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European Carriers Stockpiling Nano-SIMs Ahead of Expected Upcoming iPhone Launch

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Following the selection of Apple's proposed design as the new nano-SIM standard last month, Financial Times reports that European carriers have begun stockpiling the new nano-SIMs in expectation that Apple's next-generation iPhone will be launching using the new standard in the coming months.
Operators expect that the iPhone will feature the nano sim in a slimmed down design, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation, and have begun to store millions of the cards in warehouses in anticipation of high demand for Apple's iPhone. Apple declined to comment.

Operators were caught off guard by the adoption of the micro Sim for the iPhone 4 as well as the original iPad two years ago, with some struggling to meet demand with their own micro-Sims in the first weeks of sale.

One informed person said that the major networks were keen to be ahead of demand this time, however. He added that the iPhone 5 was likely to be similar sized as the iPhone 4 although slimmer and with a fully metal body.
Click to expand...
nanosim-500x375.jpg



Apple's nano-SIM design next to current micro-SIM (Source: The Verge)​
Back in May, however, one iPhone parts vendor posted what was said to be the SIM tray for the next-generation iPhone, with the part appearing nearly identical to the micro-SIM tray found in the iPhone 4S. If that part is genuine, it would appear that Apple has either chosen to continue using the micro-SIM standard or has quickly changed course with the ratification of the nano-SIM standard to embrace the smaller design.

Article Link: European Carriers Stockpiling Nano-SIMs Ahead of Expected Upcoming iPhone Launch
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/16/european-carriers-stockpiling-nano-sims-ahead-of-expected-upcoming-iphone-launch/
S

SilianRail

macrumors 6502
Feb 24, 2011
352
56
Looks like the nano SIM basically just eliminated the plastic edges around the metal part, why didn't they do that to begin with?
 
D

d0mth0ma5

macrumors member
Jul 26, 2008
86
31
Here's hoping that GiffGaff are part of the effort (or do they get their SIMs from o2 as well?).
 
bushido

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
so my cousin got a new samsung the other day and i got so used to microsim that i broke the sim out of the bigger plastic thingy only to find out that it wouldnt fit anymore ... tried it anyway and then the sim was stuck in her phone. needless to say my cousin was about to kill me :D
 
M

MrManwelo

macrumors member
Oct 13, 2010
92
0
is this just a ploy to stop people cutting down regular sized sims to fit so that they can charge much more for 'iPhone' price plans...?
 
neiltc13

neiltc13

macrumors 68040
May 27, 2006
3,126
19
Like mini-DVI, mini-displayport and micro SIM you can always rely on Apple to make stuff redundant after very, very little time.

iMac G5 with iSight Camera? NO here have some Intel iMac a few months later.

And to think there are kids growing up today that will never see a Firewire cable.
 
petrucci666

petrucci666

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2009
714
14
Los Angeles, CA
MrManwelo said:
is this just a ploy to stop people cutting down regular sized sims to fit so that they can charge much more for 'iPhone' price plans...?
Click to expand...

To some extent maybe, but I believe it's more Apple trying to make more room for other components, like the battery for example. Not too much space, but inside an iPhone, a millimeter is like a mile in the real world.
 
MRU

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,368
8,948
a better place
Nano sim with large reinforced sim tray which combined equal size of normal sim... ;) almost an oxymoron of design :)
 
ixodes

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
Once in awhile I think Apple does things, just to grab more headlines, attention and controversy. It's a brilliant strategy, even if it can be rather trivial and annoying. No one ever said that Apple is boring :)
 
daneoni

daneoni

macrumors G4
Mar 24, 2006
11,605
1,153
Oh yippe another pain in the ass sim card switch. I can't wait till we get to the point where they annihilate the sim card in its entirety, and any of its conveniences altogether. :rolleyes:
 
clukas

clukas

macrumors 6502a
May 3, 2010
990
401
Can anyone explain why we actually have sim cards rather than some kind of internal chip? Would it not be easier to have a built in chip which just gets registered with whatever carrier you go with?
 
C

CyBeRino

macrumors 6502a
Jun 18, 2011
744
46
Mad-B-One said:
How about Apple supplies the SIM? Then, you just have to register it with the provider.
Click to expand...

Won't have the right codes.

----------
clukas said:
Can anyone explain why we actually have sim cards rather than some kind of internal chip? Would it not be easier to have a built in chip which just gets registered with whatever carrier you go with?
Click to expand...

Because Verizon and Sprint do that and they have proven again and again how it is a TERRIBLE idea.
 
RichTF

RichTF

macrumors regular
Nov 11, 2007
217
526
London, UK
clukas said:
Can anyone explain why we actually have sim cards rather than some kind of internal chip? Would it not be easier to have a built in chip which just gets registered with whatever carrier you go with?
Click to expand...

In theory, that would be great: if the chip was entirely in your control, then you could just download a new set of carrier codes onto the fixed chip and -- BOOM -- you've switched carriers. Nice. :cool:

Unfortunately, in practise the carriers would only accept such a system if *they* were the one's in charge of the chip, and then you'd end up with a horrible super-locked-down system like with CDMA in the USA (and a couple other countries). It's a pity, but there ya go. :mad:

Anyway, such a chip was proposed (by Apple, I think), and sure enough the carriers refused to cooperate. So it's a no go. :(
 
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