Another point....
If there were no SIM cards, what happens when someones phone gets lost or stolen?
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Apple Still Fighting for Smaller SIM Card Standard for Future iPhones
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Another point....
If there were no SIM cards, what happens when someones phone gets lost or stolen?
SIM and USIM are simply applications on a smartcard at this point . Verizon's SIM cards for LTE phones contain CSIM which is used for CDMA authentication. Since Verizon LTE phones use CDMA for voice, SMS, and data in non-LTE areas, this makes the phones fully swappable by moving the SIM card. The SIM card authenticates both LTE and CDMA.
Likewise, ALL CDMA phones in China use CSIM (which, just to clarify, was previously known as R-UIM) due to Chinese law mandating removable security.
Full sized SIM
I'd like to point out that the caption is wrong. On the picture, we se a full sized SIM to _the_left_, an mini-SIM top right and a micro-SIM bottom right.
I'd like to point out that the caption is wrong. On the picture, we se a full sized SIM to _the_left_, an mini-SIM top right and a micro-SIM bottom right.
They use a drawer design in the Nokia Lumia 800, in case you haven't seen one in the wild.
No, Verizon LTE phones from what I know still have the old CDMA system. The 4G SIM only includes the 4G profile.
http://support.verizonwireless.com/information/4gsim.html
Remember the Galaxy Nexus when the modified version was released in the US for CDMA, Google then dropped it as a developer device they had to ship encrypted files with the device itself.
A drawer would make it easier to swap between SIMs than opening the phone, lifting up the battery and getting out the SIM. If more phones were built with a SIM tray it would encourage greater carrier competition.
This would benefit a lot more people than the vanishingly small number of people that have actually bought a spare battery for their phone, a group that in turn would exceed the even smaller proportion of that group that actually remember to carry the second battery (with charge), so that they have it on them when they need it. I don't know anyone, even blackberry users, that carry around a second battery.
Whatever the standard ends up being should either be patent-free, or the rules for licensing should be decided upfront, be fair and unchangeable, so that other manufacturers can't be locked out just because the patent-holding company is a competitor.
Why is a drawer even part of the standard, though? As long as the actual SIM card fits- what's the problem? Let Apple use the drawer, let Nokia, Moto and the others use whatever fits them. This seems unnecessary to me.
Why is a drawer even part of the standard, though? As long as the actual SIM card fits- what's the problem? Let Apple use the drawer, let Nokia, Moto and the others use whatever fits them. This seems unnecessary to me.
I understand those of you who don't understand the point of having a SIM card; changing operators is (mostly) a rare one time event in the US. But that wouldn't work here in Europe.
Because without a SIM, operators wouldn't hesitate to restrict (or forbid, or overcharge) the temporary switch to another operator.
Here in Europe switching borders is way more common, and with the roaming rates, one who wants to use data on an iPhone or an iPad needs to be switching operator.
Right now it's easy: get a "prepaid" SIM card of a local operator and surf ("prepaid" being a card without contract at all, without subscription hassle, that you buy in a store and simply top-up by credit card or by buying code-cards at local supermarkets). When you leave the country after X days, just get rid of the SIM card or keep it in your wallet without toping it up until your next visit in this country.
I have nothing against a new SIM standard (frankly I don't care, Apple is big enough now to make sure all operators quickly propose this new format); but I sure as hell hope Europe will continue to fight for the SIM card principle, and the liberty that it indirectly allows
Because without a SIM, operators wouldn't hesitate to restrict (or forbid, or overcharge) the temporary switch to another operator.
Here in Europe switching borders is way more common, and with the roaming rates, one who wants to use data on an iPhone or an iPad needs to be switching operator.
Right now it's easy: get a "prepaid" SIM card of a local operator and surf ("prepaid" being a card without contract at all, without subscription hassle, that you buy in a store and simply top-up by credit card or by buying code-cards at local supermarkets). When you leave the country after X days, just get rid of the SIM card or keep it in your wallet without toping it up until your next visit in this country.
I have nothing against a new SIM standard (frankly I don't care, Apple is big enough now to make sure all operators quickly propose this new format); but I sure as hell hope Europe will continue to fight for the SIM card principle, and the liberty that it indirectly allows
I understand those of you who don't understand the point of having a SIM card; changing operators is (mostly) a rare one time event in the US. But that wouldn't work here in Europe.
Because without a SIM, operators wouldn't hesitate to restrict (or forbid, or overcharge) the temporary switch to another operator.
Here in Europe switching borders is way more common, and with the roaming rates, one who wants to use data on an iPhone or an iPad needs to be switching operator.
