Skip to main content TechRadar the technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Back to school Best laptop Nintendo Switch 2 NYT Wordle today Best web hosting Recommended reading Samsung Galaxy Phones The Google Pixel 10 just showed up in one of the strangest phone leaks we've seen yet Google Pixel Phones The Google Pixel 10 could have more but worse cameras than the Pixel 9 Google Pixel Phones The Google Pixel 10 series colors have leaked in full – and two old favorites are missing Google Pixel Phones A Google Pixel 10 prototype and possible release date have leaked, and it could be coming later than expected Google Pixel Phones 5 ways the Google Pixel 10 Pro can get ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra Google Pixel Phones The Google Pixel 10 just leaked again, and it looks like it's getting a big charging upgrade Google Pixel Phones We just got a big hint that the Google Pixel 10 could be launching earlier than expected Google Pixel Phones New Google Pixel 10 rumor suggests it could ditch physical SIMs and go eSIM only David Nield 10 August 2025 In the US, at least When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The Pixel 9 certainly has a SIM slot (Image credit: Google) A leak suggests the Pixel 10 could be eSIM only The change may only apply to the US It's something Apple has done since 2022 We're now well used to Google Pixel 10 leaks – the launch of these smartphones is set for Wednesday, August 20 – but the latest one to emerge is a little out of the ordinary, and suggests these handsets could come without physical SIM trays and rely on eSIMs. The rumor comes from the usually reliable Evan Blass, though it seems he has picked it up from another source. Apparently the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will be the only phone in the range that you can slot a physical SIM card into. That would mean the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL would be the first Google phones that exclusively rely on eSIMs. However, Blass does add that this information may only apply to the models being sold in the US. You may like The Google Pixel 10 just showed up in one of the strangest phone leaks we've seen yet The Google Pixel 10 could have more but worse cameras than the Pixel 9 The Google Pixel 10 series colors have leaked in full – and two old favorites are missing As pointed out by 9to5Google, we have seen SIM trays on some of the leaked Pixel 10 images, but a lot of the renders that have appeared so far don't show the bottom of the devices, which is where the SIM slot is on the Pixel 9 handsets. The future is eSIM 📲Tipster reports that the P10, P10P, and P10PXL will all ditch the physical SIM tray in favor of two active eSIM slots; only the P10PF will support hardware SIMs.August 8, 2025 While it would be a surprise if the Pixel 10 range turned out to be eSIM only, it wouldn't have come right out of the blue: you might remember there were rumors that Google would do this for some of the Pixel 8 models back in 2023. What's more, it's something Apple has done in the US since the iPhone 14 launched in September 2022. It's a switch that Apple has managed without too much disruption, and it may be that Google is ready to follow suit. eSIM technology has certainly got a lot simpler and more reliable in recent years, and in many ways is more convenient than using physical SIMs. It also means more space is freed up inside the chassis of the phone for other components. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. We only have a week and a half to wait for the official unveiling and to see what Google will do – and we will of course bring you the news as it's announced. Based on rumors, these handsets might not be too much of an upgrade, You might also like The Pixel 10 Pro XL just got shown off Best eSIM for international travel 2025 The Pixel 10 may get voice photo editing See more News about Phones David Nield Social Links Navigation Freelance Contributor Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. The Google Pixel 10 just showed up in one of the strangest phone leaks we've seen yet The Google Pixel 10 could have more but worse cameras than the Pixel 9 The Google Pixel 10 series colors have leaked in full – and two old favorites are missing A Google Pixel 10 prototype and possible release date have leaked, and it could be coming later than expected 5 ways the Google Pixel 10 Pro can get ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra The Google Pixel 10 just leaked again, and it looks like it's getting a big charging upgrade Latest in Google Pixel Phones The Google Pixel 10 stars in the best leaked images so far – here are 5 upgrades to expect Google stops selling the Pixel 6a following reports of battery issues and units catching fire The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL just got shown off in two subdued shades The Google Pixel 10 might let you edit photos with your voice (yes, really) The Google Pixel 10 could use Gemini to teach you how to take better photos, and even as an AI skeptic, I’m excited to try it Google's latest security patch finally fixes a months-old bug, and a 'critical' security flaw Latest in News The DJI Osmo Nano is the latest DJI action camera to leak ahead of its official release So many ChatGPT users have said they're missing the older GPT-4o model, OpenAI is going to bring it back NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, August 10 (game #791) NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, August 10 (game #525) Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, August 10 (game #1294) ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from GPT-5's rocky debut to Sonos' upcoming price hike LATEST ARTICLES The new Casabrews 5418 Pro is the tiniest espresso machine I've tested, but it packs an impressive punch This fantastic and highly-rated 55-inch TCL Mini-LED TV is down to $699.99 at Best Buy OpenAI has new, smaller open models to take on DeepSeek - and they'll be available on AWS for the first time I’ve just found a couple of travel tripods that surprise and excite me in equal measure, while the video version is truly something special Shot Scope G6 review: sometimes simplicity is best TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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