Apple has made the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max eSIM-only in a limited set of countries and regions: Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
These eSIM-only settings for the iPhone 18 Pro models match the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, so there is no change in the list of affected markets this year.
eSIM-only availability and device variations
Outside the countries listed above, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models continue to include a physical nano‑SIM tray alongside eSIM support, including in the U.K. and the rest of Europe. EU regulatory labels list battery capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but those figures correspond to models that still have a SIM card tray.
Apple says eSIM-only iPhone models use the space formerly occupied by the physical SIM card tray to accommodate a larger battery. Apple began phasing out physical SIM trays starting with the iPhone 14 series, initially in the United States.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max units sold in European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and other markets retain a nano‑SIM tray in addition to eSIM. In China, the devices support one of these combinations: two nano‑SIM cards, one nano‑SIM card plus one eSIM, or two eSIMs. Separately, the iPhone Duo is offered with an eSIM‑only design worldwide.
When the iPhone 14 series launched in 2022, Apple promoted eSIMs as more secure than physical SIM cards because they cannot be removed from a lost or stolen device. Apple also notes that an iPhone can manage at least eight eSIMs at once, removing the need to obtain, carry or swap physical SIM cards while traveling.
