Apple’s proposed design for a new, smaller version of the SIM card has now been selected by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) as the new standard for mobile devices, beating out competing designs from Nokia, RIM, and Motorola.
MacWorld reports:
The Smart Card Platform Technical Committee of the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) agreed a standard for so-called nano-SIMs on Friday. Apple’s specification beat a competing proposal from Nokia, Research In Motion and Google-owned Motorola Mobility.
The new nano-SIM (pictured above via The Verge) will be a full 40% smaller than the current micro-SIM used in devices such as the iPhone 4S, and will be backwards-compatible with existing SIM card designs through the use of an adapter. The smaller design is intended to enable mobile devices to be made smaller and thinner.
The agency so far hasn’t released any specific details on the vote, and it’s unclear how soon Apple may plan to implement the new standard in their devices.
