Apple Offers Royalty-Free Patent Licenses to Push Proposed Nano-SIM Standard

[charlituna]

Why don't they use a device to load the data stored in the SIM directly on the iPhone?

A software based sim would be another solution, if the carriers all agreed to support it. Otherwise you would be locking the phone to a single select carrier such as how in the US you can't use a Verizon phone on Sprint or a Sprint on Verizon

Oh and for the record the only data on the sim in an iPhone is the carrier connection details. All your actual data is in the iPhones hard drive

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Sarcasm is clearly misplaced here. The catch is described in the original article. Apple offers its patent for free on condition that others will stop charging for their FRAND patents.

But only those in direct relationship to sim card use.

Which is basically how a 'standard' is formed. Everyone with a patent related to the item to be made a standard agrees to the same terms of use etc.

So basically Apple has just said they are willing to FRAND this tech if the other needed game players are also. And with use terms of 'free', if the other needed players will do the same.

but if the other boys don't want to play FRAND then Apple will license on their own terms with no FRAND limits like every other patent they hold (not already under FRAND).

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I would rather not having to hook up the phone to a computer to "download" the SIM information.

Who says you would have to. It all depends on how the software is written.

And software-based SIM card won't lock you into a contract?

No more so than a physical sim card decides if you are in a contract.

 

[sha4000]

Is one allowed to buy a Verizon iphone in the states, have it legally unlocked by Verizon itself after 3 months, free of charge, and then switch to whatever carrier they want with the mere switch of a tiny little card? If I am mistaken, I will gladly eat my shoe. I haven't lived in the states in 3 years, so perhaps the carriers are more flexible now.

People who have lived in America have been forced to accept a telephony service that nickles and dimes them everywhere they turn; where they have the pay for incoming calls and texts (something unheard of and absolutely unthinkable in Europe), pay up to 40 dollars for basic service, and on some dumbphones, PAY the carriers just to unlock bluetooth (looking at you Verizon). They know they're being screwed and they think that the answer is a simless card system.

My argument is that because the technology is so fractured and proprietary in the US, you can't have healthy competition that favors consumers. One has to choose between AT&T or Verizon and if you buy a nice phone from one of those carriers, good luck trying to switch to the other with your old phone. So you're stuck with them and they can charge whatever they like.

In Europe, where GSM and sim cards are a Continent-wide standard, I can just hop on craigslist or ebay or the local phone shop and pick whatever phone I want and pop my sim card in. I pick the phone. I pick the plan. In Europe, these are treated as two separate entities. I don't have to worry about CDMA or GSM or whosever flavor of LTE will work with what phone. This, in my very humble opinion is real choice and it's all because of standards.

I like this and thats one of the things that I despise about being on sprints cdma network. I really believe sprint has the best bang for your buck even though the service leaves something to be desired at times.

 

[dethmaShine]

I wonder what happened to the trolls that trolled the forum the other day claiming Apple is a bitch for requesting a change in the standard as they only wanted money from the patents they have on the nano-sim?

Come forward you 14 year old kids.

 

[Rennir]

I wonder what happened to the trolls that trolled the forum the other day claiming Apple is a bitch for requesting a change in the standard as they only wanted money from the patents they have on the nano-sim?

Come forward you 14 year old kids.

I didn't make that statement, but is it an illogical assumption? Businesses are for profit and Apple is no different. Every one of its actions is meant to either directly or indirectly increase their profit as a business. From that point of view, I would think that any company introducing a new technology would be seeking some sort of compensation/benefit for it.

It's just in this case, instead of wanting money, Apple wants other mobile phone companies to grant Apple's access to their technology without paying licensing fees in return.

 

[dethmaShine]

I didn't make that statement, but is it an illogical assumption?

I certainly didn't point you. I didn't mean to. Anyone who had a rational thought that Apple wants money doesn't deserve my namecalling. It's those people who apart from this rational thought go ahead and type all kinds of nonsense.

Businesses are for profit and Apple is no different. Every one of its actions is meant to either directly or indirectly increase their profit as a business. From that point of view, I would think that any company introducing a new technology would be seeking some sort of compensation/benefit for it.

I agree.

It's just in this case, instead of wanting money, Apple wants other mobile phone companies to grant Apple's access to their technology without paying licensing fees in return.

Oh, so that's 'YOUR' conspiracy theory? Hmm.

 

[MacinDoc]

I didn't make that statement, but is it an illogical assumption? Businesses are for profit and Apple is no different. Every one of its actions is meant to either directly or indirectly increase their profit as a business. From that point of view, I would think that any company introducing a new technology would be seeking some sort of compensation/benefit for it.

It's just in this case, instead of wanting money, Apple wants other mobile phone companies to grant Apple's access to their technology without paying licensing fees in return.

As stated above, Apple is only looking to have a free exchange of tech with respect to the nano-SIM card itself. This would not affect licensing fees for any other wireless tech. This would not give Apple free access to patents required for 3G, LTE or push technology, or any other standard-based or proprietary patents.

