Death of the SIM card??

[daredogg]

Apple recently released its Series 3 watch, and instead of squeezing a nano SIM card into it, they've instead put an electronic SIM soldered right on the board. For you techies out there, what does this mean? Does it mean the death of the SIM card? Historically, with each iPhone, they've kept shrinking the SIM card, but maybe now, it'll be eliminated. I know with one of the latest iPads, the SIM card is also on the board (no slot to put a SIM in).

Apple's electronic SIM

So, here's my question... if the SIM is embedded, will you instead set up the SIM code on your phone, entering the digits found on the SIM card (such as the ones we get from PM)? If that's the case, wow, that opens up opportunity for multiple carriers on one phone. Nevermind about a dual SIM card capable phone, this would allow limitless carriers on one phone!

Let's start a discussion about the future (or the death) of the SIM card...

[Michael77]

@daredogg,

Cool. 

[daredogg]

Thanks to @closng for posting this link in another thread... 

So it looks like it's no longer a rumour and the Pixel 2 does support eSIMs.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/04/google-pixel-2-phones-use-esim/

[will13am]

---

@daredogg wrote:

---

@will13am wrote:

Lol, this is old news e-SIMs have been discussed as earlier as a couple of years ago.  Mobile syrup is the gold standard for a day late and dollar short news articles and they already published an article about e-SIMs.

https://mobilesyrup.com/2017/05/04/esim-canada-smartphone-carriers/

---

Interesting read @will13am...

"The results will be the gradual decline of removable SIMs, from 98 percent of the total market last year to 84 percent by 2021. eSIMS, on the other hand, will grow ninefold to almost a billion shipments by that time, IHS Markit says."

I guess that means it will be a gradual shift, not over night...

---

The expected gradual shift would have more to do with customers upgrading their phones, less to do with technical adjustments on the carrier side.  Rogers still runs a 2G network.

[Michael77]

---

@daredogg wrote:

---

@Michael77 wrote:

Interesting topic. I hate putting the sim card into the phone. It would be nice if they were eliminated.

---

I agree @Michael77. If I travelled, I would love to be able to internally switch what provider I'm using. Quick trip over the border... switch to the already set-up carrier (AT&T, Verizon, etc. etc.)... come back to Canada, instantly switch to PM again. I just see so much potential with that, especially if someone travels internationally for business.

---

@daredogg, I agree. 🙂

[daredogg]

---

@will13am wrote:

Lol, this is old news e-SIMs have been discussed as earlier as a couple of years ago.  Mobile syrup is the gold standard for a day late and dollar short news articles and they already published an article about e-SIMs.

https://mobilesyrup.com/2017/05/04/esim-canada-smartphone-carriers/

---

Interesting read @will13am...

"The results will be the gradual decline of removable SIMs, from 98 percent of the total market last year to 84 percent by 2021. eSIMS, on the other hand, will grow ninefold to almost a billion shipments by that time, IHS Markit says."

I guess that means it will be a gradual shift, not over night...

[daredogg]

---

@Michael77 wrote:

Interesting topic. I hate putting the sim card into the phone. It would be nice if they were eliminated.

---

I agree @Michael77. If I travelled, I would love to be able to internally switch what provider I'm using. Quick trip over the border... switch to the already set-up carrier (AT&T, Verizon, etc. etc.)... come back to Canada, instantly switch to PM again. I just see so much potential with that, especially if someone travels internationally for business.

[daredogg]

Thanks @xCameron94x for the detailed explanation. My first cellphone back in 1999 was a Nokia 5110...

It didn't have a SIM card either. Probably my first iPhone, a 4 was the first one I had with a SIM card slot. Hate them or love them, Apple is a leader in forcing change (think no floppy drive, no cd drive, etc.). Older technology always drags behind, replaced at a lot slower pace. 

Check out this cool link I found:

https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/05/the-evolution-of-cell-phone-design-between-1983-2009/

[Michael77]

Interesting topic. I hate putting the sim card into the phone. It would be nice if they were eliminated.

[stonechucker]

I have a friend who bought the latest iPad model (I don't follow them anymore), but it was still using a previous version of iOS, becuase it wasn't released with the device at the store.  He tried to add a sim card but it wouldn't work, from different carriers.

Once the new iOS came out - it started working.  Related, I don't know ... but the guy isn't a noobie with his iPads.

[will13am]

Lol, this is old news e-SIMs have been discussed as earlier as a couple of years ago.  Mobile syrup is the gold standard for a day late and dollar short news articles and they already published an article about e-SIMs.

https://mobilesyrup.com/2017/05/04/esim-canada-smartphone-carriers/

[MEU_21]

Unlikely anytime soon. 

It would amount to carriers conceding to manufacturers on the control over customization of services. I guess in a way it's already happening, as Apple is alleged to have refused retailing iPhones through Freedom until their network is better, but it is not a battle that will go down without a fight.

[xCameron94x]

the apple sim cards come pre-installed, and need a plan associated with them to work. If you dont have a plan, the apple sim will not work. The apple sim is also limited in a sense, depending on what the carrier does with it (locking it, not selling it, ect ect). Carriers can still "lock" the ipad if you buy it from them. A country also needs to support it for it to work while travelling too.

The ipads do have a nano sim card slot, so you can put a sim card in to use a different carrier with a current plan.

In the states, verizon and sprint are on CDMA, and before LTE they didnt have sim cards in their phones (to my knowledge). Only until LTE started, did they make them because LTE standards need a sim card. My first ever phone (LG rumor) didnt have a sim card slot either, because it ran on CDMA 

So no, i dont think its the death of the sim cards, at least yet. Its too widly used. All phone manufactuers would have to follow apple and make their own "sims", and countries would need to support it

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/ipad/ipad-air-faq/what-is-apple-sim-different-from-nano-sim.ht...

[daredogg]

Further to this... the iPads with cellular, you can setup / choose your carrier using the Apple SIM embedded on the logic board... hmmm, does that mean ANY carrier can be added, or just the ones Apple works with (the big 3 in Canada, for instance)?  It'll be interesting to see once this embedded SIM make it to Apple's or other company's phones.