Apple held its Far Out launch event a few weeks ago, where the firm introduced its latest iPhone 14 models. While the new iPhones had been rumored for quite some time, what came as a bit of a surprise was the company's removal of the SIM slot for its US devices. Although it isn't unlike Apple to take the first step to streamline the design of its phones, this move was seen as being anti-consumer by some. So what is the firm using the extra space for now that it doesn't have a SIM card slot in US devices? The answer may surprise you.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the latest devices from Apple featuring the A16 Bionic SoC and Dynamic Island
Apple iPhone 14 Pro

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the latest devices from Apple featuring the A16 Bionic SoC and Dynamic Island

The folks at iFixit debuted a video recently through their TikTok account, showing the breakdown of the iPhone 14. By taking the phone apart, the team found that Apple didn't choose to utilize the space at all. Instead of there being a SIM card module inside the phone, it replaced it with a piece of plastic covered with a metal plate, or as iFixit put it in the video, "just filler." Of course, this is to be expected, as the same model in other parts of the world will have the SIM module and SIM tray. This fact might be a tad infuriating to some, as they could have just had one less SKU and kept the SIM tray in the US variant as well. While the removal of the SIM tray doesn't really have a big effect if you're with a large carrier, it could pose a problem if you're a frequent traveler or a person that subscribes to a smaller carrier for your wireless cellular service. Regardless, this will probably become the new normal in all iPhones over the next few years.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the latest devices from Apple featuring the A16 Bionic SoC and Dynamic Island
Apple iPhone 14 Pro

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the latest devices from Apple featuring the A16 Bionic SoC and Dynamic Island

As far as issues go, the iPhone 14 has had a slightly rocky launch, with some users needing to rely on iTunes to activate their iPhone 14 devices. There have also been some reports that the camera doesn't play well with third-party apps, causing the camera to shake when using apps like Snapchat or Instagram. While there are bound to be other issues, only time will tell. The Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are now available for sale, along with the new Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra.


Source: iFixit (TikTok)