iPhone 4S with A5, Sim-less? "Major New" iPhone 5 Due in 2012

154107 iphone 4 sim slot

Mac Otakara adds some notes about the upcoming iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 models, according to an anonymous source.

According to an anonymous source, this reported product by DigiTimes is improved model of iPhone 4 on same form factor, and uses ARM Cortex-A9 chip as CPU, but it is not confirmed whether this model has single CPU or with dual CPU's.

Essentially, they confirm what has been hinted at in the past. The new 2011 iPhone ("iPhone 4S") will carry an ARM Cortex-A9 CPU (Apple's A5) though they can't confirm if it's single or dual core. Separately, the iPhone 4S will include an improved 8 mega-pixel camera and 3-4 antennas inside to accommodate the dual modes of AT&T and Verizon.

Separately, Mac Otakara revives an older rumor that the iPhone 4S will be "sim-less". We first heard this rumor back in late 2010, when Apple was said to be working with digital security firm Gemalto to create a custom SIM card that would exist as a built-in chip inside the iPhone to allow users to activate their devices with a broad array of carriers. Orange CEO Stephane Richard essentially confirmed that Apple had explored this "sim-less" option but had also indicated that Apple had decided against using it.

As you probably know, Apple has been working for years on reducing the size of SIM cards because they need space in the phone. They even thought about a device without any SIM card, that is what is known as the e-SIM project.

All of us told them it was a bad idea because the SIM card is a critical piece of the security and authentication process. It would be very difficult for a telco or carrier to manage the customer relationship. I think that they understood this point. We had a very constructive exchange and dialogue with them.

It may be possible that Apple ignored those suggestions or that this "eSIM" could be a stopgap measure while waiting for the newly proposed smaller SIM standard.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...

Top Rated Comments

leon44 Avatar
184 months ago
eSIM being a stop gap before the smaller sim?

Really?

If you make a phone that doesn't need a sim card why would you update it with one that does.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wordoflife Avatar
184 months ago
Built in SIM? ... oh hell no. Don't remove one of the advantages of having a GSM phone.
I'll take the dual A5 and 8mp camera though. Coming from a 3GS, I'll be fine.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
clientsiman Avatar
184 months ago
Sim-less or built in Sim = no buy for me.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Echo64 Avatar
184 months ago
Why is it that any "Anonymous rumor" is taken seriously these days? We have more than enough evidence to support that this is absolute BS...

The iPhone WILL NOT, (i repeat) WILL NOT get rid of the Sim card. That is absolutely suicide for Apple right now. None of the major wireless companies support it, and the advantages are very slim right now. What is more likely, is that apple will introduce the micro-sim, like we were told about months ago. There is simply no real evidence in the contrary.

Next, These iPhone 4S rumors also need to go. There is no way in hell that apple is going to call their next gen phone the "4S", there are plenty of people that would be confused and it makes no sense to lock themselves out of a logical "iPhone 5" title. As it was said like 100 times already, the 3G and 3GS were named that way because it was the '3G' network that they were emphasizing.

TBH, I don't really believe any of these rumors right now- Apple has stated again and again that supplies have not been affected, so don't you think they would have at least hinted if they were going to make a drastic change to their very strict release schedule ? Also, believe it or not, most people will not just buy the white iPhone 4 just because there is no proper upgrade. Pushing the schedule back risks that many 3G and 3GS users will go to another phone.

Why is this risky you ask? Well according to the rumors there will be no mention of a new iphone a WWDC (in about a week), When WWDC comes and goes the vast majority of people are not gonna be like "Oh that's ok I'm sure apple is gonna release it in September, although i have no word from them, I'll just wait on good faith in hopes that the phone doesn't suck..."- NO, IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT. WWDC has always been centered around the iPhone reveal. Even if they push back the release, I cannot see them ignoring one of their main selling points.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cougarcat Avatar
184 months ago
I was thrilled when they announced the 3GS, it was a major upgrade from the 3G. Moreso than the iPhone 4 was for the 3GS. Now that was a "meh" update. Just changing the outside look and mostly keeping the same internals.
The Retina display is what made the iPhone 4, IMO. CPU upgrades alone don't interest me. Then again, I never used an iPhone 3G, so I have no idea what kind of a speed boost the 3GS was.


If apple does go sim-less, it would be for aesthetic/technical reasons, allowing them to get rid of the slot and make the phone smaller. I hope they don't, though, as that would kill its international functionality.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmmo20 Avatar
184 months ago
It truly amazes me how no one here seems to have a clue regarding the way SIMs work and function. I'm not here to lecture anyone, I just invite users to read about the SIM standard. I would just like to make a few points clear.

1) Apple cannot simply make a SIM card adapter and "make a copy" for the sim into a virtual sim. It's impossible to read the encryption keys.

2) SIM cards contain a few important codes, some of each are easily readable, while others are NEVER revealed to the phone itself nor the network. Basically the carrier gives the phone a code and asks for the phone to REQUEST the sim card to sign it. The SIM card itself (it's a microchip) signs the code, returns it to the phone, which in turn delivers it to the carrier, which then replies with the temporary encryption key for the data/voice session.

3) Having e-Sims make it specially dangerous to run jailbroken iphones. A jailbroken app could hijack your "e-sim" information and clone it.

4) the idea of an esim is NOT what Apple requested to the standards authorities a couple of weeks ago. What they asked for was for a standard on a SMALLER PHYSICAL sim card. That is, smaller than current micro-sims. Even current microsims have a lot of wasted real estate. The chip itself is about 2 sq milimeters. It's the contacts and the plastic around them that makes them bigger.


So, no, no "e-sims" anytime soon. And no, no "sim copying" anytime soon, either.

so people, please do inform yourselves on what SIMs actually do.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)