No Apple SIM in iPhones, Says Apple Exec

In this year’s iPads, Apple introduced us to a brand new spin on the carrier SIM card — the Apple SIM. This single card was built to support multiple carriers, enabling consumers to switch between wireless data providers as they please.

It’s a neat concept. But you can pretty much forget about seeing the Apple SIM in iPhones — at least for the time being.

According to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s VP of iPhone, iPod and iOS product marketing, the Apple SIM doesn’t make as much sense in the iPhone as it does in the iPad. Joswiak’s rationale? He stated that “most iPhones, by far, are sold through carriers.”

This certainly isn’t wrong, as many purchase the iPhone at a subsidized price when signing up for or renewing a contract. And, aside from T-Mobile and a few other prepaid carriers, the wireless industry still leans heavily on locking customers up in that two-year agreement. More carriers would have to move toward a contract-free experience with unsubsidized phones for the Apple SIM to make sense on the iPhone.

There are some technical details that would have to be worked out, too, such as how phone numbers would be automatically ported between carriers.

It’s a bit different on the iPad side of things. Most buy them at full price. And customers typically don’t tie those up in contracts, instead opting to pre-pay for data. So it’s a lot more feasible for customers to jump back and forth between carriers in that scenario.

Still, hearing that Apple isn’t even talking about putting Apple SIMs in iPhones is disheartening; it means Apple doesn’t feel that the wireless industry is ready for them. It’s understandable — after all, carriers are already throwing a fit about the Apple SIM. AT&T decided to start locking Apple SIMs to its network when users sign up with the carrier, and Verizon opted not to be a part of the feature altogether. But knowing Apple isn’t going to press the issue with its most popular mobile device means that, for now, we’re stuck with the status quo.

Would you like to see the Apple SIM in the iPhone? Tell us why.

[Source: Fierce Wireless]