Google’s Pixel 10 series of phones, which includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, is rumored to come with dual eSIM slots. This would be a departure from past devices in the Pixel lineup, though only slightly. Since Google started offering eSIM as an optional way to activate your Pixel on the carrier of your choice, it has always offered a nano SIM slot as well. This way, you could physically insert a SIM from your carrier if desired.
This year, that doesn’t seem to be the case. A new leak suggests that Google is getting rid of the nano SIM slot for its upcoming four devices. While this hasn’t yet been confirmed, the leak, which comes from Evan Blass on X, appears pretty convincing.
The Google Pixel 10 series packaging hints at the dual eSIM slots
Keeping in mind that Google hasn’t announced these phones yet, there have been plenty of leaks about them. Now, there’s one pertaining to the SIM activation process. An image shared by Blass of the packaging includes a sticker that says users can activate their eSIM directly on the device during setup.
“You no longer need a physical SIM card,” the sticker reads. Continuing by saying that users can activate the eSIM during setup. Google won’t have been the first to ditch the SIM card slot. So this isn’t necessarily anything revolutionary. However, it is a showcase that device manufacturers are starting to move things in this direction. Before long, physical SIM cards could be a thing of the past entirely.
An earlier leak suggested that Google would keep the physical nano SIM slot for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, while the other three phones would remove it. This new leak seems to support that rumor. It isn’t clear why Google decided to move to a dual eSIM setup now. Regardless of the reason, setting up the Pixel 10 series device should be more convenient. However, it does mean you can’t just pop your SIM card out and into a different device. If, for any reason, you wanted to use a different phone that doesn’t support eSIM, this process will get a little more complicated. The Pixel 10 is expected to be announced officially this week, with the Pixel 10 release date set for later this month.
