Goodbye SIM slots in Italy: the iPhone 18 series will be eSIM-only?

Starting from the iPhone 17 series, Apple has expanded the sale of purely eSIM devices to 12 countries. Previously this limitation affected only the United States, however from the latest generation other names have been added as well, such as Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and more.

Things should change for us as well, starting with the upcoming iPhone 18 lineup: the entire flagship family would be on track to arrive in Europe only with eSIM support, completely eliminating the physical SIM slot.

Apple says goodbye to physical SIM in Europe: iPhone 18 will be eSIM-only, according to a rumor

At the moment the only model exclusively eSIM has been the iPhone Air: the ultra-thin flagship had to give up the SIM slot everywhere, and the reason is tied to its reduced dimensions. Phones sold in Italy and Europe still keep the physical slot in addition to eSIM support, but Apple’s plans involve a complete upheaval of our habits.

Cupertino would opt for a definitive farewell to the classic SIM: the iPhone 18, 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and 18e should have only eSIM, with the possibility of using two (for those who want to have a second number).

This structural change could bring improvements, but for now it’s just rumors. The upcoming iPhone 18s could feature larger batteries than the current generation, with talks even of units around 5,100/5,200 mAh for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Clearly this is a very particular choice by Cupertino: in Italy most mobile operators already support eSIMs, yet a large portion of users remains attached to the physical card. The impact of Apple’s choice could be significant, abruptly forcing the transition to the new technology.

The iPhone 18 series will be split into two events

Regarding the event for the next generation, the American company should offer a different approach from the usual. At the September event there would be room only for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, together with the much-talked-about iPhone Fold. For the standard 18 and 18e models, you’ll have to wait until Spring 2027, at least according to the rumors so far.