There is one somewhat major change that Google might have in store for us that could ruffle a few feathers though. Android expert Mishaal Rahman has spotted one key detail from some of the recent Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro renders that seemingly no one else did — neither of the two models has a SIM card slot.
Now, you might be thinking that this is a simple error and that OnLeaks (who shared the renders) just forgot to include the SIM card slot, and there is a slight chance that might be the case. However, as Rahman points out, previous renders from OnLeaks of Pixel phones have all included the SIM card slot, so the odds are all things are in order here.
Mishaal Rahman even contacted Steve H. McFly (aka OnLeaks) because, unlike his renders of the Pixel 8 series, the website he partnered with, SmartPrix, had stated that both phones have a SIM card slot. OnLeaks told Rahman that “anything his partners claim that isn’t announced himself in his tweet isn’t information that comes from him.”
Of course, renders are not a guaranteed true presentation of what a device will truly look like. Additionally, a leaked transparent silicone case for the Pixel 8 that popped up a while back has shown a SIM card slot.
Alleged Pixel 8 transparent case.
That being said, given that Apple already prepped the US market, it is not completely out of the question for Google to release eSIM-only Pixel 8 models for the same region. Rahman adds that the tech giant is already working on bringing an eSIM transfer feature that would make “swapping” your eSIM from one phone to another possible without the need for a physical one.
