Microsoft is planning to make it easier for Windows device owners to access LTE cellular data, as a Microsoft SIM card is apparently in the works.
This new SIM card will most likely be for Windows 10 mobile devices only, but it remains unclear for now just when it will become available, or with which device models it will be compatible.
Nevertheless, Microsoft is currently testing a new cellular data app that enables Windows 10 devices to connect to various mobile network operators contract-free. This would greatly facilitate LTE access and make things more convenient for consumers who are not on a contract.
Microsoft already published this cellular data app on its Windows Store, but has yet to make an official announcement in this regards. The app's description notes that it's designed to work on Windows 10 devices and that it requires a Microsoft SIM card (see image above).
This means that Microsoft plans to launch its own SIM cards at some point in the near future, but it's tough to tell for now just when this will occur. It also remains unclear which markets will get the new Microsoft SIM cards, or how much the contract-free cellular data will cost.
The most plausible theory is that Microsoft will sell plans directly through its Windows Store, and the app's description already notes that the cellular data will be tied to one's Microsoft Account.
"Connect with - and pay for - a mobile data plan on your Windows 10 device using only your Microsoft account information. That means no fixed contract and no long term commitments to a mobile network operator. Now you can buy and use mobile data at your own convenience," Microsoft notes.
Microsoft could also be working on creating its very own mobile virtual networks in order to allow Windows 10 mobile users with a Microsoft SIM to connect to partner carriers. Teaming up with carriers would make sense considering the lack of contracts, but Microsoft could also be planning a different strategy similar to how Apple SIM cards work.
The Apple SIM are compatible with select iPad models, allowing users to switch mobile carriers without having to switch their SIM card as well when going abroad. Just recently, Apple added short-term cellular data plans to its offer, exclusively available via AlwaysOnline Wireless.
Microsoft, for its part, has yet to announce which markets will get the new Microsoft SIM card, but the app's description does reveal that the service will launch in some markets, initially offering only domestic plans. International roaming offers will apparently become available afterward, but it remains to be seen whether they will be among the lines of the Apple SIM offers.
Considering that the new cellular data app from Microsoft already surfaced on the Windows Store, it shouldn't be too long now until Microsoft makes a formal announcement in this regards. More details regarding the Microsoft SIM should surface shortly, and we'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more.
