According to the GSM standard the SIM card is the identifier of the operator (and not of the phone supplier) and it must be possible to change from one operator to another by switching SIM cards. This is a mandatory requirement that must be fulfilled before a phone is allowed on a mobile GSM network. Being able to change operator is in benefit of the customer, to keep competition alive.
As long as Apple does not support all operators worldwide in its software SIM function, Apple is forced by the standard to provide a SIM card reader. Be aware that supporting all operators is not an easy task. Some operators have installed SIM card apps on the SIM card, and all these apps should be ported to the Apple SIM software function. Example: my provider has installed 6 apps on the SIM card.
I buy, when I go abroad, a prepaid SIM card to have cheaper local data access. And because a live in a small country, this happens on a regular base.
The reference to Google here is rather irrelevant. In the Project FI Google is an operator, not a phone vendor.
I don't care what the GSM standard says now. It's tied to how things were 20 years ago.
If Apple can first implement its own SIM card that allows people to switch via their phone as they thought about years ago:
This could be the first step on their way to moving the SIM to software. Eliminate the port for the the SIM card enables them to save space in the phone which is a good thing.
Along the same line I would like them to be able to set up a MVNO that would provide Best of service of multiple carriers which
This could be the first step on their way to moving the SIM to software. Eliminate the port for the the SIM card enables them to save space in the phone which is a good thing.
Along the same line I would like them to be able to set up a MVNO that would provide Best of service of multiple carriers which
It sounds like keeping the physical SIMs really is only an advantage for drug dealers and terrorists.
If there were no standard and a SIM card, there would not be a global mobile market, and Apple would never have built a iPhone, because there was no business case.
A SIM card enables 2 key features for the user. A user can switch operator by putting another SIM card in his phone and a user can switch phone put his existing SIM card in another phone. These features are not only for drug dealers: in case your phone is broken for any reason, you can, during the repair, just put your SIM card into another phone and you can immediately continue making calls and sending text messages. These 2 key features are both essential to keep the competition alive for the operators and for phone suppliers.
It is understandable that Apple want to kill these features, as it would become more difficult for an existing iPhone users to switch to another phone. This would certainly lead to price increases. The argument that the SIM card reader takes too much space and costs too much is completely bogus. A nano SIM card reader in mass quantity costs less than $0.10 and takes very little space.
There is nothing (except low margins) that prevents Apple from becoming an MVNO and from issuing its own SIM card. But being a MVNO is a completely different ball game than being a hardware vendor. As an MVNO you don't control the quality of the networks, so it is very difficult to ask for a premium price like Apple normally does. Using best service of multiple carriers faces very though quality issues. All calls/data connections are lost, if a user moves around and comes in an area of another carrier.
I live in a windy area and when I leave home my hair is always a mess. And because I never forget my iPhone but always forget a comb when I leave home, an integrated comb in my next iPhone would really be great.
I live in a windy area and when I leave home my hair is always a mess. And because I never forget my iPhone but always forget a comb when I leave home, an integrated comb in my next iPhone would really be great.
Comments
According to the GSM standard the SIM card is the identifier of the operator (and not of the phone supplier) and it must be possible to change from one operator to another by switching SIM cards. This is a mandatory requirement that must be fulfilled before a phone is allowed on a mobile GSM network. Being able to change operator is in benefit of the customer, to keep competition alive.
As long as Apple does not support all operators worldwide in its software SIM function, Apple is forced by the standard to provide a SIM card reader. Be aware that supporting all operators is not an easy task. Some operators have installed SIM card apps on the SIM card, and all these apps should be ported to the Apple SIM software function. Example: my provider has installed 6 apps on the SIM card.
I buy, when I go abroad, a prepaid SIM card to have cheaper local data access. And because a live in a small country, this happens on a regular base.
The reference to Google here is rather irrelevant. In the Project FI Google is an operator, not a phone vendor.
I don't care what the GSM standard says now. It's tied to how things were 20 years ago.
If Apple can first implement its own SIM card that allows people to switch via their phone as they thought about years ago:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/10/10/27/apple_developing_open_sim_for_iphone_service_rfid_sales.html
Apple also thought of long ago:
I don't care what the GSM standard says now. It's tied to how things were 20 years ago.
If Apple can first implement its own SIM card that allows people to switch via their phone as they thought about years ago:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/10/10/27/apple_developing_open_sim_for_iphone_service_rfid_sales.html
Apple also thought of long ago:
If there were no standard and a SIM card, there would not be a global mobile market, and Apple would never have built a iPhone, because there was no business case.
A SIM card enables 2 key features for the user. A user can switch operator by putting another SIM card in his phone and a user can switch phone put his existing SIM card in another phone. These features are not only for drug dealers: in case your phone is broken for any reason, you can, during the repair, just put your SIM card into another phone and you can immediately continue making calls and sending text messages. These 2 key features are both essential to keep the competition alive for the operators and for phone suppliers.
It is understandable that Apple want to kill these features, as it would become more difficult for an existing iPhone users to switch to another phone. This would certainly lead to price increases. The argument that the SIM card reader takes too much space and costs too much is completely bogus. A nano SIM card reader in mass quantity costs less than $0.10 and takes very little space.
There is nothing (except low margins) that prevents Apple from becoming an MVNO and from issuing its own SIM card. But being a MVNO is a completely different ball game than being a hardware vendor. As an MVNO you don't control the quality of the networks, so it is very difficult to ask for a premium price like Apple normally does. Using best service of multiple carriers faces very though quality issues. All calls/data connections are lost, if a user moves around and comes in an area of another carrier.
I live in a windy area and when I leave home my hair is always a mess. And because I never forget my iPhone but always forget a comb when I leave home, an integrated comb in my next iPhone would really be great.
Gimme a Break!
I live in a windy area and when I leave home my hair is always a mess. And because I never forget my iPhone but always forget a comb when I leave home, an integrated comb in my next iPhone would really be great.
Then hold to your phone until lasts, because not even new Samsung Galaxy S6 have microSD support.
If these rumors are true
then there's a new 12 Megapixel Sony sensor coming on the Iphone 6s as well which is pretty awesome