There's plenty to talk about when it comes to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, but one missing detail in some early renders that has initially gone unnoticed is now getting plenty of attention. So, will this year's Google phones signal the end of physical SIM card support? Is the eSIM era actually taking hold? We break down the evidence for and against.

Google's Pixel series of smartphones have always sported a nano-SIM card slot somewhere on the device. In most cases, it was on the upper portion of the left side - the most notable exceptions were the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, which lodged the tray in the bottom. More recently, the Pixel 6 and 7 series pushed that placement to the lower end of the left edge.

What's pointing to an eSIM-only Pixel 8 series?

@OnLeaks via MySmartPrice, SmartPrix

What could possibly suggest that the Pixel 8 could do away with physical SIMs, then? Veteran Android blogger Mishaal Rahman notes in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that in renders of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro obtained by Steve Hemmerstoffer of OnLeaks and published by MySmartPrice and SmartPrix, respectively, that both phones omit any markings that would indicate a SIM tray.

OnLeaks had put out renders in previous rumour cycles for the Pixel 6 and 7 generations where the SIM tray was clearly visible. Its omission for the Pixel 8 renders would be an odd pattern break given the general accuracy we've come to expect from these renders, even if they came out relatively early on.

Does Google have a strong motivation for doing away with physical SIMs on its phones? Rahman recalls one of the company's announcements during MWC 2023 that Android would be able to transfer subscriber information to a device's eSIM slot without the need for a physical SIM card by year's end.

The mobile industry has been paving the way for a shift to eSIM (and, eventually, to integrated SIMs or iSIMs) for a while. Such a move would cut down on precious hardware space needed to store subscriber information and increase user security along the way, too. But it takes every player up and down the component stack from chipset designers like Qualcomm to phone manufacturers and operating system maintainers to enable this shift.

In serving the latter roles, Apple has already moved the iPhone 14 series in the United States to eSIM only and may be looking to do so for iPhone 15 devices elsewhere, including the United Kingdom. Google, itself also a manufacturer/OS maintainer, would just be catching up.

Is there a chance the Pixel 8's SIM tray stays?

Hemmerstoffer has previously said - and had just reiterated to Rahman - that partner publications may make claims based on their perception of the renders that he himself did not make while sharing his intelligence. The leak specialist notes that he doesn't make guesses on potential features based on what is or isn't included in a render as nothing is final.

Kamila Wojciechowska/91mobiles via Mishaal Rahman, X

The most compelling reason to be skeptical of Google's potential abandonment of physical SIMs, however, is what appears to be an instructional video for the Pixel 8 leaked by Kamila Wojciechowska for 91mobiles back in June. In demonstrating some of the features of the phone, the video looks to show a prototype or engineering unit with a SIM tray on the left side. If the phone seen is either of the above, Google may be past the design stage and intent on incorporating a SIM tray into the Pixel 8 series.

We've gotten plenty of "in the wild" captures of the Pixel 8 since these leaks from months ago, but none of them have a good angle on that left edge.

In any case, we're still firmly in speculation territory and may not budge until the expected launch day come sometime in October. Stick with Pocket-lint for continuing coverage of the Pixel 8.