Apple, Samsung plan to put an end to SIM cards

Usually seen as rivals in the market, Apple and Samsung are reported to be in “advanced talks” to discontinue the usual plastic SIM cards that we’re using today, and introduce something they call e-SIM cards.

sim-cards

Financial Times reports that this is so that switching between networks or carriers will be easier for the end users. There will also be announcement on the new embeddable SIM standards in the near future according to GSMA, an industry association that represents mobile operators.

GSMA CEO, Anne Bouverot, states in the report, ” We have got everyone one one point, with Apple and Samsung agreeing to be part of that specification. We have been working with them and others to create an industry solution for machines and will agree a solution for consumer electronics.”

It’s true that having just an electronic SIM card instead of a physical one does make switching between carriers easy, but it also eliminates having to worry about whether your current SIM card will fit on a specific phone as the upgrades seem to be built-in and unremovable.

As to when we could be seeing this new e-SIM cards, it looks like we’ll still be waiting for at least a year from now.

{Via} {Source}

Kevin Bruce Francisco

Kevin Bruce Francisco is the Senior Editor and Video Producer for YugaTech. He's a Digital Filmmaking graduate who's always either daydreaming of traveling or actually going places on his bike. Follow him on Twitter for more tech updates @kevincofrancis.

http://www.yugatech.com

35 Comments

V O S S says:

9 years ago

ITS ABOUT TIME
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Easy E says:

9 years ago

I want to see the details of the implementation.
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archie says:

9 years ago

3-4 contact numbers na pwede sa isang handset at gagamitin na lang ang extra space para sa micro sd cards. Sa pagkakaalam ko, Japan ang unang nakaisip sa concept na to.
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Kyle says:

9 years ago

Finally. Hindi na pahirapang maghanap ng SIM card kapag nawala dahil sa sobrang liit.
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Jon says:

9 years ago

Well, wouldn’t this be more prone to “hacking”? If the so-called “e-sim” is stored on the phone, it would be much easier to reverse engineer and spoof a number, thus, be more vulnerable to identity theft?

I also don’t like the idea of my number being tied to a single handset. What if my phone malfunctions or gets lost, or simply run out of battery?

Normally, I would simply pop out my SIM card and put it in another phone.
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wikipinoy says:

9 years ago

pwede rin pero hindi ko gusto yan kase ang mga telco mahilig magblock ng data connection kapag malaki ang gamit mo ng data..prove ko na yan lalo na sa Smart.
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Blackberry says:

9 years ago

Pioneer na ang Blackberry dyan ng binili nila ang movirtu, Virtual Simcard technology sa India nila ito ginagamit ngayon.

http://us.blackberry.com/enterprise/products/worklife.html
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a villamor says:

9 years ago

Ayos iwas nakaw!
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denise says:

9 years ago

remember the old generation analog phones without sim cards by motorola and nokia? pretty much have the same function as this one. sim-less. So it’s just like going back to where they have started from decades ago.
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ayine says:

9 years ago

KAilangan ang mga sum card nbibili lng sa shop mismo ng Telecom center bgo mkabili may present muna cla ng I.d one at the tym lng pwd mkbili at preregister ung nem at number ng costumer…ganyan sa ibang bansa Hindi kci ktulad dto khit san mkkbli k ng sim card poor country…nakakahiya pilipinas walang bagbbgo simple problems as network Hindi magawan ng paraan…
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archie says:

9 years ago

@abuzalzal Tsaka pano mo nalaman na papalit palit ako ng email address? Unless hacker ka na nakikita ang database ng yugatech o tagayugatech ka din na binabali ang policy ng website na email address never made in public? Mag ingat ka at baka madulas ang dila mo. May anti hacking law na sa Pinas baka magulat ka na lang isang araw na may NBi na kakatok sa pintuan mo dahil sa kabobohan mo lol!
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archie says:

9 years ago

Kung nagcocomment pala ako sa yugatech at nakikita ni abuzalzal ang email address na gamit ng mga commenters kahit nakalagay na ’email address never made public’ e mukhang merong kailangang bisitahin ng NBI at NTC dito. Salamat sa sinabi mo abuzalzal, para mo na ring sinabi na hacker ka at kailangan mong maghello sa anti hacking law.
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archie says:

9 years ago

O ano abuzalzal bakit di ka makasagot? Email is not made public pero alam mong papalit-palit ako ng email address? Alin sa dalawa: hacker ka or part ka ng yugatech team na binabali ang policy ng website na ito? May anti hacking law tayo sa pinas, na screen shot ko ang sinabi mo at mababa ang 1 year pag nadetect ng nbi kung sino ka. Kung yugatech staff ka naman king ina mo dahil kinocompromise mo ang anonymity ng mga nagcocomment dito. Sumagot ka ng maayos.
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Easy E says:

9 years ago

Nakakatawa na magbasa ng comment section ng yuga.
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Ed says:

9 years ago

This is an interesting concept.
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