Apple Proposes Standard for Smaller SIM Cards to Make Even Thinner iPhones

[MacRumors]

Current micro-SIM (bottom right) punched out of a full-size SIM card (top right)​

Reuters reports that Apple has submitted a proposal for a standardized SIM card design smaller than the micro-SIM currently used in the iPhone 4 and iPad, with the new design having apparently won the backing of French carrier Orange. The design would reportedly allow Apple and other companies adopting the card to design smaller and thinner devices.

"We were quite happy to see last week that Apple has submitted a new requirement to (European telecoms standards body) ETSI for a smaller SIM form factor -- smaller than the one that goes in iPhone 4 and iPad," said Anne Bouverot, Orange's head of mobile services.

"They have done that through the standardisation route, through ETSI, with the sponsorship of some major mobile operators, Orange being one of them," she told the Paris leg of the Reuters Global Technology Summit.

With finalization of the standard and technical issues still to be worked out, devices using the smaller SIM card could hit the market next year.

Apple made waves last year with reports that the company was seeking to deploy embedded SIM cards, a step that would remove some of the power of carriers over phone distribution. While the GSM Association and some carriers expressed interest in the idea, threats from other carriers to withhold iPhone subsidies reportedly resulted in Apple backing away from the technology for the time being.

It is unclear whether the newly-proposed standard is related to the embedded SIM technology discussed last year, but it appears to more likely simply be a smaller evolution of the removable SIM cards in use today.

Article Link: Apple Proposes Standard for Smaller SIM Cards to Make Even Thinner iPhones

 

[antster94]

The one in it at the moment is small enough surely? I appreciate that a smaller one will allow for a part to increase in size, battery maybe, but what about the end consumer who has to put the thing in the phone?

Micro SIM is out, Nano SIM in.

 

[Full of Win]

Three different form factors - what a PITA.

 

[louis Fashion]

do it now, and give me a world phone!!

 

[Thunderhawks]

The one in it at the moment is small enough surely? I appreciate that a smaller one will allow for a part to increase in size, battery maybe, but what about the end consumer who has to put the thing in the phone?

Micro SIM is out, Nano SIM in.

No problem unless they hold it wrong

Apple will eventually go up against the carriers with embedded sims.

When they do subsidies do not matter, if there is enough competition.

Hoping the T-Mobile deal doesn't get approved.

 

[aibo82]

How thin does it need to be they wont shrink the iPhone in hight and width so why does it matter!

Now they may make a thinner iphone but the sim card is 1mm thick anyway, so what we expecting a 3mm thick iphone 5?

Apple are just messing about trying to re-invent the wheel instead of just coming out with revolutionary new things!

have they run out of ideas?

Apple tell me when you make a smaller paper clip, or a thinner sheet of paper!

 

[igazza]

size matters

 

[whooleytoo]

The one in it at the moment is small enough surely? I appreciate that a smaller one will allow for a part to increase in size, battery maybe, but what about the end consumer who has to put the thing in the phone?

Micro SIM is out, Nano SIM in.

Standards! We love standards! That's why we have so many of them! <evil laugh...>

Pity they didn't go ahead with the 'soft SIM' idea; far handier, IMO.

 

[AppleScruff1]

do it now, and give me a world phone!!

A world phone would be great.

 

[*LTD*]

HP: "We're not convinced."

 

[aibo82]

Will it make room for a removable battery?

Smaller home buttons all round! Thinner font size apple so my eyes can strain more!

 

[apolloa]

Piss off Apple! Leave the bloody SIM cards alone, it's not yet another standard you need to change and force everyone else to change to. The industry has been more then happy with the current design for several years before and since you entered the mobile phone business...

 

[Daveoc64]

I'm not really sure how they can introduce a smaller card without breaking compatibility with older devices.

The chip contact has always been the same size (not exactly, but it's stayed in the same place), but the card itself has shrunk.

It used to be credit card size, then we had Mini and Micro SIMs.

With the correct adaptor or without removing the Mini/Micro SIM from the larger carrier, one SIM can work in any model of handset.

On top of the space saving that a Micro SIM brings (which in itself is negligible - as demonstrated by the lack of adoption of the format), I'm not entirely sure how much space Apple aims to free up - and whether that's worth the additional cost and incompatibility.

 

[fabian9]

Piss off Apple! Leave the bloody SIM cards alone, it's not yet another standard you need to change and force everyone else to change to. The industry has been more then happy with the current design for several years before and since you entered the mobile phone business...

wow i'm so glad that the world of innovation and positive change does not hinge on you, otherwise we'd still be using quill pens to write letters and get pigeons to deliver them to the farmer next to us.

