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Apple Could Finally Remove Ancient Technology In The iPhone 8

This article is more than 7 years old.

The removal of the headphone jack, if it happens, is being done with one thing in mind - saving space. Apple doesn't particularly want the incoming media storm about such a decision, so it must logically see the advantages as being greater. If such a decision allows them to add battery life and other features then, in the long term, it will probably be viewed as a success. But there's another thing that takes up space too. The SIM tray, and what's more, it takes up more space than the headphone jack does.

If you look at a photo from a teardown, like the one above from iFixit, you'll notice something striking - just how big that SIM tray is. In the photo here you can see that it takes up as much space as the iPhone's processor (which is shown, to the left). That's a huge waste for something that isn't really necessary.

But, I can hear you thinking,"the SIM tray is, like, super-important and totally necessary" and indeed, you're right. But take a look at the Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch, which is Apple's first device to feature an internal SIM. There's not a massive amount of information about this online, but it works in the same way as any SIM does, but doesn't require a user-accessible card slot to work. Apple has deals around the world with service providers, this is a great position for mobile networks because it means they can offer service to millions of iPad LTE owners. You don't need to insert a SIM in the device to use this service, it's handled via the Apple settings menu.

Apple's current system only allows data - because iPads don't support voice over mobile networks - and there may be some challenges that I haven't thought of in bringing a more rounded cellular service to phones without an external SIM card. People like me, who regularly move SIM cards, are also likely to suffer here. But this isn't beyond the wit of humankind to solve. And if any company can drive this, it's Apple. What's important to remember is that Apple's internal SIM is still a SIM, so it's at least partially transparent to the networks to which the device would attach.

In the iPad Pro 9.7 you can still use a SIM, including Apple's own, but it's not needed and when you buy data through the device it will be added to it directly. This means you can't take the SIM out and put it in another device, which should please operators as it could mean even more money if someone has two devices.

If Apple did take this bold step, it would force a change at the mobile networks that would remove the need for a SIM card entirely. As an idea it's not without complications. How, for example, would customers who switch phones frequently manage? Perhaps providers would allow you an additional SIM card to use with other devices, with an online portal that would switch from one to the other. There are certainly questions, but none of them is without a plausible solution.

One thing is for sure, Apple will be expecting to make waves with the iPhone in 2017 as the phone hits 10. And look at what's changed in the device in those years, we've gone from a cool idea through to a powerful computer in your hand. That first generation iPhone was so basic compared to what we have now, and it introduced technologies that required mobile operators to change how they worked. And many did, just to have a crack at selling the most hyped phone ever. That's why I suspect if any hardware company wanted to get rid of the bulky SIM card, it would be Apple that would lead.

NOTE: I want to be quite clear that I am not reporting on a leak here, I'm offering some analysis that feels like it could form part of Apple's future strategy. I feel like this is an interesting idea, and because the iPad Pro offers such a feature it seems plausible. As always, I welcome sensible comment both here on Forbes and via Twitter.

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