This is really what would make most sense. many more devices besides phones will become connected and really not need an interchangeable sim card. From the manufacturing and supplychain point of view this will also greatly help to reduce costs and points of failure a removeable sim card could have.
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Carriers Object to Apple's Plans for Built-In iPhone SIM Even as GSMA Moves Forward
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This is really what would make most sense. many more devices besides phones will become connected and really not need an interchangeable sim card. From the manufacturing and supplychain point of view this will also greatly help to reduce costs and points of failure a removeable sim card could have.
This is inevitably going to happen no matter how much European cell phone companies cry about it.
It is funny how everyone talks about how awesome they are and better then the American companies, yet they want to block the thing that really will free consumers form the companies.
People saying that this restricts movement or limits their freedoms simply don't understand it.
It is funny how everyone talks about how awesome they are and better then the American companies, yet they want to block the thing that really will free consumers form the companies.
People saying that this restricts movement or limits their freedoms simply don't understand it.
Has nothing to do with Jailbreaking or unlocking.
How has the SIMless concept freed you from the carriers for TDMA/CDMA phones that have always been SIMless ? Oh right, it has nothing to do with locked phones/contracts or other such stuff.
Jailbreaking doesn't have anything to do with whether the SIM is a removable plastic card or not.
Perhaps where you live, but here there are no restrictions on what you can do with a SIM.
Currently carriers don't really have any say in what you do with the SIM. If you put it in another phone, they might come up with a convoluted way of detecting that you've changed the phone and to contractually require you to take up a data plan, but other than that, they have no way to stop you doing it.
If you MUST tell them every single time you change your phone, then they have an opportunity to require you to accept new terms or to take additional tariffs. If I want to keep my current contract, I can just move the SIM to a new device (a lot of people in the UK have done this to keep unlimited data plans). This new system would put the feasibility of doing that in doubt.
What additional freedom will it give me that I don't have now?
Please tell me.
Nobody has posted a single example in this thread!
I'd rather have a SIM card that I can drop in another phone as a backup, if my normal phone dies.
No World iPhone
Well, looks like Apple has made the decision. The iPad 2 will be the first Global Dual Band iOS Device.
Actually makes sense.
Well, looks like Apple has made the decision. The iPad 2 will be the first Global Dual Band iOS Device.
Actually makes sense.
Can, and do. There have been threads on it from UK denizens of this very forum.
In the current system, you're gambling that they won't catch you. When they do, then you're open to very large fees for violating your TOS. The new system isn't implemented yet, so it's impossible to say much of use about it. But one thing that's certain is that the carrier can already, if they care, know what device you're using, which will also be exactly as true under the new rules.
You are talking garbage.
Legally, the carriers have terms of usage restrictions like you can't tether on a specific data plan. What you are talking about is --- I may be able to switch to some kind of idiotic feature phone that allows me to tether, which is contrary to the terms of usage that I agreed to in the first place. And maybe you can get away with it because the carriers don't have the tools, the time, and the manpower to catch you.
Legally, the carriers can't change the terms of your contract --- just because you tell them you are bringing in a new phone.
Can, and do. There have been threads on it from UK denizens of this very forum.
In the current system, you're gambling that they won't catch you. When they do, then you're open to very large fees for violating your TOS. The new system isn't implemented yet, so it's impossible to say much of use about it. But one thing that's certain is that the carrier can already, if they care, know what device you're using, which will also be exactly as true under the new rules.
I'm not aware of anything like this.
The UK carriers will happily sell you an iPhone without a data plan for example.
That's not how it works in the UK because our tariffs don't work in the same way as those in the US.
A data plan is a data plan here. You can use it with any device. If you don't take a specific data plan, you pay per MB.
(The only possible exception is for Blackberry devices where you also get access to the features that requires).
On my carrier (O2:UK - they had the iPhone exclusively for quite a while), the iPhone plan costs no different to the regular smartphone data plan, but you get Visual Voicemail. If you don't have the iPhone plan, you don't get Visual Voicemail.
