A year ago, Apple announced that it will no longer include a charger box in its packaging, for environmental reasons. And this has also been imitated by a few manufacturers.
A camera hidden under the screen in 2023?
Remember that currently, rumors are also circulating about the design of the iPhone 15 Pro. As we explained in a previous article, Apple could offer iPhones without a notch, but with a bubble for the front camera from 2022. And in 2023, the company could even offer an iPhone equipped with an invisible camera, hidden under the screen.
As a reminder, this is a brand new technology to get rid of the camera notch and bubble. This is already in use by models from ZTE, Samsung and Xiaomi. And according to an article published by MacRumours in September, which relayed a prediction by analyst Ming Chi Kuo, it is also of interest to Apple.