Speaking at Re/Code’s Code/Mobile conference yesterday, Greg Joswiak, Apples’ VP of iPhone and iOS marketing shed light on the company’s plans for its new SIM card. According to Joswiak, the Apple SIM, which lets iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 customers switch between different carriers’ service plans, was inserted because of the company’s uncertainty as to which carrier its customers would choose.
“It’s about the customer experience,” he said. “We ultimately don’t know who you are going to use as the carrier, [and] we want to make it as easy as possible.” Joswiak indicated that Apple sells more iPads through its retail channels than carrier stores.
However, for this reason, Joswiak also stated that it was unlikely the Apple SIM would make its way into the iPhone, as “most iPhones, by far, are sold through carriers.”
Based upon recent response to the Apple SIM, it’s also likely that Apple would face a major fight from its carrier partners. While in the U.S. T-Mobile allows Apple SIM portability in the new iPads, AT&T will lock the SIM to its network if cellular service is activated. While the Apple SIM is not available in Canada, it’s likely that Canadian carriers would respond in a similar fashion.
[source]Fierce Wireless[/source]
