Notable changes on the iPhone 17

SIM tray on an iPhone. Photo: ZDNet .

According to MacRumors , Apple's Authorized Retailer (AAR) employees in the European Union (EU) have been required to complete training related to eSIM on iPhones by May 9th at the latest. This suggests that the iPhone 17 will remove the SIM slot in more countries.

Information about the training course is provided in the SEED app, which supports Apple Store employees and AARs worldwide . Therefore, retail employees in countries outside the EU can participate in the course, should Apple decide to remove the SIM slot in many other regions.

In the US, all iPhone 14 and later models have eliminated the physical SIM slot, opting instead for eSIM-only devices. Currently, iPhones in other countries still have a physical SIM slot, although this may change starting with the iPhone 17.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 on September 9th, just four days after its employees complete their training. The EU currently comprises 27 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Similar information was previously shared by The Information in November 2024. According to that report, Apple plans to remove the SIM slot from the iPhone 17 in more countries.

At the time, the news site didn't specify which models or countries would remove the SIM slot. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the iPhone 17 Air would no longer have a SIM slot in most countries due to its ultra-thin design.

Regarding the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, Kuo stated that there is still a possibility that all three devices will remove the SIM slot globally, although there may be some exceptions, particularly in China, where carriers only support eSIM on the Apple Watch and iPad.

When launching the iPhone 14 in 2022, Apple emphasized that eSIMs are more secure than physical SIMs because they cannot be stolen or removed from the device. Users can add at least 8 eSIMs to the device, making it easy to manage and switch SIMs when traveling .

According to multiple sources, the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max will have major changes to its rear design. In particular, the more expensive iPhone will feature an upgraded zoom camera. The price of the device is also likely to increase slightly compared to its predecessor.

Besides the iPhone, new Apple Watches and iPads are also expected to be unveiled at the September 9th event.