Apple's latest 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a little secret - it comes embedded with a SIM card.
The cellular variant of the iPad Pro - which is poised to hit the shelves on March 31 - will ship with an in-built Apple SIM. What's the advantage of this feature you wonder? When traveling overseas, iPad Pro users will have the option of choosing from a variety of carriers and not be restricted to one particular network operator.
Thanks to the Apple SIM, which is embedded directly on the logic board, iPad Pro tablet users will not be required to swap SIMs. This innovation from Apple on the iPad Pro could well set the foundation for things to come in the near term.
Apple SIM is not new, in fact it was introduced by the company in 2014. The notion behind the Apple SIM was that, through a single SIM card, iPad users could opt for any data service sans contract from participating network operators worldwide.
The service launched with Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T participating in the U.S., and EE in the UK. Over the last two years, the participating carrier list has grown to eight carriers or MVNOs that provide services in more than 90 countries worldwide.
Previously, the only a few locations offered the iPad models with a pre-installed Apple SIM. However, with the arrival of the latest 9.7-inch iPad Pro things will change. The embedded SIM means that every cellular version of the iPad Pro manufactured will have the Apple SIM built in from the outset.
"[The] Apple SIM will be "present on all cellular-equipped versions of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, with the exception of those sold in China," Re/code confirms.
The Apple SIM on the iPad Pro will be embedded in the logic board of the tablet, and those purchasing the device directly from Apple will have the e-SIM active and enabled. However, those who have purchased the iPad Pro from a carrier could possibly get a device that has e-SIM locked or disabled.
The embedded SIMs are also instrumental in saving precious space in smaller gadgets. A possibility exists that Apple could be looking at imbibing this feature in its next-gen Apple Watch if it thinks of adding cellular data connectivity to the wearable. The upcoming smartwatch is said to be a standalone (much like the Samsung Gear S2) and will not need to pair with an iPhone.
Moreover, Apple could also be eyeing incorporating an embedded Apple SIM in the impending iPhone 7. Only time will tell if it indeed chooses to do so.
