Apple took many by surprise when it included its own SIM cards with the launch of the iPad Air 2. Before that, each data-capable iPad would come with the respective SIM card of the carrier you purchased the tablet with. This new Apple SIM gave users the convenience to switch carriers easily, avoiding you the need to visit carriers and get that done.
Speculations that such a card could be included in the next iPhone followed inevitably, and now a new report confirms that Apple is indeed in talks with cellular carriers and other handset makers to bring this type of system to all cell phones.
The Financial Times newspaper reported Thursday that Apple and Samsung are “in advanced talks” with mobile telecom groups on a standardized embedded SIM card for consumer devices, the so-called e-SIM. While the GSM organization, which represents mobile operators worldwide, is said to be “close” to announcing an agreement, finalizing the technical specifications for the emerging standard will take “at least a year” so the devices supporting the electronic SIM standard won’t appear until late 2016.
“With the majority of operators on board, the plan is to finalize the technical architecture that will be used in the development of an end-to-end remote SIM solution for consumer devices, with delivery anticipated by 2016,” said the GSM organization.
The GSM is “continuing to work with Apple“to secure their support for the initiative. “While we are optimistic, a formal agreement with them is still in progress,” they said.
Still, don’t expect to see the e-SIM immediately supplant the traditional SIM as soon as it is launched: the latter is too widely adopted currently. That said, support already appears to be widespread: AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Hutchison Whampoa, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone are all expected to support the new standard so far.
