When Apple and Samsung aren’t actively suing each other, they can get some killer stuff done.
This may be what they’re trying to do, as the firms are reportedly in “advanced talks” with telecom operators from all over the world to launch new electronic SIM cards. These e-SIM cards would be standardized among both smartphone makers and come embedded in their devices, creating a “common architecture.” Unlike physical SIM cards, e-SIM cards offer more flexibility to users. Instead of being locked into a cellular plan, you will be able to sign up to a new plan or switch plans instantly.
The mobile carriers that are reportedly a part of the e-SIM initiative include AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Hutchison Whampoa, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone.
The partnership is expected to be announced soon, but it will take at least a year before devices with e-SIM cards reach the market. Apple, Samsung, and the telecom operators have yet to finalize the technical aspects of these e-SIM cards.
Such a technology could help create a new wave of unattached devices that could help do away with lengthy contracts, pricey roaming charges and the like.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via Macworld and the Financial Times