What Apple appears to want is to be able to use a SIM card that would be compatible with a smaller tray. This is important to Apple because it allows the company to make even smaller phones that can have SIM cards inserted into them without opening them.

 

[aggri1]

I like being able to switch my SIM card out of the iPhone and into the old indestructible Nokia when I go hiking or whatever, and when the iPhone breaks.

 

[LillDrutten]

They should always avoid take in patent technology to the standards. Royalty free is no exception.

 

[Rennir]

I certainly didn't point you. I didn't mean to. Anyone who had a rational thought that Apple wants money doesn't deserve my namecalling. It's those people who apart from this rational thought go ahead and type all kinds of nonsense.



I agree.

It's just in this case, instead of wanting money, Apple wants other mobile phone companies to grant Apple's access to their technology without paying licensing fees in return.

Oh, so that's 'YOUR' conspiracy theory? Hmm.

Well that's the impression I get from the cnet article someone posted earlier. It's a big ambiguous but to quote the article, Apple's condition is for other companies to "offer the 'same terms in accordance with the principle of reciprocity'". Granted, it doesn't exactly specify what would be offered without royalties, but my assumption was all the patent troubles Apple's been having recently.

As stated above, Apple is only looking to have a free exchange of tech with respect to the nano-SIM card itself. This would not affect licensing fees for any other wireless tech. This would not give Apple free access to patents required for 3G, LTE or push technology, or any other standard-based or proprietary patents.

What Apple appears to want is to be able to use a SIM card that would be compatible with a smaller tray. This is important to Apple because it allows the company to make even smaller phones that can have SIM cards inserted into them without opening them.

I can accept that explanation. But what kind of tech regarding nano SIMs does Apple need if its version is designated as the standard? As far as I'm aware, the other companies are also introducing their own versions of nano SIM cards, which would be rendered obsolete upon Apple's being set as the standard. So what would Apple be getting if other cellphone manufacturer's have nothing to offer?

 

[Therbo]

Wirelessly posted

The SIM "CARD" is one of the greatest inventions in mobile technology? Are you kidding me? Perhaps a great invention for the purpose of locking consumers into contracts?

The only way I've ever seen the cellular SIMs as being useful, is traveling internationally and just purchasing a pay as you go SIM locally by pulling your card out. Yes, as Apple customers, we don't have that option (by default) but that's not the norm.

Never had any SIM issues when I was with Sprint PCS at all. (To be clear, Sprint didn't originally use SIMs)

Gary

Huh I do that all the time on my iPhone

 

[LachlanH]

As someone who never removes their sim card, I honestly couldn't give a damn how small it is. Even if I was swapping carriers, it's not like I would be doing that freequently enough to become 'annoyed' by the smallness of a SIM card, even if it was crazy small.

Honestly I don't see why anyone would have an issue with anyone wanting to make it smaller, especially if it is making room for bigger batterys or what not.

And how come the hate for a smaller sim yet no one is equally outraged at the microscopic SD memory cards found in most phones? Honestly the memory card in my HTC is extremely small and it's far more likely to be changed than the SIM card yet no one takes issue with it?

Apple wants a smaller format, they have proposed one and are willing to let others use it for free. Non issue as far as I am concerned.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

No, the SIM Card * (in it's current form) is not an innovation in my eyes. It's whole purpose could be easily generated through software to provide a more sophisticated, but user friendly application.

20 years from now people will be laughing at the notion of us sticking little pieces of cardboard into the side of our phones to make them work. Frankly, it's ridiculous, archaic and not fit for the 21st century.

Not to mention that the entire one useful function is has (moving phone book, etc. over to a new phone) won't mean squat if your old card don't fit in your new phone. WTF cares from a user standpoint at THAT point? You might as well just use your computer to transfer the information. All I'm seeing here with this proposal (and with Apple considering a smaller dock port) is to make ALL prior equipment and cards INVALID and thus you have start over from scratch with all prior stuff incompatible with the newer stuff (especially irritating on the dock equipment connector stuff where at the VERY least you'd need to buy an adapter...Apple LOVES adapters. Users hate them (if you lose them, you're screwed; pony up another $20-90).

 

[fat jez]

Not to mention that the entire one useful function is has (moving phone book, etc. over to a new phone)

Do you actually understand the purpose of a SIM card, or Subscriber Identity Module, to give it it's proper name? It's what identifies you to the network as who you are and includes all the encryption and authentication information to gain you access securely and to prevent anybody else trying to clone your phone and pass themselves off as you.

A phone book is a secondary function, going back to the days when devices had little or no storage of their own. Saying that the one useful function it has is as a phone book storage is frankly ridiculous.

 

[barmann]

Honestly I don't see why anyone would have an issue with anyone wanting to make it smaller, especially if it is making room for bigger batterys or what not.

Well, I travel a lot, and I want a phone I can use anywhere on the planet, with local carriers .

