Apple is reportedly working with SIM card manufacturer Gemalto to come up with a “special” SIM that would give options to customers to select the carrier of their choice at the time of purchase of the phone.
Using this method, users would buy a phone first, select the carrier of their choice and then activate the phone using the Apple App Store. Gemalto has reportedly designed a SIM card that will be embedded inside the iPhone.
Each SIM will have a flash memory of sorts that can “receive” operator specific data, which would be flashed on to it once you connect it to the Apple App Store.
This method ensures that the consumers would no longer be required to call up the carrier or visit their stores for activation. While this certainly does restrict the role of the carrier, what is not known now is as to how most carriers would be responding to this idea. If Apple decides to implement this, it would be the second time a company would trying to sell its phone exlusively via the web and its stores. Google had in the past tried to sell the Nexus One via the web and was fairly successful at it. That phone however did not have a SIM card solution anywhere close to this.
Coming back to the SIM, the embedded SIM will incorporate all technologies related to network, data and security – the only thing required would be the operator data, which would be flashed on to it later.
Gemalto will provide the back-end infrastructure to ensure that the carrier activation happens flawlessly. While we are unsure how parctical this would be on a global scale, this should work in Europe where according to GigaOM, carriers tend to use the same networking technology and are far more competitive. Those of you who are not accustomed to a locked phone, this might just be another restrictive method Apple has come up with so that you may not unlock and migrate to a carrier of your choice.
What do you think about the embedded SIM cards? Tell us in the comments.
[via GigaOM]
That will be a Death to the iPhone.
Negative moan moan wine wine blah blah blah zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The empire will fall
I don't see how this would be any different from having a SIM card from the carrier. If the carrier info. can be flashed to the embedded SIM card, I'm pretty sure some tech savvy person or hacker will be able to implement a flash that would be able to unlock the embedded SIM.
Maybe, but incorrectly flashing an embedded chip is far worse than damaging a removable SIM card – at least in my opinion.
Now we can all look forward to the flood of posts/comments/tweets that will say: "OMG I FLASHD MY SIM WORNG!!! PLZ HELP NOW!!!!!!" or the more popular : "hacker_x, release the new SIM flash!"
I just bought my first iphone an i4 if this goes trough I never buy a new idevice.
This would mean that I can't just remove the SIM card, and stick it in another device when I want to. I like being able to easily switch between devices without having to bother any operators (and pay fees to do so!)
One of the BIGGEST drawbacks of CDMA was the lack of instant gratification of being able to swap your sim card into your device and light it up. I see this as no different. This is in no way a feature but a hindrance. Not something I would want.
I see this as huge problem if the sim ever fails. U will need a new iPhone. or have to pay a free to replace it. …
Welcome to Apple controlling your device.
One of the thing i love about GSM and now Apple want to distroy that too. Damn it Steve you eat too much steak that make you crazy or infected my crazy cows diesea
If this is implemented in the iPhone '5' i'm jumping over Android, it's a shit idea Apple.
You are right at the moment there are phones coming out which are just as good as iPhone if they do this then I am certain people will turn away from it I definitely would
We want to jailbreak Steve jobs
This shit will prevent you from using a cheap SIM when traveling and also gives Apple a few more bucks to wax Jobby-boy's swollen … ego.
Totally sucks, have have owned 1 iPhone gen1, 2 3GS, 2 iPhone 4s, and plan to get 2 iPhone 5s, but this would kill the move to iphone5 as I could not jail break and unlock it to pass it down to my bro and his wife that live in various 3rd world countries where apple has no iPhones. If I move off the phone then I would likely not continue buying macs either as the pages, numbers, and key note sw already frustrate me too much to warrant putting up with them, win 7 is almost as stable (crap can't believe I am saying this) and office on pcs is what we use at work, and more intuitive than it's on a Mac – wake up apple your over controlling ego will turn into your demise before you know what hit you! Remember you have legit competition now!
id rather just jail him.
People, I see you rel Love Apple products thats why you express your feelings, giving your suggestions, showing your unsatisfactions about Apple issues. If you know that its BULL SHIT, never write here, or dont tell ANYBODY! Just go and buy your Android smartphone and your problem is SOLVED. Dont talk too much! action ONLY. so Guys, dont bother yourselves and lose your F**N Time giving comments
People, I see you rel Love Apple products thats why you express your feelings, giving your suggestions, showing your unsatisfactions about Apple issues. If you know that its BULL SHIT, never write here, or dont tell ANYBODY! Just go and buy your Android smartphone and your problem is SOLVED. Dont talk too much! action ONLY. so Guys, dont bother yourselves and lose your F**N Time giving comments
The biggest issue I see is that iPhone would probably stop working outside of USA… honestly I can't imagine any carrier in my country putting up with this, it's probably the worst idea they had so far
having embedded sim is at least stupid and the idea came out from a retard. if my phone runs out of battery and i have to put the sime to other phone, what do i do? buy another iphone to make a call? even if the chip is reporgrammable for free over itunes or whatever..it is still the worst idea i have ever seen..this addition will definetely be the end of iphone.
this addition could be only for ipad or something..makes more sense than an addition to a phone.
Apple has lost it, I am the biggest Apple fan and this will only make me consider andriod.
What a dictating idea! Fail! Fail!
Stop buying this stupid phone from apple. freedom is the word. Apple has no right to control my purchased product. so what's the solution, I won't buy, nor should love, but you are wise and can decide for yourself.
Hello to every one.
Don't worry Give me the answer brothers what about the third world countries like hongkong, Singapore, china, etc all these countries iPhone come up with factory unlock. Freedom to chose the courier. Plz relax other solutions are coming after technology implement like unlockers for iPhone.
Bye for now.
This is the very worse idea I’ve heard. Especially for people like me who travel a lot and use a different SIM chip in every country. This allows me to use a local number in each country. It does however requires a phone that allows me to switch SIM chips as needed. This would mean that I could not use, nor buy an iPhone. Ever!! How sad.