Giesecke & Devrient, a German company which made the first commercial SIM about 20 years ago, has brought out a new micro SIM which is 30 per cent smaller than the current available micro SIMs. The new nano SIM is thinner than both the standard SIM card and the micro SIM card.
Earlier, Apple had come out with micro-SIMs for its iPhone, which left the wireless industry uncomfortable because a standard which was in place for about 20 years was being fragmented. The introduction of micro SIM made it difficult for the customers to swap their phones with other users seamlessly which they could do very easily just by taking the SIM cards out and placing them in another handset.
The problem was solved to some extent when Nokia and Pantech also brought micro SIM cards.
The micro SIMs of Giesecke & Devrient, however, will work on current devices also through an adapter.
The removable SIM cards, which stand for subscriber identity module, are used to identify and authenticate mobile subscribers on devices such as cell phones, smartphones, tablets and laptops.
“The invention of the SIM card remains a milestone in the history of G&D. With the nano-SIM, we have shown how this development can move closer to perfection,” claims Axel Deininger, head of G&D’s secure devices division.
Giesecke & Devrient further said, “The new nano SIM offers device manufacturers the crucial advantage of freeing up extra space for other mobile phone components, such as additional memory or larger batteries. And because nano-SIM cards are significantly smaller and thinner, they will also make it easier to create thinner devices.”
Giesecke & Devrient believes the first phones carrying the nano SIM may begin arriving by early next year. The initial samples have already been shipped to the mobile carriers for testing purposes. The new nano SIM saves space in the smartphones so the manufacturers can use the same for fitting other components. Apple is also working towards introduction of virtual SIM, which will remove the hassle of buying a physical SIM card for the users even more.