A collaborative effort between Qualcomm, Vodafone, Samsung and Thales led to the first demonstration of a smartphone equipped with iSIM or integrated SIM. With this approach, the SIM is no longer physically inserted into the mobile device or integrated into it like an eSIM, but directly present in the SoC of the device and usable by any telephone operator.
The first such device is a smartphone Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 3 combined with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. Vodafone is the chosen partner for managing the data network with this new iSIM but since the operating standards defined by the GSMA have been verified, this design is compatible with any telephone operator.
A design of this type brings many advantages related to the construction of the device, due to the size reduction. An iSIM is in fact integrated into the SoC of the smartphone or mobile device in which it is used, not requiring the physical space required by both eSIM solutions and traditional SIM cards.
Smaller dimensions combine with a less complexity in terms of construction and design, in order to open up space for use even in mobile devices for which the dimensions are critical. From PCs and tablets to VR products, smartwatches and of course smartphones as well as more generally for all the small processing devices of the so-called Edge: for everyone, the iSIM can represent a practical way to implement implements data connectivity.