Beyond eSIM already? Qualcomm, Thales Announce iSIM Support For Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Chip
Keneci Channel
While the physical nano-SIM is small enough for consumers, smartphone users can attest to the inconvenience of fiddling with the little things when you want to swap your SIM card for whatever reason. Phone and chip manufacturers on their part are always looking for a way to fit more in even smaller spaces. Hence the introduction of the embedded SIM(eSIM): fitting the SIM circuit on the phone's motherboard, eliminating the need for a removable physical SIM and tray.
Well, Qualcomm, Thales and Vodafone are going a step further. Last year, they showcased a proof of concept of the integrated SIM(iSIM) technology, also called Integrated Universal Integrated Circuit Card (iUICC) -- the functionality of a SIM card is directly built onto the smartphone processor or System-on-Chip(SoC), taking up even extremely less space within the phone's real estate.
At the recent Mobile World Congress(MWC), Qualcomm announced that its current flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has iSIM built-in. It is the first commercially available SoC to feature iSIM. “The new iSIM can now offer device makers further opportunities to save space and reduce build and supply chain costs while maintaining best-in-class security level,” Qualcomm said in a press release. “Just like Thales’ eSIM, the new iSIM is fully compliant with the GSMA Remote SIM Provisioning standard; meaning its subscriptions are remotely manageable through any standard platforms.” The company said iSIM is coming to more phones.
According to Thales, iSIMs have been developed following the need for smaller, cheaper, and more secure SIM cards. And they do just that. Thanks to their incorporation in the cellular module, they come in at 98% smaller than an eSIM and are 50% cheaper to make due to fewer components and simplified designs streamlining the manufacturing process. They also use up to 70% less power, meaning your future phone's battery could last longer.
iSIM saves space by eliminating the need for a separate component, allowing for the secure connection of smaller devices, Thales explains. And it requires significantly less power than eSIMs, making, for example, massive IoT use cases more operational. The technology now has the first-ever eSA certification of an iSIM defined by the GSMA (GSMA eUICC Security Assurance certification). This confirms that iSIM supports the same high standards of cyber-protection and flexible ‘anytime, anywhere’ connectivity offered by Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP).
With a traditional physical SIM card, a device can only connect to one carrier simultaneously. With iSIM (and eSIM) technology, a single device can connect to multiple carriers, providing increased flexibility for the user. This feature is particularly useful for customers who frequently travel internationally, as they can switch carriers as needed without purchasing a new SIM card for each carrier.
More smartphone manufactures are adopting eSIM. While Samsung is gradually introducing it in its newest Galaxy phones along the nano-SIM, Apple entirely dropped support for physical SIM cards on in its iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models in the US.
Mobile networks will be able to seamlessly support iSIMs using existing systems for eSIMs.
Prior to the iSIM announcement from Qualcomm and Thales, Google also announced at MWC that it’s working with the GSMA on a new eSIM transfert capability for Android phones. This new standard will also simplify the process of transferring a mobile plan to a new smartphone with an iSIM.