Full List of Countries Where iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Are eSIM-Only

At its "Awe dropping" event, Apple launched the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. The latter is eSIM-only due to its slim design, but in select countries, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro are also eSIM-only. The iPhone 17 models that are eSIM-only feature larger batteries, and here are all the countries where they're available.

Countries where iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro are eSIM-only

iPhone 17 Pro series in white, orange and blue colours — Image Credit: Apple

Apple switched entirely to eSIM starting with the iPhone 14 series in the US. The company is now expanding this to more regions with the launch of the new iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, and here's a list of countries where they're eSIM-only:

United States
U.S Virgin Islands
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Qatar
Oman
Kuwait
Mexico
Japan
Guam
Canada

Fortunately, India is not in the list, so you'll be able to get the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models with physical SIM-card slots in the region. But, if you're a battery life aficionado and want to maximise the battery life of the latest iPhones, purchasing them from one of these countries makes more sense.

Keep in mind that, the battery differences are only present on the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, not on the standard iPhone 17. In countries like India, where the iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with a physical SIM tray, the phone is claimed to last for 37 hours of video playback. The eSIM-only iPhone 17 Pro Max in the US is rated for 39 hours of video playback.

iPhone 17 Pro Max US and India variants — Image Credit: Apple

The more efficient Apple A19 Pro, combined with larger batteries on the eSIM-only models, is the reason for two extended hours of battery life compared to iPhone 17 models with SIM cards. While Apple doesn't directly reveal the battery capacities, we know the actual iPhone 17 battery sizes from the CQC certification.

Here's a look at the difference between SIM card and eSIM variants of the iPhone 17 Pro models:

iPhone SKU	Battery in eSIM-only variants	Battery in SIM card variants
iPhone 17 Pro	4,252mAh	3,988mAh
iPhone 17 Pro Max	5,088mAh	4,823mAh

And those are all the countries that get eSIM-only iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max variants. A bigger battery is not the only perk you may get when getting the new iPhone 17 Pro from the countries mentioned above. Due to the way currency conversion works, getting an iPhone 17 Pro from countries like the US and UAE can also save you money.