Right now it's easy: get a "prepaid" SIM card of a local operator and surf ("prepaid" being a card without contract at all, without subscription hassle, that you buy in a store and simply top-up by credit card or by buying code-cards at local supermarkets). When you leave the country after X days, just get rid of the SIM card or keep it in your wallet without toping it up until your next visit in this country.
I have nothing against a new SIM standard (frankly I don't care, Apple is big enough now to make sure all operators quickly propose this new format); but I sure as hell hope Europe will continue to fight for the SIM card principle, and the liberty that it indirectly allows
Roaming for calls and text are getting incredibly closer to PAYG levels
Quite right, my first phone used the full, credit-card sized SIM as shown there. Oh I feel old now.
That already exists. Any non-SIM carrier (Sprint, Verizon) uses the phone's ID number to register it.
It's far less convenient than a SIM card.
They should support SD-cards such as microSDXC cards in all future iOS devices. They have already the proper file system driver (exFAT file system driver). iOS devices are already thin enough.
Roaming for calls and text are getting incredibly closer to PAYG levels
You are right; however this is mostly because the EU has imposed lower roaming prices!
My point is, I can't imagine having to call my operator to say "by the way, please allow the transfer of my SIMless phone to another operator for 3 days; just so that I can surf without bringing you a large amount of cash while on holiday on the riviera"
And no matter if the law where to force them; in practice, without a SIM, the operators would make it as hard as possible to do this regularly (call an overcharged number, wait for days...).
SIM-Locking is a an understandable fact (the operator gives a subvention for the phone, so it makes sense they are allowed to lock it for a while on their network); but past this period, the freedom to play with numerous SIM-cards in my phone/tablet without having to tell anything to the "main operator" (in the country where you live permanently) is still important to me.
Um, who's the retard? The standardized eSIM would allow for easier switching :: more competition.
The leap from MiniSIM to MicroSIM was obviously a bigger leap than this relatively small space gain. Fair enough, the engineers need all the space they can have, but isn't this just Apple trying to push operators, step by step, into realizing they will at some point have to adopt the built in SIM Apple proposed in 2010? I mean, at some point, even the operator control freaks will just have to give up on plastic cards, changing design every year, when Apple can offer a seamless solution via software (and a built in chip) instead.
I'm actually surprised the built in SIM didn't make it for the iPad 3, since it's not subsidized by operators, who therefore have no need to control it.
I'm actually surprised the built in SIM didn't make it for the iPad 3, since it's not subsidized by operators, who therefore have no need to control it.
You are right; however this is mostly because the EU has imposed lower roaming prices!
My point is, I can't imagine having to call my operator to say "by the way, please allow the transfer of my SIMless phone to another operator for 3 days; just so that I can surf without bringing you a large amount of cash while on holiday on the riviera"
And no matter if the law where to force them; in practice, without a SIM, the operators would make it as hard as possible to do this regularly (call an overcharged number, wait for days...).
SIM-Locking is a an understandable fact (the operator gives a subvention for the phone, so it makes sense they are allowed to lock it for a while on their network); but past this period, the freedom to play with numerous SIM-cards in my phone/tablet without having to tell anything to the "main operator" (in the country where you live permanently) is still important to me.
Really? You think tracking down a retailer and driving to a shop, negotiating in a foreign language and buying a tiny piece of plastic at inflated prices is preferable to making a phone call? And anyway more likely this would be a simple process of doing a carrier search and logging on while choosing a package and making a payment all from the phone, no calling an operator necessary.
There's no difference between physically "playing" with numerous SIM cards and switching between numerous carriers via internal programming. The SIM is just loading information into the phone.
This is beginning to remind me of my grandfather complaining that his photos are not all burned onto a Kodak photo CD because he wants to "hold them".
his point is that your main provider won't allow the switch in the first place ... which is easier to avoid using a sim card.
i was in India recently and got a indian simcard within 5 minutes, cant imagine trying to call my home provider (please hold the line ... 15 minutes later ... it'll take about a week to process) + $2 a minute overseas, no thank you
Here in Europe they already don't hesitate to restrict temporary switching. It's called SIM locking. The reason carriers rejected Apple's eSIM was because the SIM is what allows them to restrict carrier switching. You've got it backwards.
No it doesn't
It means carriers have to basically contact the manufacturers in order to get the phone working on the network.
"Please allow 7-10 business days for the transfer of your phone to your new provider"
Let me get this straight-
Apple wants everyone to use a small sim card so they can make smaller devices, get more out of them.
Other companys are planning an even smaller sim card.
Wouldn't that "even smaller" sim card be the best option here? Or is my just woken head not processing this right?
Apple wants everyone to use a small sim card so they can make smaller devices, get more out of them.
Other companys are planning an even smaller sim card.
Wouldn't that "even smaller" sim card be the best option here? Or is my just woken head not processing this right?