Why Is Apple Using MicroSIMs?
April 20, 2010
The iPad 3G due in a couple days, as well as the leaked iPhone HD both use MicroSIMs instead of the standard sim cards. Why's that? Is it just a matter of size? Well, apparently not.
Indeed, I just found out that MicroSIMs come with a couple extra features:
- allow for multiple simultaneous applications accessing the card through logical channels;
- introduce mutual authentication as a way to eliminate carrier spoofing by allowing the SIM card to authenticate the cell tower to which it is connecting;
- add a new PIN protection with hierarchical PIN management with a universal PIN, an application PIN and a local PIN;
- expand the phonebook storage of the SIM card with entries for email, second name, and groups.