The entire iPhone 18 Pro/iPhone Fold series has no SIM card slot: only eSIM is supported.
According to the latest industry leaks, Apple will continue its SIM-free hardware strategy with this year’s iPhone 18 Pro series and the foldable iPhone Fold. By expanding eSIM technology in more markets, Apple is attempting to further optimize internal space to accommodate larger batteries and improve overall battery life.
Apple has already completely eliminated physical SIM card slots in markets such as North America, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. The European market will also enter the eSIM era. However, considering the actual situation, the Chinese version of the phone will most likely still retain a physical SIM card slot.
Removing the SIM card slot module frees up considerable internal space. For example, the US version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a pure eSIM solution has a battery capacity of 5088mAh, while the Chinese version with a physical SIM card slot has a battery capacity of 4823mAh, a difference of 265mAh.
With the iPhone 18 Pro series, this gap may widen further. It’s rumored that the eSIM version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max may have a battery capacity exceeding 5200mAh, while the non-eSIM version, retaining a physical SIM card slot, is expected to have a battery capacity around 5000mAh.
Regarding pricing, despite rising costs for 2nm process technology and memory, securities analyst Jeff Pu believes that Apple plans to keep the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro series the same as the iPhone 17 series in order to maintain market share.
This means the iPhone 18 Pro will likely start at $1099 this fall, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max will start at $1199. This is undoubtedly good news for users waiting for a 2nm chip and longer battery life.
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