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New smaller SIM format becomes standardized
The dust has settled on the SIM (subscriber identity module) battlefield, where companies the like of Apple, Motorola, Nokia and RIM have been vying to have their designs for a next-generation SIM turned into an industry standard. The winning design appears to be a compromise that should make all mobile device manufacturers happy, and the new standard was announced today by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). The new design is 40 percent smaller than the existing micro-SIM standard, meaning that less room will be required in future devices. The new card can be used in existing devices when paired with a carrier frame. The size of the new card -- 12.3 mm x 8.8 mm -- is quite close to what Apple had suggested, and the thickness (.67 mm) is the same as previous iterations. The standard was agreed upon at a meeting of ETSI in Osaka, Japan and the new smaller SIM design should start making its way into devices in the near future. [via Engadget]
New smaller SIM format gets standardized, shrinks 40 percent (update: Nokia gives bitter OK)
ETSI has given the nod to a new SIM format standard, which will be 40 percent smaller than the existing micro-SIM design. Agreeing to the design in Osaka, Japan, the shape will be 12.3mm by 8.8mm and will measure the same thickness as existing SIMs at 0.67mm thick. The design promises to work with existing hardware and appears to fly closer to Apple's suggested size, following plenty of crossed words between manufacturers over the next iteration of the card. Update: Nokia has since put out a statement saying it will honor ETSI's decision and license out the needed patents on fair terms after the standards group made sure the vote was fair. We detect more than a small number of sour grapes from Espoo over having its own design rejected, though: it still sees Apple's nano-SIM as "technically inferior" and thinks the existing micro-SIM will still be the "preferred option." We can think of a couple of reasons why Nokia might not be so keen to switch. [Thanks Prodan] Jon Fingas contributed to this report.
AGA's iTotal Control range cooker packs GSM connectivity, lets you pre-heat via SMS or web
There are many options available if you want to control your appliances over WiFi, but how about an oven with its own SIM card and phone number? That's exactly what AGA has done with its latest kitchen-oriented offering, the iTotal Control range cooker. Regardless of whether you're cooking in one, or all three of its ovens, sending an SMS message to this smart appliance lets you control each one. It even texts you back to confirm whether your commands like "baking oven on" successfully initiate. The cooker naturally works over WiFi as well, giving you an on-screen emulation of its control panel on either your computer's web browser or AGA's iOS and Android apps. An external GSM remote access device -- basically a router / modem -- connects to the appliance to make it all happen, with cellular service provided by Orange. Ready to get cooking? The iTotal Control is set to sell for a hefty base-price of £10,090 (~$15,826), and you'll also be tied to a one-year contract with Orange for £5.95 (~$9) a month to enable the texting functionality. Simmer over the details at the source link below.
Amazon offers prepaid 4G LTE data in Japan, gets you online 500MB at a time
Amazon has decided that offering 3G-capable Kindles isn't enough of an involvement in the cellular world -- it's now getting into the business of offering the bits themselves. Through a tie-up with NTT DoCoMo-using MVNO Japan Communications, Amazon is selling prepaid SIM cards for LTE data. Each slice of plastic and circuitry will provide a 500MB block of sweet, sweet 4G for ¥1,980 ($25). There's a very good chance we'd burn through that in a day, but it'll let you get an NTT DoCoMo-ready smartphone or Arrows Tab online in a pinch. The Japanese can snap up the cards later in the month, while those of us in the US will just have to hope that Amazon can make a similar (if hopefully cheaper) deal closer to home.
RIM and Motorola modify nano-SIM proposal, hope to meet Apple halfway
It's been a battle of epic proportions over a microscopic piece of plastic, but the warring sides appear to be working together to find a compromise. We're referring to the fight between Apple and a coalition formed by RIM, Motorola and Nokia as each group attempts to make their own nano-SIM design the ETSI standard. Neither entity has seemed willing to extend an olive branch and come up with any compromise -- until recently. RIM and Motorola have updated their design proposal in an effort to reach middle ground with Cupertino, and it appears that they were more than accommodating in the chip's refreshed look (seen above). So how different can two nano-SIM designs be? Worlds apart, it turns out. For instance, RIM and Motorola have insisted from the beginning that a notch is necessary to allow for "push-push" mechanisms (push to lock the chip in place, push to pop it back out again); Apple, on the other hand, has been entirely anti-notch -- not a surprise, given the fact that the company uses SIM trays on the iPhone, therefore making the concept of a notch completely irrelevant. In its redesign, however, RIM and Motorola took elements from both sides of the fight and combined them. The new look retains Apple's simple rectangular style, but still makes room for a low-key notch on one side. It's difficult to say whether this move will be enough to gain the affection of Tim Cook's company and sway the vote -- Apple is still hard at work modding its own design, after all -- but it's nice to see both factions playing nice with each other prior to the next ETSI meeting on May 31st. Head to the source to see the difference between the original designs and the latest version.
