SIM Server

What can be expected out of the next iPhone (News - Alert) and when it can be expected to hit the market is the topic of much debate in the months leading up to its new model. While other smartphones are beginning to catch up to the industry-leading option from Apple (News - Alert), the buzz created by the iPhone and the new features on it is much louder than that created by other players.

Will the small SIM cards –called nano-SIMs – be part of the next iPhone? Industry insiders interested in SIM server processes, according to this article in The Street, are speculating that the SIM addition will be part of the next roll out. 

It’s likely that the buying public will find out in October when the new iPhone could be launched. Optimists (particularly Apple enthusiasts) are looking at August or September for the announcement. Regardless of the date, it appears that the next version of the iPhone will have an impact on SIM server processes.

The nano-SIM is about 40 percent smaller than the micro-SIM, yet the process of how it relates to the SIM server will not change. It has been reported that European phone carriers are building up reserves of the nano-SIM, which has pushed speculation to near certainty regarding Apple’s plans to use the device in the new phone. 

AT&T (News - Alert) and T-Mobile currently use SIM cards that connect to a SIM server. Carriers in Europe say that Apple has given them nano-SIM adapters to use in current models as a test, contributing to the current speculation. 

The first plug-in SIM hit the market in 1989 and was 15X26mm. The micro-SIM was released in 2004 and was offered as 15X12mm. The nano-SIM dropped this year and is 8.8X12.3mm. Many believe the trend to miniaturize the SIM card hasn’t stopped at the nano-sized-SIM. 

As consumers demand more out their devices, especially battery life and additional memory, the design process of the smartphone includes the task of making do with what room one has in the current preferred size. Freeing up space where the SIM card is inserted could certainly provide more room for larger batteries or RAM (News - Alert).

The inclusion of a smaller SIM card will likely not affect current users, considering it communicates with the SIM server no differently than it does now. Offering the ability to install smaller components, however, allows the phone to grow in other areas, such as the screen. 

Rumors surrounding the new release suggest the phone will have a larger screen. It’s possible that the new phone could be slimmer and weigh less than the current version, the iPhone 4S, and that other – more in demand – features will be available. Until Apple makes an official announcement, however, rumors remain simply speculation.

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