After cell carriers threatened to stop offering subsidies for iPhone, Apple has reportedly abandoned plans to create its own embedded SIM card so consumers could choose and switch between mobile carriers more easily.
"Apple had wanted to exclude operators, such as Vodafone and O2, from the sale process in order to build a more direct relationship with customers." - Source: The Telegraph
One senior source at a European mobile carrier told the U.K. publication that Apple was "sent back to the drawing board with their tails between their legs."
Although Apple has ditched plans for including embedded SIM cards in the iPhone, the company is still expected to push forward with the SIM card idea in new iPad devices. Speculation points to Christmas as the release of the new iPad, while other sources have pointed to an early 2011 release.
"Apple has been able to press ahead with new SIM in the iPad because the popular touchscreen computer is not subsidised by mobile operators." The Telegraph reported.
For now users will remain hostage to long-term prison sentences from carriers like AT&T if they want to take part in the iPhone revolution sweeping planet earth.
This changes nothing. Again.
In an unamed lab at Apple in Cupertino, waaaaay back in the proverbial corner, their is a unnamed group feverishly working on the dreaded SIM card... just in case it is needed in the future. Just like several things were worked on in the past. Out of sight is out of mind. Yeah, we will quite work on this... (wink, wink).
Posted by: Joe | November 21, 2010 at 04:39 PM