New Google Pixel 10 rumor suggests it could ditch physical SIMs and go eSIM only

• A leak suggests the Pixel 10 could be eSIM only
• The change may only apply to the US
• It’s something Apple has done since 2022

Although we are accustomed to Google Pixel 10 leaks—the phones are scheduled to launch on Wednesday, August 20—the most recent one is a little unusual in that it implies the phones may not have physical SIM trays and instead use eSIMs.

The typically trustworthy Evan Blass is the source of the rumor, but it appears that he learned about it from someone else. It appears that the only phone in the lineup that accepts a real SIM card is the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL would thus be the first Google phones to use eSIMs solely. Blass does note that this information might only be relevant to models that are sold in the United States.

• Also Check: 5 ways the Google Pixel 10 Pro can get ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra

Although some of the leaked Pixel 10 photos include SIM trays, as 9to5Google noted, many of the models that have surfaced thus far do not depict the bottom of the smartphones, which is where the SIM slot resides on the Pixel 9 phones.

The future is eSIM

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Tipster reports that the P10, P10P, and P10PXL will all ditch the physical SIM tray in favor of two active eSIM slots; only the P10PF will support hardware SIMs.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 8, 2025

It would have been unexpected if the Pixel 10 range was shown to be eSIM exclusively, but it wouldn’t have happened suddenly—you may recall that back in 2023, there were speculations that Google might do this for some of the Pixel 8 versions.

Additionally, Apple has been doing this in the US since the September 2022 release of the iPhone 14. Apple has handled this transition with little difficulty, and it’s possible that Google is prepared to do the same.

In many ways, eSIM technology is more convenient than using physical SIMs, and it has undoubtedly become much simpler and more dependable in recent years. It also means that there is more room inside the phone’s chassis for other parts.

The actual unveiling and Google’s response are just a week and a half away, and we will, of course, notify you as soon as the news is out. Rumor has said that new phones may not be a significant improvement.