In 2022, when Apple launched the iPhone 14 series, it caused a lot of uproar because of its silly switch to eSIM-only support in the US. That move looked even dumber when teardowns of the iPhone 14’s hardware revealed that the physical space that’s usually occupied by the physical SIM slot in non-US iPhones was simply filled with a plastic spacer instead of being utilized for some extra component or battery. The iPhone 15 followed suit in 2023. We’ve expected Android flagships to copy this silly strategy for a while because everything Apple does is seemingly gospel, but we’re really happy to be proven wrong. So far.
The new Pixel 9 series, including the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, is the second Pixel lineup to come after the iPhone 14, and Google is still — thankfully — shipping its phones in the US with both a physical Nano SIM slot and eSIM support. The same is true for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and the latest Z foldables that launched post-iPhone 14. [Insert a slow clap for brands not adopting anti-consumer moves.]
Google and Samsung have not fallen for the Apple trap. They kept the consumer-friendly physical SIM slot.