The new iPads are ditching physical SIM cards

Apple giveth OLED screens, and Apple taketh away… SIM cards. As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple has removed the physical SIM slot on the cellular versions of the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models. First the iPhone, now the iPad — Apple is all in on an eSIM future, it seems.

The iPhone 14 was the first model to lose the SIM slot, but only in the US — versions sold in other countries still include a physical SIM tray. That doesn’t seem to be the case with the new iPad Air and iPad Pro; Apple’s UK and Canadian retail sites state that the new models use eSIM and are “not compatible with physical SIM cards.”

eSIM has been catching on in popularity over the past few years. Most smartphone flagships support the technology, but only Apple has taken the extra step of making eSIM the only option. For most people, that doesn’t pose a problem — setting up an eSIM or transferring it from another Apple product is straightforward enough. But if you’re accustomed to taking out your SIM and moving it between devices frequently, especially if some of those devices run Android, eSIM can be a real pain. Ask me how I know.

In spite of that, moving to eSIM-only on the iPad strikes me as a reasonable move. Presumably, most people pop in the SIM card and forget all about it anyway. And in theory, eSIM could make it easier to shop around for a mobile tablet plan — unlike an Apple Watch, your iPad’s eSIM doesn’t have to be through the same carrier as your iPhone. However you pay for it, one thing is clear — Apple is fully embracing eSIM, and so are the rest of us, whether we like it or not.