“On November 3, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals that they’re working on a possible future iPhone that will operate using a Virtual SIM Card,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“Apple states that it would be desirable to be able to provide improved ways in which to provide users with the ability to purchase and use wireless network services without the need of a SIM Card,” Purcher reports. “According to Apple, a secondary benefit of switching to a Virtual SIM Card is that’ll improve security while allowing Jony Ive and his team to do what they do best: Design an ever thinner, astoundingly beautiful, next generation iPhone.”
Much more in the full article, including Apple’s patent application illustrations and descriptions, here.
Of course, the Telcos will cry bloody murder. I think they would want to retain control of the SIM distribution. Otherwise, they appear less and less relevant (insofar as it’s possible) to the end user. Of course, they are still important because they will always be the pipeline for the voice and data.
CDMA carriers like Verizon don’t use SIM cards.
@ David F
They won’t always be the pipeline.
Recently a company launched a wifi satellite. Imagine, if Apple with it’s money were able to launch wifi satellites covering the globe.
Then wifi could be as available as cell service. Everyone who has access to the wifi service could make calls and surf etc, all over wifi.
Hmmm… Imagine being able to go to Settings to change sims…
This could be another game changer.
It would be great for those of us that have to use two mobile phones – one for work and personal. Switching between two or having both active at the same time on one device would be really useful.
Bye Bye dumb pipes
Once Apple eliminates the physical sim card, it should be possible to have two or more virtual sim cards in one’s iPhone … which would mean that one phone could accommodate multiple phone numbers.
That would make it easier to travel overseas with a single phone and both a USA phone number and an overseas number. Alternatively, one phone could handle both one’s home phone line as well as a business line.
This is hardly new, it was all over the Mac news feeds last year, I think it was, until the networks got all bent out of shape about it. Isn’t anybody paying attention out there?
So you are saying it is last year’s news that the patent was approved On November 3, 2011?
Since when did that date happen last year?
@ Rorschach
If you would have read the patentlyapple report, the Euro complaint was in November 2010 and limited to the iphone. The patent points to other devices like a MacBook and other devices. Apple can implement it in other devices. That’s the point.