They left a place for SIM cards in “non-SIM” iPhones, but did not use them

All four iPhone 14 models sold in the US no longer have a physical SIM tray and rely entirely on e-SIMs.

The demolition revealed that Apple did not use the internal space freed up by removing the tray for other components or additional features, but instead filled the resulting space with a square piece of plastic. Outside the US, all iPhone 14 models continue to have a SIM tray in this area.

Now one can guess what the removal of physical SIM cards is for for American users.