Following the launch of the Apple iPhone Air on September 9th, 2025:
Emma Mohr-McClune, Chief Telecoms Analyst, Technology at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:
“While the global press has focused in on the iPhone Air’s super-thin, lightweight design, its A19 Pro processor chip, iOS 26 features and a surprisingly reasonable premium model price, there is arguably a more important aspect of this announcement: the new iPhone Air is exclusively eSIM-enabled, worldwide, and that spells both a digital watershed moment for the industry at large, and new challenges for mobile operators everywhere.
“At the event, Apple launched several new smartphone devices, notably the 5.6 mm thin iPhone Air, as well as the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Critically, the new iPhone Air smartphone will be exclusively eSIM-supported – without a physical SIM slot – worldwide. The iPhone 17 series will also be eSIM-only in a growing number of markets including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Mexico, and select markets in the Middle East.
“For the first time, mobile operators outside of the U.S. and China will need to support their own customers with vital eSIM onboarding and service set-up trouble tickets, and it would be unwise to underestimate the wider fallout. Mobile operators everywhere need to arm their retail and online support channels for a wave of new eSIM onboarding customer issues and publish clear user eSIM usage guidelines and FAQ. But they’ll also need to steel themselves for both national and international roaming service revenue loss in the mid-term, as owners of these high-end eSIM-only devices discover the digital convenience of switching with mobile number portability and the affordability of alternative, eSIM-activated roaming plans.
“Apple’s aim is clearly to gain more control over Apple device users’ journey and customer experience, but this move is also a gift to the growing array of digital-first MVNOs and global roaming providers. It can only be anticipated that more OEMs will make the same global eSIM exclusivity steps in the coming quarters. The mobile industry is now clearly moving toward a SIM-less future.”