According to a report by the Financial Times, mobile operators in Europe are stockpiling nano-SIM chips in anticipation of Apple including the new technology in the next iteration of the iPhone.
Though actions like this would suggest an impending launch, no official word has come from Apple as to when we can expect to actually see the iPhone 5 (or the new iPhone?)
The nano-SIM design was approved by the mobile phone industry’s standards group earlier this year and should allow Apple to save even more space in its tightly designed iPhone interior.
The Financial Times cites two sources who claim that telecom companies are stocking millions of the chips in warehouses, anticipating high demand when Apple’s next iPhone is released.
Related Stories
- Apple’s iOS 16 Update Is Here. Follow This Checklist to Get Your iPhone Ready
- Chris Evans Wants the iPhone’s Home Button Back — Here’s Why That’s Important
- How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot on Your iPhone
This may be a reaction to the lack of preparation when Apple switched to micro-SIM cards when it released the iPhone 4 and the first-generation iPad. Many carriers didn’t have enough micro-SIMs to meet demand, a situation that one source told the Financial Times the phone companies did not want to repeat.
Other phone makers will likely adopt Apple’s nano-SIM design as it is 40 percent smaller than the current micro-SIMs found in many smartphones.
Does including a nano-SIM card in the new iPhone give Apple a competitive advantage? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!