Apple revises nano-SIM design to address Nokia concerns
SIM card maker Giesecke & Devrient attended CTIA and talked to The Verge about the nano-SIM it's designing using Apple's proposed standard. G&D said Apple listened to Nokia's complaint about its design and modified the shape so it would be almost impossible to jam it accidentally into a micro-SIM slot. With Nokia's major gripe now alleviated, Apple's design has a good chance of being approved when the European Telecommunications Standards Institute votes on the standard. According to the report, voting is back underway and could be decided as soon as this week.
Apple mods nano-SIM design, awaits Nokia's tiny rebuttal
Apple and Nokia agree that a smaller SIM card will aid them in their quest to create better phones for us all, but the two disagree about what that new SIM should look like. You see, Nokia claims that Cupertino's proposed card violates ETSI's -- the standards body that'll make the final call on the one nano-SIM to rule them all -- requirement that the nano-SIM design preclude people from fitting it into a microSD slot. Well, that complaint didn't fall upon deaf ears, as Apple apparently put SIM maker Giesecke & Devrient to work making a new version that solves the problem with some additional plastic in all the right places. Of course, this new design doesn't address Nokia's claims that its design is technically superior, so it's unlikely to win approval from its Finnish opponents. While Apple's new nano-SIM seems to eliminate one hurdle in its way, RIM's accusation that Apple's attempt to rig ETSI's decision in its favor has yet to be dealt with. That means it'll be a bit before we know if Cupertino's plan for nano-SIM domination will succeed. Stay tuned. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)
A joint venture of Canadian carriers Rogers, Bell and Telus called EnStream is in final talks with the country's leading banks (likely CIBC, TD, RBC, Scotiabank and BMO) to bring a mobile wallet solution to the Great White North within six months. The system, which was demoed at the CWTA Wireless Showcase last September, enables mobile payments by storing a user's financial credentials on the SIM located inside their NFC-capable phone. It aims to replace credit and debit cards at first -- perhaps even driver's licenses and loyalty programs down the road. Carriers plan to charge banks a flat rate instead of a per-transaction fee. According to Almis Ledas, EnStream's COO, "banking machines will become the payphones of the future". While we command this attempt to standardize mobile payments in Canada, the time frame seems rather optimistic in light of the slow progress AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made with Isis in the US so far. Different countries, different rules of course -- still, we think it's going to take quite a while to make loonies obsolete. Maybe this is the perfect window of opportunity for Google Wallet and Square to jump across the border, eh? Time will tell. Check out EnStream's mobile wallet in action on video after the break.
AT&T purportedly unlocks in-contract iPhones for deployed military personnel
AT&T has gotten a good amount of attention lately for unlocking off-contract iPhone handsets, but a recent report from MacRumors suggests that the carrier is extending the same privilege to members of the US military currently serving overseas. While we haven't been able to verify the report, we'd like to believe that news of AT&T's goodwill gesture is indeed genuine. Naturally, we're rather curious to know whether this policy extends to AT&T's entire range of handsets. So, if you or a loved one is on active deployment, be sure to give this a try and let us know your experience in the comments below.[Military photo via Shutterstock]
PSA: AT&T now unlocking out-of-contract iPhones
In case you've been living under a rock (or enjoying the weekend holidays), AT&T on Friday revealed its plans to start unlocking out-of-contract iPhones. However, customers looking to take advantage of the deal will have to meet a few requirements first, which include having an account in good standing (so pay those past due fees before inquiring), a fulfilled contract, paid an early termination fee or that a handset upgrade was done. The unlocking process can be achieved at any brick-and-mortar shop, online via chat or by dialing AT&T's 611. For what it's worth, we tried this and found it to be pretty straightforward. In this writer's case, it only took about 40 minutes after the initial approval went through. The most tedious step was that required restore, after which we were greeted with a joyful "congratulations your iPhone has been unlocked" message. Still, users are reporting mixed results: depending on whose account you believe, AT&T is asking users to wait 72 hours, or telling folks the unlock will complete on April 16th. Be sure to let us know in the comments how it's all turning out for you.
