Pixel 10 RMAs ship international models with SIM tray

Several U.S. buyers who returned Google Pixel 10 series phones for warranty replacement say they were sent international units that include a physical nano SIM tray, a surprise because U.S. models of the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL launched as eSIM only. The reports, posted by multiple users on Reddit in recent days, describe replacement devices that appear identical to the originals except for the addition of a SIM slot and the loss of U.S.-specific mmWave 5G support.

Google moved to an eSIM-only configuration for the Pixel 10 family in the United States, citing the broader industry trend toward embedded SIM technology. U.S. models instead support dual eSIMs and can store several eSIM profiles, while international variants retain a physical SIM tray alongside eSIM capability. The change mirrors a similar transition by Apple in recent years.

The replacement reports are not isolated. At least three Reddit users have posted that their RMAs returned devices with a SIM tray. In one post a user wrote, "RMAed due to a screen issue, and Google Store support was very helpful and sent me a replacement unit, but this one is probably a global version and has physical SIM support lol."...