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Smaller SIM Format Standardized

Posted by Soulskill on from the easier-to-lose dept.

New submitter mk1004 writes "ETSI members have approved a new, smaller SIM format. 'The fourth form factor (4FF) card will be 40% smaller than the current smallest SIM card design, at 12.3mm wide by 8.8mm high, and 0.67mm thick. It can be packaged and distributed in a way that is backwards compatible with existing SIM card designs. The new design will offer the same functionality as all current SIM cards.' Nokia is not happy about the decision, as they believe their version was superior, but they say they're prepared to license the patents essential to the standard."

9 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Re:So what was better about Nokia's design? by sconeu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nokia would hold the patents.

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  2. Nokia still holds the patents by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The new design, being really similar to the old one, also means that Nokia holds the patents for it already.

    That is what Nokia is saying they are licensing out, that they were threatening not to allow licensing of before... but they will go along to move the mobile industry forward.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Nokia still holds the patents by Stellian · · Score: 3, Funny

      The new design, being really similar to the old one, also means that Nokia holds the patents for it already.

      Here's a radical idea: keep the same electrical interface with the old SIM, arrange the contact pads in a way that makes sense, and simply shrink it in size [patent pending].

      Why we are unable to make the most trivial technical advances without the whole thing degenerating in a intellectual property shit throwing contest ? Does anybody still believe this state of affairs promotes the Progress of Science and useful Arts ?

  3. Comes with tweezer and magnifying glass by blahbooboo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hope all phones that use these come with a tweezer and magnifying glass! This little sucker is gonna be hard to handle! lol

    1. Re:Comes with tweezer and magnifying glass by magarity · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Exactly - isn't there a point of diminishing returns? Are the current ones really so huge that it's causing a noticeable impact on costs that these even smaller ones will make a difference?

    2. Re:Comes with tweezer and magnifying glass by amorsen · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Luckily, no one in their right mind handles these things more than once a year.

      I wish. Let me know when you can get reasonable rates world-wide with a single SIM card.

      --
      Finally! A year of moderation! Ready for 2019?
    3. Re:Comes with tweezer and magnifying glass by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      You can get phones that take up to three SIMs simultaneously. If you're travelling between a small number of countries a lot then these are a good option.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  4. Re:MicroSIM did the job just fine by mlts · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If given the choice between an ever shrinking SIM card versus the alternative of getting on my hands and knees and begging the CDMA provider to allow my handset on their network, I'll take the SIM card.

    Say I find a cool phone from overseas. GSM, I can use it here in the US, although I likely will get stuck with EDGE speeds. Overseas, CDMA providers use R/UIM cards (functionally identical to SIM cards). A CDMA provider here in the US would laugh and tell me where to stuff the phone, since they likely wouldn't allow any device near their network they didn't sell.

    It also works the other way around. An unlocked iPhone that has dual radios can go for a world tour and generally find GSM access. A CDMA device that doesn't have a GSM secondary radio would be pretty much a neutered PDA outside CONUS.

  5. Re:Could they have a virtual SIM card? by Nkwe · · Score: 4, Informative

    Is there any reason the SIM card would have to be physical?

    Yes. The SIM is a physical container that protects the computer and data inside it. Note that the SIM is actually a complete computer, not just a hunk of flash memory. When you access the SIM, the security sensitive stuff never actually leaves the SIM card. You don't have any actual access to the security sensitive stuff - the little computer inside the SIM accesses it on your behalf. If it were a software solution (virtual), you would have direct access (via a debugger or similar) to the security sensitive stuff (private keys). Since it is a very physically small hardware solution, you would have to physically disassemble it and hook up microscopic probes to the computer inside, which is very difficult.