Apple iPhone 17 won't accept SIM cards in Canada

For years, Apple has offered eSIM-only iPhone models in the U.S. and iPhones with physical SIM card slots in other markets, including Canada. However, that's all changing with the iPhone 17 series.

First, Apple noted during its announcement event on Sept. 9 that the ultra-slim iPhone Air would only offer eSIM, ditching the physical SIM slot to make more room for the battery.

The company also noted that its iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will have larger batteries on the eSIM-only models, a notable departure from past iPhone models that had virtually no difference between the eSIM and physical SIM models. Heck, the iPhone 14 had plastic spacers inside the eSIM-only models where the physical SIM slot would go.

Post-event, Apple sent out additional details about the new iPhones, which noted that the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max would have eSIM-only models "available in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the U.S. and the U.S. Virgin Islands."

We also separately confirmed with Apple Canada that the Canadian iPhone 17 models will only offer eSIM.

Apple started doing eSIM-only iPhones in the U.S. with the iPhone 14 series. Since then, the iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16e have all offered physical SIM slots in Canada.

Unfortunately, Apple's move to eSIM-only iPhones will likely cause problems for some Canadians.

Most Canadian carriers support eSIM, and more importantly for iPhone customers, Apple's various eSIM tools like carrier activation and Quick Transfer for moving an eSIM from one iPhone to another.

However, not all carriers fully support eSIM features, and worse, some carriers put artificial restrictions on eSIMs to squeeze more cash out of customers. For example, when this writer switched to Telus-owned Public Mobile last year, I learned that Public charges a $5 fee to transfer an eSIM from one phone to another, something that should be free to do.

Here's hoping the eSIM transition will be easy for most iPhone users — but the reality is that Canadian carriers will likely turn this into yet another cash grab.