Google Drops SIM Slots on U.S. Pixel 10 Models as 70% of Owners Already Use eSIM

Q: What specific hardware upgrades did U.S. users gain by sacrificing their SIM slot for carrier-mandated 5G technology?

U.S. buyers did not get a named, consumer-facing hardware upgrade beyond mandatory mmWave 5G support itself. Google’s explanation was that the physical SIM tray had to be removed to make room for the extra mmWave hardware American carriers require, including antenna components and related internal packaging. That means the concrete gain was access to the fastest 5G tier available in the U.S., not a separately announced new feature tied to the missing SIM slot. Google also said the space savings helped produce a cleaner exterior design by eliminating the SIM tray and mmWave antenna cutout. Beyond that, Google only suggested possible secondary benefits from the freed space, such as more room for battery capacity or other internal features, but it did not identify a specific battery increase or another confirmed hardware addition for U.S. models. So the trade-off was essentially physical SIM support in exchange for mmWave 5G hardware, with any extra internal-space benefits left unspecified.

3 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · Jun 14

U.S. Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL models ship without a physical SIM tray, marking Google’s first full eSIM-only move for its American flagship phones.
Google said limited internal space forced a trade-off: U.S. carrier requirements for mmWave 5G left room for either those components or a SIM slot, and the slot was cut.
International Pixel 10 models keep the physical SIM because they do not need mmWave support, creating a hardware split between U.S. and overseas versions.
Google added that 70% of U.S. Pixel owners already use eSIM only, and said removing the tray also enabled a cleaner design and freed space for battery and other features.