You wouldn't think so much drama and hand-wringing goes into the creation of something as simple as a SIM card, but where international standards are concerned, compromises must be made. Research in Motion and Motorola have done just that with Apple's proposed nano-SIM design, which appears to have the majority of votes already.
The Verge has filed an update on the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) search for a new nano-SIM standard to replace the current micro-SIM used in Apple's iPhone 4 and 4S, as well as other popular handsets such as the Nokia Lumia 900.
While ETSI members have already been quietly voting on the future of the SIM card this month, a competing standard proposed by Nokia, Research in Motion and Motorola persists. That is causing some concern among members that two different standards could emerge, much like the VHS and Betamax situation during the heyday of home video.
To appease ETSI members, Motorola and RIM have gone back to the drawing board to find a compromise "by merging the two proposals into one, a notion supported by Samsung." While Apple seems to feel it's not possible given the more radical approach used by the competing standard, the iPhone maker appears open to adoption of both standards, given Cupertino already has the support it needs for its own nano-SIM.
"At that point in the meeting, Apple already knew that it had somewhere around 80 percent of the voting body behind its standard from the chairman's previous show of hands." the report reveals. "And realistically, how many carriers would stop carrying the iPhone over its SIM design anyway? Apple's pioneering move with the micro-SIM in 2010 ultimately led to broad-scale adoption -- presumably, it has no reason to think it can't push nano-SIM with even more force than it could two years ago."
ETSI members won't meet again until May 31 in Japan, when we should have some idea of whether or not Apple will accept the proposed compromise.
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(Image courtesy of The Verge)
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