All iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro units sold in the United States will continue to be the only models sold worldwide to exclusively feature mmWave 5G connectivity in addition to sole eSIM support with no option for physical SIM cards, Apple has confirmed.
According to Apple’s tech specs webpage, US-designated models for the entire iPhone 15 lineup continue to be eSIM-only, in addition to supporting sub-6GHz and mmWave frequency bands for 5G connectivity. iPhone 15 models sold everywhere outside the US continue to be limited to just sub-6GHz frequencies, a practice that Apple has adopted since the first 5G iPhones launched in 2020 with the iPhone 12.
Sub-6GHz frequencies are suitable for providing good coverage over longer distances but offer slower bandwidth that’s marginally faster than 4G LTE. In contrast, mmWave frequencies, also part of the 5G spectrum, offer much faster bandwidth at the cost of a severely restricted range that can be affected by adverse weather conditions like rain or snow.
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Few countries outside the US offer mmWave on a wide scale. As a result, Apple is holding back from offering mmWave-ready iPhone 15 units in these countries till coverage is adequate.
Apple began offering eSIM-only iPhones in the US with last year’s iPhone 14 lineup, a practice that is observed with the iPhone 15. For everywhere else in the world, all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models come standard with dual-SIM support with one physical nano-SIM and one eSIM. In China, iPhone models are sold with two physical nano-SIM slots.
Like mmWave, eSIM adoption has been poor outside the US with limited carrier support. An earlier rumor pegged France as the next country to transition to eSIM-only iPhones with the iPhone 15, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available for pre-order in the United States and other regions on Friday, September 15. Customers will be able to get their hands on their new iPhones when shipping begins next Friday, September 22.