Yes... but that doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the discussion...
So why did you just say something completely false in response to my point?
I think you're off the rails, mate. Not sure what you're referring to.
I didn't say anything false. Search the forum for 'uk SIM card', much less the wider internet, and you'll find people experiencing exactly what I said.
You didn't actually say anything. You just quoted a long portion of my post and replied with a generic response.
You said carriers "could" do something but probably wouldn't. I said they do, and invited you to do a simple search not only on google but this very forum to demonstrate that. Not sure what's "generic" about that. I'm specifically contradicting a specific claim, and specifically telling you the search terms to use to find specific testimonials on a specific forum...
You said carriers "could" do something but probably wouldn't. I said they do, and invited you to do a simple search not only on google but this very forum to demonstrate that. Not sure what's "generic" about that. I'm specifically contradicting a specific claim, and specifically telling you the search terms to use to find specific testimonials on a specific forum...
Can, and do. There have been threads on it from UK denizens of this very forum.
No UK carrier that has the iPhone requires you to take a data plan. I can't find any evidence to the contrary on this forum or on Google.
Built in SIM = iPhone not in my Pocket
If apple does make built in sims it would suck. If you buy the unlocked version and want to travel with your iphone how do you change sims? you don't the micro sim cars is already a problem because you need to cut any Pay as you go card in order for it to fit. SO i see no good reason in making permanent sims.
Martin
www.locker314.com
If apple does make built in sims it would suck. If you buy the unlocked version and want to travel with your iphone how do you change sims? you don't the micro sim cars is already a problem because you need to cut any Pay as you go card in order for it to fit. SO i see no good reason in making permanent sims.
Martin
www.locker314.com
That's nice. Here in Canada, Rogers at least will force a data plan on you *IF* you buy the iPhone from them. They can't however dictate what you do if all you do is take your Rogers SIM and drop it into an iPhone. Something this change to a SIMless model might give them power to restrict (We see you're activating an iPhone, choose the data plan you want to use before continuing).
Of course they can dictate it. They just possibly choose not to bother in some/most/all circumstances. But they have exactly that power, without having to build a dedicated interface to make it "self-service" (i.e., currently they can just shut off access and let you contact them). This creates an extra cost (that customer-facing interface) for them to restrict you in a way that they already can, which seems unlikely to lead them *closer* to enforcing that restriction...
The problem is you have the concern backwards. The thing some people are complaining about is the reverse, that they won't be able to take the SIM from their iPhone, attached to an account with a data plan and use it in a device that allows them to do something contrary to their TOS (such as tethering, depending on your provider and contract).
I'm not sure how you got on the topic of taking a SIM from an iPhone without a data plan and using it somewhere else.
That's not the scenario that was being discussed.
I'm saying that in the UK, I can put the SIM from my phone into any other phone that works with it (i.e. any GSM or UMTS phone).
-I'm allowed to do that under the terms of my contract
-It's totally legal
-It's technically possible
The main reason I can do this is because I have the SIM in my hands. I can put it wherever I want to! With an electronic system, I have much less control.
New technology can be built with new methods of restricting things. Note how the article refers to a bunch of carriers drawing up a list of "market requirements" by January. Carriers like AT&T will work to have these things built into those requirements, and other carriers would no doubt use them if they were presented to them with no additional effort required on their part to implement them.
How is having a built in SIM any different than having a CDMA based phone?
I fail to see the difference.
CDMA phones can be reprogrammed by the end user (provided you had the phones security code) to be moved to another compatible carrier.
The world won't end and carriers will still rake you over the coals with fees.
Contracts are contracts. I don't see carriers changing anything.
I fail to see the difference.
CDMA phones can be reprogrammed by the end user (provided you had the phones security code) to be moved to another compatible carrier.
The world won't end and carriers will still rake you over the coals with fees.
Contracts are contracts. I don't see carriers changing anything.