ARM wants mobile or IoT devices to include a tiny integrated SIM card:
Every millimeter of space matters when you're trying to build increasingly complex electronics into increasingly tiny packages, and the relatively spacious SIM card has long been an area of frustration for hardware manufacturers. Now, the chip design company ARM may have an answer: an integrated component called an iSIM that's built into the same chip as the processor.
ARM says the iSIM will take up a "fraction of a millimeter squared," whereas the current SIM standard — Nano SIMs — are about 12.3 x 8.8mm in size, not including the hardware usually needed to house them. Not only will that save space, but ARM says it'll more importantly save on costs, too: instead of paying "tens of cents" per card, manufacturers will be paying single-digital cents.
Also at CNET, Tom's Hardware, and Wccftech.
Related: Infineon Demos a 1.65 mm^2 eSIM Chip
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday February 22 2018, @01:45PM (1 child)
Cell phones have to be identifiable, at least by the phone company. Making that info open to anyone else is a less stellar idea but having a functioning network without unique identifiers isn't really viable.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @04:25PM
No. The only thing the phone company needs to identify is your SIM card. Change the SIM card, and as far as the phone company is concerned, it should be a new phone. Put the SIM card into a new phone, and as far as the phone company is concerned, it should be the same phone as before.