Unless apple designers can resolve the issue of how to install the physical SIM card tray, it may be difficult for the new iPhone to be sold in china.
Will the ultra-thin iPhone that apple launches next fall possibly not have a physical SIM card slot?
According to technology media The Information, apple plans to launch a brand new series of iPhones next year, which includes the highly anticipated ultra-thin model, but does not design a physical SIM card tray.
In china, physical SIM cards are still mainstream, and if this issue cannot be resolved, apple's ultra-thin design concept may hinder the promotion of its products in the chinese market.
The report also mentioned that apple's latest iPhone models will undergo significant design changes next year. For example, apple will remove the iPhone Plus from its product line, and the thin iPhone will use an aluminum frame made of stainless steel and titanium alloy, which will have only one speaker in the earpiece.
In the chinese region, physical SIM cards are mainstream.
This ultra-thin iPhone is regarded as one of apple's most significant design innovations in years and will lay the foundation for the foldable iPhone that apple plans to launch in 2026.
The prototype thickness of the new iPhone is between 5 and 6 millimeters, while the thickness of the iPhone 16 is 7.8 millimeters. The Information cited two people involved in the project, stating that so far, apple's engineers have not been able to install a physical tray for the SIM card in this thin device.
According to reports, this ultra-thin iPhone is currently undergoing small-scale trial production at fujifilm holdings corporation unsponsored adr and has successfully passed the proto-1 phase, entering the proto-2 phase. Sources reveal that apple engineers need to resolve the integration issue of the physical SIM card tray before next summer to finalize the product design, production process, and equipment.
Since 2018, apple has been gradually phasing out the physical SIM card tray. For the past two years, the US version of the iPhone has not used a physical SIM card tray and has utilized eSIM technology. This technology allows for the remote verification of customer identity and activation of the phone.
Most iPhones sold by apple in global markets are equipped with a physical SIM card tray. Even in regions that support eSIM, traditional physical SIM cards are still available. In the chinese region, physical SIM cards are mainstream.
Therefore, unless apple designers can solve how to install the physical SIM card holder, the new iPhone may find it difficult to sell in the chinese region.
Under the ambition of constantly breaking through industrial design and technology boundaries, apple often clashes with regulations in various regions.
Previously, the EU criticized apple for using proprietary ports and non-removable batteries, passing laws to force apple to redesign its hardware. Apple believes that such regulations stifle innovation.
The new iPhone will undergo significant design changes.
Reports suggest that apple's latest iPhone model will undergo major design changes next year.
For example, apple will remove the iPhone Plus from its product line to make way for a new slim model with the internal code name D23. Reports cite informed sources stating that apple plans to double the production of this lightweight iPhone compared to the iPhone Plus.
In addition, the new models will switch to aluminum frames made of stainless steel and titanium alloy. The upper half of the Pro and Pro Max's rear cover is aluminum, while the lower half is glass, to support wireless charging.
The slim iPhone has only one speaker in the earpiece because there is no space at the bottom for a second speaker. Its back features a large centered camera bump with one lens, while the standard iPhone has two lenses, and the Pro model has three lenses.
Reports also indicate that this thin iPhone will be among the first models next year to use apple's in-house 5G modem instead of the modem provided by qualcomm.