A Weibo influencer has disclosed that the iPhone 18 Pro series, tailored for the Chinese mainland market, might feature a ‘single SIM + eSIM’ configuration. In contrast, the Hong Kong variant is expected to maintain last year’s ‘single SIM + eSIM’ setup, retaining the traditional SIM card slot. However, the reliability of the information pertaining to the Chinese mainland version remains uncertain. Some users have proposed that Apple should emulate the U.S. model by eliminating the SIM card slot altogether to enhance battery capacity, or alternatively, adopt a ‘dual SIM + eSIM’ design akin to the Samsung S26 for the Chinese mainland market. The influencer contends that the ‘dual SIM + eSIM’ design would be more readily embraced by consumers and represents a superior transitional strategy. Previously, Apple has experimented with a ‘single physical nano-SIM slot + eSIM’ design on the iPhone 17e for the Chinese mainland market, and certain countries and regions have already phased out physical SIM card slots entirely.