In the US, iPads now come with Apple SIMs. For those of you thinking that heralded the demise of SIM cards as we know them, Apple’s VP for iPhone has a message for you: Not so fast.
Speaking at Re/code’s Code/Mobile conference, Greg Joswiak said that the Apple SIM only makes sense for iPads, because they’re mostly sold through Apple’s own stores rather than through networks themselves. As such, by putting in an Apple SIM (which lets you choose a data plan without having to go into a physical store or order a SIM online), Apple’s just taking one step out of the process for its customers.
With iPhones, however, the majority are bought on-contract through a network. With that in mind, Joswiak said that the Apple SIM wouldn’t be as suited to the iPhone, as those generally tend to be bought from a network, on-contract and therefore there’s no need for an Apple SIM — you’re going to be sticking with the same carrier for your two years regardless. In other words: The SIM card isn’t going anywhere yet. [Fierce Wireless]