Imagine a phone without internet access, without the ability to send messages or make calls. Sounds abstract? It is the SIM card that allows a phone to function properly. In the following article, we explain the different types of SIM cards in modern devices.
What is a SIM card?
SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module. Simply put, a SIM card is like a passport or ID card that uniquely identifies a mobile phone user.
A SIM card itself is simply an electronic module with a built-in microprocessor and its own memory. It allows the user to be identified using an individual IMSI number assigned to each card. It also has an individual ICCID number. If we compare a SIM card to personal documents, the IMSI and ICCID numbers are like your national identification number and your ID card number.
What can you learn from a SIM card?
- which operator issued the SIM card,
- what the subscriber's phone number is,
- who owns the card.
Additionally, you can save contact information and some SMS messages on each SIM card.
Types of SIM cards – from credit cards to millimeter-sized solutions
Technology is developing incredibly fast. The world strives to create bigger, faster, and more efficient things. It's no different with SIM cards – well, perhaps except for their size. Here, there's a successive reduction in their dimensions. All this to provide users with the greatest possible convenience.
The First SIM Cards
It's no coincidence that the first mobile phones were so large. In the 1990s, SIM card dimensions were as much as 8.5 x 5.4 cm! They enabled sending text messages and making calls. An interesting fact is that some older cars (for example, premium BMW models) had phones with a slot for SIM cards of these dimensions!
Mini SIM Cards
They were introduced to the market in 1996. They were significantly smaller than the previous generation. The dimensions of a mini SIM card are 25 mm in length and 15 mm in width – thanks to them, phones became much lighter. They were used for about 10 years. During the era of mini SIM technology, the first phones with color screens and cameras were created.
Micro SIM Cards
Introduced in 2003, they needed 7 years before becoming a standard. The release of the iPhone 4 helped them, causing a kind of "boom" for this type of card. Manufacturers were somewhat forced by Apple to implement this technology in all other phones. The micro SIM chip also minimized the amount of plastic around the microprocessor.
The dimensions of a micro SIM card? Smaller again! Such a card was 15 mm long and 12 mm wide. The peak of micro SIM card popularity was when it became common to watch YouTube tutorials on how to cut a mini SIM card to the size of the then-current generation.
Nano SIM Cards
The nano format debuted in 2012. These cards practically eliminated plastic. They were reduced to the size of the microprocessor itself. They were 12.7 mm long and a mere 8.8 mm wide. For the first time in history, the thickness of the cards was also reduced – from 0.76 mm to 0.67 mm.
Apple was once again the pioneer of the new standard with its latest iPhone 5. In nano SIM cards, data writing speed was also accelerated.
eSIM – a card without dimensions
This is the latest solution available on the market, known in Poland as an embedded SIM card. It is simply a digital card stored on a microchip embedded in the phone.
The eSIM card enables better phone security. For example, in case of theft, it's easier to identify the device's location. Moreover, such a card improves phone usability. Inserting, removing, and keeping track of a physical card will not be an issue when eSIMs become fully adopted.
What does the future hold for SIM cards?
Observing the trends and the continuous reduction in SIM card sizes, we can expect that physical versions will soon disappear. eSIM cards are the first step in this direction. Perhaps soon we will remember plastic models during "boomer" moments of nostalgia. However, there is nothing to indicate that the solution itself, i.e., the card (or in today's world, the e-card), will leave us. It is and will continue to be one of the basic components of a phone's equipment.
