Qualcomm collaborates with Vodafone, Thales to illustrate iSIM technology

Leading industry innovators Vodafone, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and Thales have joined forces to demonstrate a working smartphone featuring iSIM, a new technology enabling the functionality of a SIM card to be integrated into a device’s main processor and allowing for greater system integration, higher performance, and increased memory capacity.

The iSIM is bringing multiple benefits:

· Simplifies and enhances device design and performance by releasing space previously occupied within a device

· Consolidates the SIM functionality into the device’s main chipset alongside other critical capabilities such as GPU, CPU, and modem

· Enables remote SIM provisioning by the operator leveraging the existing eSIM infrastructure

· Opens mobile service connection capabilities to a host of devices that previously could not have SIM capabilities built-in.

Alex Froment-Curtil, Chief Commercial Officer of Vodafone, said, “The iSIM, combined with our remote management platform, is a major step in this direction, allowing devices to be connected without a physical SIM or dedicated chip, making connectivity to many objects – the promise of the connected IoT world – a reality. It will enable our customers to enjoy the ease of multiple accounts on one device, while from an operator’s point of view, help eliminate the need for separate SIM cards and the additional plastic this consumes.”

iSIM technology is a significant evolution on existing eSIM solutions and delivers wholesale benefits to both consumers and telecommunications operators, further paving the way for mobile services to be integrated into devices beyond the mobile phone, taking the mobile experience to laptops, tablets virtual reality platforms, IoT devices, wearables, and more.

Emmanuel Unguran, Senior Vice President, mobile connectivity solutions at Thales, said, “The iSIM supports new device design and manufacture while providing the same digital experience as the eSIM, and certified security levels. Thales is committed to on-going innovating with our partners to provide the best connectivity experience.”

The iSIM embeds the SIM functionality into the device’s main processor, allowing for greater system integration, higher performance, and increased memory capacity. This technology is the latest evolution of SIM technology in which ‘eSIMs’ are embedded into devices. However, with iSIM, this is no longer necessary and removes the need for dedicated space assigned to SIM services.

Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President, Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe, Inc., said, “iSIM solutions offer great opportunities to MNOs, free-up valuable space in devices for OEMs, and provide flexibility for device users to benefit from the full potential of 5G networks and experiences across a wide range of device categories. Some of the areas that will benefit most from iSIM technology include smartphones, mobile PCs, VR/XR headsets, and industrial IoT. By engineering the iSIM technology into the SoC, we are able to create additional support for OEMs in our Snapdragon platform.”