AfterDawn: News

Apple proposes smaller SIM card

Apple has now proposed a smaller standardized SIM card than is currently used, allowing its iOS devices to be marginally thinner.

UK carrier Orange seems to support the proposal:

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.

They have done that through the standardization route, through ETSI, with the sponsorship of some major mobile operators, Orange being one of them.

Processing would take some time, but thew first devices using those SIM cards could be out next year.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 May 2011 13:48

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• 7 comments

• 5fdpfan

  I never thought sim cards were that thick to begain with. Guess I'm wrong?

  18.5.2011 14:51 #1

• dali

  Maybe they want a smaller SIM card intended for iDevices only. It just makes sense, given the fact of their integrated battery, their proprietary power plug, their lack of flash card slot (I guess that makes the terminal dramatically thinner, too), and so on. In fact, in the future, Apple could integrate the SIM itself into the phone, and guess what? They'd still sell all their crap out.
  

  “You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable.” -Abraham Lincoln.

  18.5.2011 19:00 #2

• dali

  Or, wait, it could be as well for having a brand new patent so they can sue even more of their competitors!
  

  “You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable.” -Abraham Lincoln.

  18.5.2011 19:04 #3

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by 5fdpfan: I never thought sim cards were that thick to begain with. Guess I'm wrong? They are proposing a card with a smaller footprint, not the thickness. Regardless I don't see how they can shink a micro-SIM card without a complete redesign. The current micro-SIM card is the one on the right in this picture:
  
  
  
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.
  
  "The only people who should buy Monster cable are people who light cigars with Benjamins." - Gizmodo

  18.5.2011 21:54 #4

• dali

  What if my iPhone xx, the only one in the world using that hypotetical smaller SIM card, breaks and needs a physical repair? I'd have to send it and I'd need a service phone meanwhile, but the tech is a new born, so I'd need also a new "classic" SIM card... Or a spare iPhone xx... :-m
  
  (Of course, some can say it would never break because it's an iPhone... And they would be wrong).
  

  “You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable.” -Abraham Lincoln.

  19.5.2011 03:04 #5

• tatsh

  I don't do unlocking but many people do and this could be a step in the direction (for now) to block those people. This is the 'for free' piece of the deal for companies like AT&T.

  19.5.2011 08:13 #6

• hearme0

  How about Apple just pissing off!
  
  Sim cards are small enough so BE PRACTICAL and build around that!

  19.5.2011 12:49 #7