With the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the message is simple: keep your old-fashioned SIM tray and you get a smaller battery, switch to eSIM and you magically get more juice.

The Pro with a SIM slot packs about 3,988 mAh, while the eSIM-only variant has 4,252 mAh. The Pro Max shows the same trick, jumping from 4,823 mAh with a SIM to 5,088 mAh without. That translates to an hour or so more time scrolling TikTok or watching cat videos.

Of course, Job’s Mob could have given every model the larger cell, but thinks it is better to “encourage” customers to adopt the future by quietly punishing anyone clinging to plastic cards.

It’s the same playbook the company used when it killed the headphone jack and swapped the Lightning port for USB-C, only this time the carrot is battery life.

This stunt also heaps pressure on carriers in markets where eSIM is still half-baked. If punters start demanding the longer-lasting models, networks will have to pull their socks up whether they like it or not. Apple already forced US buyers into eSIM-only iPhones with the 14 series, but rolling that out globally without denting sales needed a softer touch. A subtle battery bribe fits the bill nicely.

For users, the deal is almost tempting. A bigger battery is one of the few upgrades anyone notices. For Apple, it’s a neat way of strong-arming the market into the portless iPhone future it has been salivating over for years.

Of course, there is always the risk that users will work out that they can get a bigger battery from a mid-range Android phone and not have to move to an eSim. Fortunately, Apple's target market are those who rely on the Tame Apple Press to tell them what is cool.