Most of us still connect to the internet from the smartphone via 4G. Some lucky ones are already enjoying 5G. And it is more and more common to hear about the next generation 6G. And to make this possible, inside the device we have a SIM card. Or, if you're an early adopter, maybe use an eSIM. But when the latter has not yet been extended, we are already talking about the next step. Which one? The iSIM.
Behind the iSIM there are large telecommunications companies such as Vodafone, Qualcomm and Thales, so it has many numbers to be something that we will see in many phones in the future. And, according to those responsible, it complies with the specifications of the GSMA, the association that is responsible for implementing and promoting mobile telephony.
The iSIM, like the eSIM, is integrated into the phone or mobile device itself. Unlike the usual SIM card, which we have to insert manually and change it if you contract another provider. With iSIM and eSIM, switching provider is, or will be, much easier. And, in addition, the integration with the phone itself is much better, offering a better service and consuming fewer resources.
The future of the SIM: eSIM versus iSIM
The SIM is a key piece in mobile devices that use GSM connections. Today this translates to accessing the internet through 4G and 5G networks. In the future, 5G and 6G will surely coexist. Regardless of the generation that makes this connection to the world wide web possible, we must have a SIM. Whether it is physical or virtual will depend on the manufacturers of phones, tablets, watches and other mobile gadgets.
The SIM or SIM card we all already know. When we change our telephone provider, they provide us with a tiny plastic card with a chip. SIM is the acronym for Subscriber Identity Module. Its function is to identify the mobile device in the mobile telephone network. Born in 1996 as a SIM, a hybrid of plastic and chip, over the years the plastic has been disappearing to offer us the miniSIM, the microSIM and, finally, the nanoSIM.
But changing providers is a hassle. Take out the SIM and insert the new one. Furthermore, at a technical level, including the corresponding module for the SIM is an effort for the manufacturer. And a challenge, since with that slot there are added risks such as the phone not being as watertight as it should or dust or tiny fibers getting in. The solution, that the SIM is already integrated in the phone. No need to open it physically.
The eSIM, embedded SIM, sees the light in 2016. Unlike the SIM, it is a chip integrated into the phone's motherboard. Through the software, the user can change provider comfortably. And for the manufacturer, this means creating watertight devices that consume less energy and resources in handling the SIM.
And since everything can be improved, the next commitment to improve the integration of the SIM in mobile devices is called iSIM, an acronym for integrated SIM. Like the eSIM, it translates into a chip integrated into the phone or device itself. But instead of on the motherboard, it is part of the processor itself. And this, on paper, are all advantages.
What advantages does iSIM bring
As I mentioned at the beginning, the iSIM is a bet of Vodafone, Qualcomm and Thales, three companies related to telecommunications. His proposal is an improvement and evolution of the eSIM integrating the chip in the processor instead of creating a dedicated processor for the SIM, as is now the case with the eSIM.
For the manufacturer, the phone or mobile device dispenses with the specific module for the SIM and the processor that the eSIM requires. The iSIM comes standard on the phone's own processor. Thus, there will be more space for the rest of the components . Something important both in phones or tablets and in tiny devices such as bracelets, watches and other smart gadgets of the IoT (Internet of Things) type.
For manufacturers and users, there are many shared advantages: more security by making it difficult or impossible to clone the SIM, the device will last longer as it has less moving parts and, in addition, it will be possible to combine several telephone lines or numbers in the same iSIM. And for providers it also has advantages, since the eSIM infrastructure is already used to work with iSIM.
Credit: Samsung
The implementation of iSIM technology
Far from being an idea, the technology that makes iSIM possible already exists physically. The proof of concept has been carried out in Europe by Vodafone in its mobile networks. Specifically, at Samsung facilities. For this they have used a smartphone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.
The particularity of this test device is that its processor Snapdragon 888 5G from Qualcomm integrates a SPU (Secure Processing Unit) that makes the jump to the iSIM possible. The reason is that the SPU integrates the iSIM operating system of Thales.
As of here, we still don't know when we will see the first devices compatible with iSIM. But seeing the advantages it offers and the ease of implementing it in the infrastructure that telecommunications providers already have, it is not ruled out that we will hear about iSIM during this year. And even more so if we take into account that the iSIM arrives at the best time, since the characteristics of the 5G technology require extra help to reduce the consumption of resources and battery by users. devices that access these mobile networks.
Other questions to ask ourselves is for how long traditional SIM cards will coexist with eSIM/iSIM and if both virtual technologies will coexist or if iSIM will end up replacing eSIM if it fulfills its promises of greater efficiency.
