To recap, eSIMs are SIM cards, however they are electronic rather than physical. This implies that you can furnish your phone remotely, eliminating the need to visit a store to purchase a real SIM. This makes switching networks or experimenting with one easier (in some aspects). People can now test-drive T-network Mobile's for up to three months using eSIMs.
As long as you stay within the Apple ecosystem, you can even transfer your eSIM between iPhones via Bluetooth as of iOS 16. This should make it practically as simple as using a real SIM. No doubt.
Since 2018, iPhones have enabled eSIM, including dual SIM functionality, which is supported by the majority of major US carriers as well as many other carriers globally. Before the iPhone 13, there could only be one eSIM and one conventional SIM; the iPhone 13 series made it possible to use two eSIMs simultaneously. The logical next step is to remove the physical SIM and the hole it requires in the casing.
The iPhone 14 still has a SIM tray in every other country, at least for Apple and in the US.
The absence of a physical SIM tray probably won't have much of an effect on you if you use one of the main US cellular networks, such as AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. You may download an eSIM from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile without visiting a shop, even if you switch carriers or phones.
However, you shouldn't purchase the iPhone 14 at this time if you are using a carrier that does not support eSIM or if you intend to switch to one. You might not have to wait long because this might be the motivation smaller carriers need to adopt eSIMs.
The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro can contain at least eight eSIMs, with up to two of them being active at once, according to Apple officials who informed The Verge at the launch event. Depending on the type, older iPhones could hold five to ten eSIM cards, according to global eSIM vendor Airalo. Though not all global carriers accept eSIMs, this can lessen the blow of losing the actual SIM tray. When traveling abroad, being able to remotely provision a local eSIM might make getting a local SIM unnecessary (I haven't used Airalo and can't vouch for them).
For persons who travel frequently, reside in areas with patchy coverage from any one network, or have distinct work and personal numbers, having more than one active SIM card is a terrific idea. My iPhone 11 includes both a physical Verizon SIM card and a Dutch eSIM, which I purchased when I resided in the Netherlands. That allowed me to use a local SIM whether I was in the US or Europe without having to change my iMessage or WhatsApp settings or lose access to my other number.
Physical SIMs make it simple to transfer your phone's number to a new phone or to a different provider. They are widely used, compatible with all phones, and manageable simple to operate (though also easy to lose; ask me how I know). The loss of the SIM slot hasn't gone over well with many of my coworkers. It's not always simple to transfer an eSIM from an iPhone to an Android phone.
For the majority of consumers, I don't believe eliminating the SIM tray is necessary user-hostile; they just don't frequently move carriers or phones. However, that relies on how simple it is for carriers to install and transfer eSIMs between platforms. We'll watch how this develops.
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