The SIM card of the future may exist only in our imagination if virtual SIMs become widespread.
BARCELONA—SIM cards haven’t changed much over the years. Sure they’ve reduced in size from large tabs to tiny nano SIMs, but overall you still need to stick a little plastic card in your phone in order to connect to mobile networks.
Virtual SIM cards make that a thing of the past. KnowRoaming’s SoftSIM, uCloudlink’s CloudSIM, and Gemalto’s embedded SIM all provide remote SIM provisioning and GSM connectivity without you ever having to physically put a SIM card into your phone.
This is done by essentially tricking your phone into thinking there actually is a SIM card inserted into the slot (an eSIM is a bit different, see below for more). That means you’re still limited to the number of SIM card slots your phone has; dual SIM devices can get two lines of service, but everyone else is still restricted to one. At MWC we took a look at the various providers of SIM-free services.
KnowRoaming SoftSIM
KnowRoaming’s SoftSIM provides for SIM-free data by integrating the technology into select Alcatel and ZTE phones. We went hands on with some of them to check out how the feature works.
At its most basic level, the Alcatel Pop 4, Pop 5, Pop 6, A2 XL, A3 XL, and the ZTE Blade V8 all come with the RoamNow! App pre-installed. The app is what you’ll use to manage the service. Among other things, it allows you to choose the country, select data packages, and make payments. On your end as the user, there’s nothing more to do. The phone believes a SIM card is inserted and will enable service.
Roaming is available in 61 countries and all GSM carriers. In the US, that excludes Verizon and Sprint, but for users of T-Mobile, Sprint, and other MVNOs, the overall setup is fast and intuitive. Of the apps I saw, it was the cleanest.
uCloudlink CloudSIM and GlocalMe Smartphone
UCloudlink’s CloudSIM functions the same as KnowRoaming’s. The phone is tricked into thinking it has a SIM card in the slot even though no hardware is involved. A GlocalMe app helps you manage your account, activate service, keep track of data usage, and make payments.
The difference here is uCloudlink doesn’t have as wide a range of devices as KnowRoaming. You have to use the GlocalMe smartphone, which is essentially the Xiaomi Mi Max, a 6.4-inch phablet priced at $200. A smaller 5.5-inch device is expected to be announced starting at $180. Both phones also function as a hotspot. The GlocalMe sends a signal to a central cloud server which detects the best local network available in real time. The phone then connects to the strongest local carrier, with the highest signal strength and is only charged the most affordable local rate.
That makes CloudSIM particularly useful for international travelers because users are not required to be on any particular network. However, one disadvantage is that Xiaomi phones are not sold in the US and don’t support US carrier bands. The Alcatel and ZTE phones, by contrast, are all confirmed to work for US GSM carriers.
However, to some extent, Glocal Me is also looking to the Chinese market rather than just international roaming. A company representative I spoke with told me that in China it’s not uncommon for manufacturers like Xiaomi to offer a certain amount of high-speed data bundled with the phones they sell. That makes CloudSIM particularly appealing since it doesn’t require them to package a prepaid SIM card or inconvenience the customer by making them swap out after the data is finished.
Gemalto eSIM
Gemalto’s eSIM isn’t actually a virtual SIM. It’s plugged in or soldered onto your device, but the reason we’re including it is it can remotely manage multiple mobile networks. Similar to uCloudlink, the eSIM can be provisioned to operate on any network without requiring an additional SIM card. Service is activated through the GigSky app, which allows you to select plans and shows you pricing for the geographical location. Provisioning happens immediately through Gemalto’s remote subscription management.
The SIM-less Future
Does all this mean your SIM card is going to go extinct? Probably not, but it does mean that in the future we can have phones built without SIM card slots at all, allowing for provisioning to all happen on the over-the-air software end. Aside from freeing up some space in the phone’s internals, which manufacturers seem to always like, it can also potentially allow devices to host more than two numbers or lines of service. That may require a technical workaround though, because for the moment your phone still needs to believe there’s a SIM card in its slot.