Hence I want in international standard SIM, and I sure as hell don't want Apple to mess with those standards, just because they want to increase their influence in the industry .

 

[fat jez]

Hence I want in international standard SIM, and I sure as hell don't want Apple to mess with those standards, just because they want to increase their influence in the industry .

Who do you think comes up with the standards? ETSI's members are drawn from the network operators and manufacturers who come together and agree what a standard should consist of. I know that Orange in the UK did a lot of work on the GSM standards, despite them being a very young network at the time, as they were one of the first to operate at 1800MHz.

 

[Therbo]

Who do you think comes up with the standards? ETSI's members are drawn from the network operators and manufacturers who come together and agree what a standard should consist of. I know that Orange in the UK did a lot of work on the GSM standards, despite them being a very young network at the time, as they were one of the first to operate at 1800MHz.

GSM is the result of EU Networks working together. Vodafone worked on the roaming part and got that all setup, and other networks just followed suit.

GSM was made due to trying to stop anti-competition, in Europe you can only roll out on certain bands, in-fact, in one of the EU treaties it was required that countries reserve certain bands for GSM and give it priority.

and roaming prices are becoming low-low-low-low



Nokia and Seimens started building the networks.

Then the Americans heard about GSM and **** on it.

 

[thekev]

Apple wants a smaller format, they have proposed one and are willing to let others use it for free. Non issue as far as I am concerned.

It's not exactly free. They wanted to push it as a standard and leverage it against the use of other patents. Apple never gives anything away unless it benefits them, but the same applies to the others as well.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Do you actually understand the purpose of a SIM card, or Subscriber Identity Module, to give it it's proper name? It's what identifies you to the network as who you are and includes all the encryption and authentication information to gain you access securely and to prevent anybody else trying to clone your phone and pass themselves off as you.

A phone book is a secondary function, going back to the days when devices had little or no storage of their own. Saying that the one useful function it has is as a phone book storage is frankly ridiculous.

But I can get the new style sim card for that stuff no problem. It's my personal stuff stored on there that would have to be replaced either from a computer or manually with the new phone using the new smaller sim card. That's what I mean by 'useful'. Everything else can normally be done when getting a new phone at your provider unless you have a habit of buying new phones while traveling or whatever. And if you lost your phone, you lost your sim card too so again, the only thing that's important to me in terms of this new standard is an easy transition from one phone to the other with minimal bother.

 

[Asia8]

There's too many people who think that just because in America most people almost never change SIMs that the same reasoning should be used for a product that is used all over the world.

I have 2 small containers of SIM cards that I switch all the time. 2 for the Philippines (of course), 1 for Australia, 1 for Hong Kong, a few for different carries and different provinces.

I'm switching cards back and forth all the time. It's one of the main reasons I prefer multi-sim phones, I eventually bit the bullet and bought a cheap Android, but can't bring myself to buy an iPhone at iPhone prices with only 1 card slot.

It would be great if carriers transmitted connection details and connections were made simply by connecting to the carrier signal and entering some type of username (or your phone number) and password.

You could also have multiple phone numbers under 1 account and run both your work and personal phone at the same time with the simple ability to enable or disable a number at any given time.

This should also require some digital signature sent with the transmission to verify that the transmission is from the real carrier before sending details to prevent phishing.

1) Buy a card
2) Select the carrier
3) Enter Phone Numer/Username
4) Enter Password
5) Maybe another verification? or not...

Disable/Enable any phone numbers at will, I only want to receive personal calls at 3am, not business calls.

We're already starting to tie accounts into our general phone usage, like Android account contacts and other info are stored in your Google Account. If a global standard was established, along side current SIM cards I imagine it could be quite possible, though migration would take some time.

 

[pacalis]

This doesn't seem to be about the size of the sim. What the new sim will do is allow you to choose your carrier from the phone. The reason apple is doing this is they no longer need the carriers to push their phones. And so by breaking the carrier business model (i.e. term agreements), the carriers can't push competitor phones (i.e. Nokia/MS).

If you love apples platform, and will always buy apple no matter what, this sim is good news for you. But if you want a balanced ecosystem, with competition in the hardware space, it's bad. It's also bad if you must pay for your phone over term (i.e. poor people). It's also bad if you're any other handset manufacturer. And it's also bad if you're an established carrier.

 

[thewitt]

Do away with the SIM card altogether. It's not needed technology any more. Define a standard for a programmable SIM and open up the GSM world for all of us to be able to change carriers as our individual contracts allow.

Those of us who travel internationally could allow our phones to automatically switch to our local carrier of choice instead of roaming.

All very doable.

 

[kabdwal]

nano sim news

Apple has announced to make the Nano SIM as royalty free for other service providers if they got the patient of the same, but on the other hand Nokia threatened to withdraw his patients in the mobile technology if apple’s design becomes the standard..http://geekfanatics.com/nano-sim-nokia-vs-apple/ thanks for the valuable information macrumors