Tuesday, March 11th 2025
Physical SIM Support Reportedly in the Balance for Ultra-thin Smartphones w/ Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 SoCs
According to Digital Chat Station—a repeat leaker of unannounced Qualcomm hardware—unnamed Android smartphone manufacturers are considering an eSIM-only operating model for future flagship devices. Starting with the iPhone 14 generation (2022), Apple has continued to deliver gadgets that are not reliant on "slotted-in" physical SIM cards. According to industry insiders, competitors could copy the market leader's homework—Digital Chat Station's latest Weibo blog post discusses the space-saving benefits of eSIM operation; being "conducive to lightweight and integrated design." Forthcoming top-tier slimline Android mobile devices are tipped to utilize Qualcomm's rumored second-generation "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2" (SM8850) chipset.
Digital Chat Station reckons that: "SM8850 series phones at the end of the year are testing eSIM. Whether they can be implemented in China is still a question mark. Let's wait and see the iPhone 17 Air. In order to have an ultra-thin body, this phone directly cancels the physical SIM card slot. Either it will be a special phone for the domestic market, or it will get eSIM." The phasing out of physical SIM cards within the Chinese mobile market could be a tricky prospect for local OEMs, but reports suggest that "traditionally-dimensioned" flagship offerings will continue to support the familiar subscriber identity module standard. Physical SIM card purists often point out that the format still provides superior network support range.
Sources:
Digital Chat Station's Weibo Blog, Notebookcheck #1, Wccftech, The Verge (image source), Notebookcheck #2
Digital Chat Station reckons that: "SM8850 series phones at the end of the year are testing eSIM. Whether they can be implemented in China is still a question mark. Let's wait and see the iPhone 17 Air. In order to have an ultra-thin body, this phone directly cancels the physical SIM card slot. Either it will be a special phone for the domestic market, or it will get eSIM." The phasing out of physical SIM cards within the Chinese mobile market could be a tricky prospect for local OEMs, but reports suggest that "traditionally-dimensioned" flagship offerings will continue to support the familiar subscriber identity module standard. Physical SIM card purists often point out that the format still provides superior network support range.
7 Comments on Physical SIM Support Reportedly in the Balance for Ultra-thin Smartphones w/ Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 SoCs
Im now using Bluetooth headphones and they are great, so jsut for practical reasons, im fine with no more 3.5mm jack, also means the phone can be more water resistand.
I think they can co exist. Same with physical sim and eSim, they both have their uses. I think most of the time when they try to sell removing feature is for reducing manufacturing cost and not for the good of consumer.
I've been looking for for a phone with good performance (using LPDDR5) and a microSD slot, and the ones that exist are either old (S20 FE), expensive (Sony) or bulky (Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra).
The really sad part is that the manufacturers somehow think the best part about this is they can make even slimmer designs with even less battery. Making phones even harder to hold and worse to go about the day with, like we all somehow are begging for that.