For what it’s worth, it isn’t the first example of a programmable SIM card, because there are proprietary version out there already-notably in Apple’s iPads. Thanks to a design that dispenses with a slide-out tray, it’s up to 90 percent smaller than a traditional SIM card, according to GSMA Chief Engineer Ian Pannell in an interview with the Verge.
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The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting almost 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The Samsung Gear S2 classic 3G is the first product to support this new standard called eSIM.
The Gear S2 Classic was unveiled back in September, but not for the UK. Why? you might ask. Not to mention, Samsung also announced additional versions of the smartwatch including a 3G Model as well as rose gold and platinum variants as well.
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The GSMA today released a specification that allows consumers to remotely activate the SIM embedded in a device such as a smart watch, fitness band or tablet. The GSMA will finalize an eSIM spec for smartphones in June. However, this is still a big step forward for the eSIM, with the new specification backed by some of world’s largest hardware manufacturers (including Samsung, LG, Microsoft, and Huawei) and mobile carriers (including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, and EE). “This is the only common, interoperable and global specification that has the backing of the mobile industry and lets consumers with a mobile subscription remotely connect their devices to a mobile network”, said the association’s chief technology officer, Alex Sinclair, in a press release. Unlike with a smartphone or wearable that needs a new physical SIM card to access a new wireless network, eSIM devices only need to be reprogrammed to facilitate a switch.