AT&T to begin unlocking off-contract iPhones this Sunday, April 8th (update)
We've just received word of a spicy strategy change, to be enacted this Sunday, that's sure to please the AT&T iPhone-loving masses. On Easter, select Ma' Bell customers with iPhones -- those off-contract with accounts in good standing -- will be able to request a carrier unlock for their device. Once freed, any micro-SIM can be used -- provided its carrier's frequencies are supported -- by the smartphone. An AT&T spokesperson was able to confirm that "a policy change concerning iPhones" would indeed be rolled-out on Sunday, but declined to elaborate further. That sound you hear? International Love, being quietly spun from the corner office of Ralph de la Vega.[Thanks, John Crawford]Here's AT&T's official statement on the matter: Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their AT&T iPhones. The only requirements are that a customer's account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.
Nano-SIM standard vote postponed, RIM accuses Apple of cheating
RIM sent a scathing letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) accusing Apple of unfairly trying to sway the upcoming standards vote so its nano-SIM proposal gets approved. The letter, obtained by CNET, claims Apple is having its representatives change their affiliation so they appear to work for Bell Mobility, KT Corporation and SK Telekom. RIM is asking that these representatives not be allowed to cast a vote on behalf of another company. The ETSI was expected to vote on the nano-SIM standard sometime this week, but that vote has been delayed says as report by French financial daily Les Echos. [Via FOSS Patents and Engadget]
Nokia will refuse to license 'essential' patents if Apple's nano-SIM standard is selected
The discussion over a new standard for SIMs is turning into an all-out war. Earlier this week, Apple agreed to offer its SIM patents royalty-free to competitors if two things happen. Specifically, if Apple's nano-SIM idea is adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and other companies agree to reciprocate on licensing. Nokia was not pleased with this statement and has told the ETSI that it will refuse to license essential nano-SIM patents if the standards body chooses Apple's design over a competing design proposed by Nokia, RIM and Motorola, says a report by The Verge. Nokia asserts that Apple's proposal "does not meet ETSI's technical requirements and would be inferior for consumers and the mobile industry, unnecessarily increasing the cost of mobile devices." Henry Tirri, Nokia's executive vice president and chief technology officer, adds, "We believe that Apple is mis-using the standardization process, seeking to impose its own proprietary solution on the industry and using ETSI merely to rubber stamp its proposal, rather than following established principles and practices."
Apple patents SIM tray amid nano-SIM battle
TUAW's been all over the nano-SIM battle being waged in the hallowed halls of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), pitching Apple against the evil triumvirate of Nokia, Motorola, and RIM. Now, just coincidentally, Apple has received U.S. Patent 8,145,261 for "Ejectable component assemblies in electronic devices," which just happens to be a patent for a SIM card tray. Since the patent was originally filed in December of 2010, chances are pretty good that this has absolutely nothing to do with the nano-SIM melee. However, the design that was patented looks very similar to the design that has been used in the iPhone all along, and the nano-SIM tray design could be based on this. If you're up for reading the minutiae contained in the patent document, it is available (complete with drawings) from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office online. [via Engadget]
Apple patents ejectable SIM card tray as nano-SIM battle rages on
We're guessing it's just coincidental timing here, but it looks as if Apple has been granted a patent surrounding "ejectable component assemblies" that are designed to be "flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture." In other words, a SIM card tray. Granted, there's no specific verbiage in the independent claims of this one letting us know what exact size we're talking about, so it's highly unlikely that a patent application filed in December of 2010 (but granted today) would be directly referencing the nano-SIM war that's currently ongoing. That said, the description most certainly sounds like the tray that we've seen throughout the iPhone's life cycle, and if Apple's trying to go small in future handsets, there's a better than average chance that the ejection mechanism will be all too familiar. Legalese lovers can find the usual load down in the source link.
Samsung does some awesome face projection to push Galaxy Y Duos (video)
So, imagine that you're Samsung, and you're looking to promote your double-SIMed Galaxy Y Duos smartphone. How to go about it? How about performing a cool light show on some dude's face? That's the approach of this spot brought to you by the Portugal wing of the hardware maker. The model in question reportedly had to sit still for "up to" three hours straight as his face and upper body were used as a canvas for the same sort of video mapping we've seen applied to the sides of buildings. The result is a little strange, a bit spooky and generally awesome, even if your Portuguese is a bit rusty. Check out the video after the break.
