If you're buying a new iPhone 16 model in the US, it'll come without a SIM card tray, and you'll need to switch to an eSIM – as is the new Apple norm. But if you're picking one up anywhere else, you'll still get a device with the tray.
Ever since the iPhone 14, Apple has been nudging the US toward a SIM-free existence. The latest best iPhone doesn't come with a SIM card tray, but that isn't the case anywhere else. In fact, the US iPhone 16 models have different model numbers, indicating that they're the odd ones out. It still seems weird, as eSIMs are used all over the world. I've been using an eSIM since 2020 in the UK, even on devices with a SIM card tray.
