iSIM: The Next Generation Technology Replacing eSIM
Qualcomm took advantage of the Mobile World Congress 2023 to announce the launch of Integrated SIM, or simply iSIM. This new evolution of the indispensable SIM card has been designed in collaboration with Thales, and is now available on Android smartphones powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
eSIM is not fully adopted by the general public, but iSIM aims to improve its design and energy efficiency while freeing up space inside the smartphone chassis.
Operators use the SIM to identify a phone and its owner. In the idea, therefore, the card is not necessary to store the subscriber’s information, but it is the chosen solution and the one most used since the beginning of mobile telephony. Although SIM cards are getting smaller and smaller, eSIM was a logical evolution of this technology.
The eSIM makes it possible, for example, to change operators without any manipulation, through an update. The time savings are huge, as the operation is almost instantaneous. However, eSIM is far from perfect. Of course, it doesn’t need a SIM card and the drawer needed to insert it, but it must still reside on a chip somewhere on the phone’s integrated circuit.
iSIM is an evolution of eSIM
iSIM, introduced by Qualcomm, does not have this problem. It is directly integrated into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and, according to the manufacturer, occupies an area of less than 1 mm2. That said, this technology is not unique and smartphone makers will continue to offer nanoSIM card slots for some time to come. This is beneficial for smartphone users as they can choose between a “classic” SIM card, eSIM or iSIM depending on their needs.
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