Apple ready to license its nano-SIM design for free, on one not-so-nano condition
If you hadn't heard, there are two rival nano-SIM designs going around, but there's only room for one of them to become an industry standard. Nokia, Motorola and RIM sit together in one corner, and we've already covered why they think their design is superior. On the other side of the ring sits Apple, which has its own tactics for bringing ETSI, the European Telecoms Standards Institute, over to its way of thinking. According to a legal letter shown to FOSS Patents by a "perfectly reliable source", Apple is prepared to license its nano-SIM design royalty-free, so long as it becomes the new standard and all other nano-SIM patent holders reciprocate the gesture. Such a gambit may not appease Cupertino's rivals and it certainly doesn't address their technical concerns, but it might show that Apple isn't looking to profit out of this particular format war and is simply continuing its quest for greater clarity on FRAND licensing terms. Then again, it could all just be lawyer-speak.Update: Nokia has responded to Apple's move, making it clear that it still prefers its own design. Mark Durrant, director of communications for the Finnish firm said, "the principal issues remain the technical superiority of our proposal and that Apple's proposal does not meet the pre-agreed ETSI requirements... Apple's proposal for royalty free licensing seems no more than an attempt to devalue the intellectual property of others." We expect this to go back and forth a few more times.
Nokia to Apple: don't cha wish your nano-SIM was hot like ours?
Don't you hate it when the biggest wars can be started over the smallest things? This time around, we're referring to this in a very literal sense, as Apple has been putting the heat on (no, not that kind of heat) against an alliance formed by Nokia, Motorola and RIM regarding nano-SIM standards. With the ETSI gearing up for a vote on various proposals next week, the two sides are locking horns, determined to prove theirs is the best. Last we heard, concerns were flying left and right that Apple was planning to move ahead with its nano-SIM unilaterally, snatch up a smorgasbord of patents along its path and seize control of the governing body by registering six subsidiaries to vote. Considering Nokia is the current vote leader and claims its design has "significant technical advantages," we can understand why the Finnish giant would be worried. But how, exactly, is its design any better off?A Nokia representative gave some more clarity to The Verge about the perks its version offers. The company claims Apple's standard doesn't meet the ETSI-approved requirements, which if true would make it incredibly difficult -- in theory, anyway -- to win over votes. Also, unlike Cupertino's version, Nokia's card doesn't require a tray or drawer, which equates to more space, allows for more design innovations and decreases the cost of manufacturing in comparison. Lastly, Espoo also argues that its competitor's proposal wouldn't be backwards-compatible with micro-SIM slots. Sounds legit, but we'd love to hear the opposing team offer its rebuttal before next week's vote. As it stands, we doubt this is the last round in the war of words before everything is settled. For now, head over to the source to see the explanation in its entirety.
Apple's nano-SIM proposal has Motorola, Nokia, RIM unhappy
The nano-SIM is about to be approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), but this simple vote on a telecommunications standard won't be all that simple. According to a report from The Financial Times, the technical details behind this next-generation SIM is turning into a battle between Apple on one side and Motorola, Nokia and RIM on the other. The dispute centers on Apple's insistence that the nano-SIM standard use a drawer-based design, similar to the micro-SIM design used in the current iPhone and iPad. Nokia, Motorola and RIM, however, have a competing design they claim has "significant technical advantages." Even though most European carriers are siding with Apple, Motorola, Nokia and RIM are afraid that Apple wants to control the standard. This battle doesn't come down to technology per se, but votes, and Nokia has the most votes in the ETSI with 92. Apple has 45 votes, but is reportedly trying to significantly increase it voting power before next week's ETSI meeting. [Via Engadget and The Verge]
Vietnam considers limiting SIM card access, suggests 18 per person is enough
How many SIM cards do you have in your stash? If your answer is less than three per operator -- of every network provider -- then you may have trouble sympathizing with the apparent plight of some Vietnamese. Proposed legislation from the Ministry of Information and Commerce would effectively regulate each citizen to a maximum of three SIMs per carrier (of which there are six), leading to a theoretical limit of 18 SIM cards per individual. The draft law is intended to curb unauthorized distribution in that nation, where SIM cards with student discounts and the like are re-sold without carrier knowledge. The proposal could affect businesses too, limiting each company to a maximum of 100 SIM cards -- but there's no word on whether this cap is per network or absolute. Meanwhile, industry officials insist that a limit of five SIMs per operator would be more reasonable, given the number of SIM-enabled devices available to consumers. What's most clear, though, is that Vietnam is awash in marketing opportunity -- just imagine how popular Nokia could be with a mobile phone that supports 18 SIM cards.[SIM cards via ShutterStock]
