Buzz
At MWC 2023, Qualcomm announced that Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has been certified iSIM by GSMA and can be commercially deployed. The company is moving towards replacing eSIM with iSIM.
If iSIM is used, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be the world's first chipset to integrate new SIM technology and go commercial.
So what exactly is iSIM?
iSIM is the next step in the ongoing effort to shrink the size of SIM cards in phones. It's a type of SIM card directly integrated into the device's SoC with a very small footprint, less than 1 square mm. Here, “i” stands for “integrated”.Doesn't eSIM also replace physical SIM cards?
Currently, eSIM is a separate chip, connecting to the SoC, it still occupies space on the phone's motherboard. Instead, there's a move towards integrating the SIM directly onto the chipset alongside the CPU, GPU, network modem, etc., for even more space optimization.
What are the advantages of iSIM?
Besides space optimization and cost reduction, iSIM also offers the following advantages:- Security Aspect: iSIM features its own operating system, Kigen OS, running within the secure CryptoIsland area to safeguard user information. Data is encrypted directly on the SoC without needing to be sent to other components.
- Online Payments: In the future, users can utilize iSIM for shopping and online transactions.
- Product Range Expansion: Devices such as laptops, tablets, VR platforms, IoT devices, wearables, etc., can all be easily integrated and bypass physical SIM cards.
Telecom operators and service providers using iSIM will experience no difference compared to how eSIM operates currently.
The certification of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by GSMA is a positive indication of Qualcomm's intent to replace eSIM with iSIM. In the near future, this new solution will be applied to Android smartphones.