 

[Crzyrio]

Piss off Apple! Leave the bloody SIM cards alone, it's not yet another standard you need to change and force everyone else to change to. The industry has been more then happy with the current design for several years before and since you entered the mobile phone business...

Yeah but look at the difference between phone before apple and after apple joined the phone business.

The iPhone was the first real smart phone. This led to Android being developed. I guarantee you that if it wasn't for the iPhone, the Android would be similar to blackberry's

Apple wants to take their phone to the next level and in order to do this they need a smaller sim. Let them shows us what they have before making a judgement. They arent forcing it on you, your welcome to stick with whatever phone you have now.

 

[ChazUK]

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I put my sim card in my phone once. What size it is is of little concern to me.

Smaller sims wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

 

[ABernardoJr]

I kind of like the current form factor of the iPhone 4 though... lol Not that I'm against progress by any means, but I think it's reasonable to say that there's a point where these handsets might get too thin to feel comfortable to hold. Maybe that's just me, but if they do make the phones thinner, hopefully they maintain much of the iPhone 4 form. I like the way the iPhone 4 looks too much for it to be abandoned lol

(Yea I guess I am assuming a lot just because they'd make it thinner but really, thinness might be getting a bit overrated at this point in my opinion)

 

[aibo82]

wow i'm so glad that the world of innovation and positive change does not hinge on you, otherwise we'd still be using quill pens to write letters and get pigeons to deliver them to the farmer next to us.

I propose square wheels!

And pens that don't write!

Its a sim card its 1mm thick apple are going to gain nothing from it apart from pissing off customers!

 

[Rodimus Prime]

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I put my sim card in my phone once. What size it is is of little concern to me.

Smaller sims wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

if you ever use a sim to jump between phones then yes a smaller size will get to you.
As it stands Apple is the only company that uses micro Sims. Going from standard to microSim really nets the phones nothing is why no one else jumped ship. Hell I am willing to bet Apple went microsim to make it even harder to leave Apple products.

Going thinner means weaker sim cards that break easier when trying to switch between phones.

 

[Piggie]

Must say I agree with most here.... What's the point.

And when it comes to fitting such a thing into something the size of an iPad it gets even more laughable. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I can't see the point yet.

If they were going to totally redesign the whole thing from scratch and make the whole card and the reader inside/contact points, the size of a match head, then I guess fair enough.

But shaving a bit of plastic off, when the device it's slipping into is MASSIVE in comparison, the reasoning behind it is a bit lost on me I must say.

Especially where there are much more important things to worry about.

I never get that with Apple, they have some fundamental things to sort out, and yet they faff around with things like this.

It's like making a car with poor brakes and keep worrying about the material the seat covers are made from

 

[0815]

It's amazing how Apple is obsessed with smaller and thinner ... but I'm not saying it is a bad thing, sometimes smaller is better (sometimes not ).

Anyway: don't waste the time with smaller sim card - go ahead with the embedded/soft sim card - screw the carriers, they don't need more power (but they still want to sell the iPhone, don't listen to empty threads)

 

[apolloa]

wow i'm so glad that the world of innovation and positive change does not hinge on you, otherwise we'd still be using quill pens to write letters and get pigeons to deliver them to the farmer next to us.

What a doorknob...

Yeah but look at the difference between phone before apple and after apple joined the phone business.

The iPhone was the first real smart phone. This led to Android being developed. I guarantee you that if it wasn't for the iPhone, the Android would be similar to blackberry's

Apple wants to take their phone to the next level and in order to do this they need a smaller sim. Let them shows us what they have before making a judgement. They arent forcing it on you, your welcome to stick with whatever phone you have now.

God you lot are an overly sensitive bunch! Come on then, I want you all to tell me just why we MUST follow Apple and adopt yet ANOTHER Sim card standard nobody wants apart from Apple??

Come on, I'm waiting....

And don't anyone DARE say so we can have thinner smart phones as that's utter BS cause phones are thin enough, plenty out there that are even thinner then the iPhone 4 and they all use the same style of SIM the world has happily been using for many many many years.

Oh and FYI, Apple only brought a revolution in it's interface to phones, not design.

 

[eawmp1]

Who wants smaller?? (I know it's a cartoon, but it works for illustrative purposes)

Less room for SIM may mean smaller form factor or more size for something else (e.g. larger battery, RFID, more memory etc.)

 

[ilfn143]

stop using the 30-pins, save space

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I am trying to figure out why Apple wants to go even thinner. At a certain point phones are just WAY WAY to thin.