The worst thing about eSIM-only iPhone 14s

September 12, 2022 TH Author

From a consumer perspective, not much. Yes, it’s easier to pick a menu item than swap those fiddly little nano-SIM cards, but that’s about it. SIMlessness isn’t really a feature that will sell iPhones.

From Apple’s perspective, had they only one variant, you could say that it was simplifying the circuit. But since Apple appears to be supporting some SIM-free phones, some with SIM and eSIM, and dual SIM in China, that simplification benefit isn’t there.

From the perspective of major carriers, it somewhat herds users into the premium carrier club, preventing iPhone 14 users in the US from using cheap seat carriers like Ting.

From the perspective of law enforcement, iPhones 14s will be easier to trace back to their owners, but all of the other legendary iPhone privacy features remain intact.

So there you go. Are you concerned about losing physical SIM cards? Do you travel? Will using your iPhone 14 in China be an issue for you? Let us know in the comments below.