AT&T Rolling Out LTE Micro-SIM Cards, Sparking Speculation on iPad 3 Link - MacRumors
Skip to Content

AT&T Rolling Out LTE Micro-SIM Cards, Sparking Speculation on iPad 3 Link

att lte micro sim 1
Phone Arena reports that AT&T has begun supplying its retailers with LTE-compatible micro-SIM cards, requesting that existing micro-SIM stocks be scrapped in favor of the new ones supporting the latest networks offering faster data speeds. The obvious explanation for the shift is the launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 next month, but speculation naturally also turns to Apple's plans for its upcoming devices.

att lte micro sim 2
Phone Arena suggests that the LTE-enabled micro-SIM cards could eventually be used in the iPhone 5, but the much nearer term launch for Apple is the iPad 3, which has been rumored to offer support for LTE. So while the new micro-SIM cards may not be appearing solely for the iPad 3, it is interesting to note that they are now available on AT&T should Apple launch an iPad 3 with LTE capabilities.

Update: AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom notes that the Pantech Breeze and Element already utilize the LTE micro-SIM card on the carrier's network.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: AT&T
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iphone duo

Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:56 am PDT by
Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display. The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an...
Surprise and Shine Live Coverage Article

Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and More

Wednesday September 9, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, new AirPods 5 earphones, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We...
iOS 27 Feature Dark

Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:46 am PDT by
At its event today unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and more, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released later this month. iOS 27 has already been available as a developer beta since June and as a public beta since July, and Apple today said that the update will be released for all users with a compatible iPhone model on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 is...

Top Rated Comments

190 months ago
It clearly states that these new Micro Sims are to REPLACE the old Micro Sims which did not support LTE. Meaning from here on out, whether you have an LTE device or not, if it uses a Micro SIM, it will be one of these, for simplicity's sake. Makes perfect sense.

The timing also makes perfect sense since the Nokia Lumia launches in a month with Micro SIM & LTE capability.

What doesn't make sense is assuming this has anything to do with iPad 3.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
190 months ago
Obvious

As said, obvious for the Nokia Lumia 900 for next month. So, let's keep it at that. Not everything needs to be interpreted to be about Apple.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
190 months ago
I think this has more to do with AT&T having existing and upcoming LTE phones (Pantech Burst and Nokia 900) that use micro-SIM cards than it does the possibility of new iDevices supporting LTE.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
190 months ago
Does mac rumors get paid every time they mention AT&T or somthing? Lol

Joking aside, I agree with what others have said. I really don't think this can be linked to the next iPad. The next iPad might use these cards but the iPad is probably not the reason for the change. Someth
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
190 months ago
What about the data limits?

I still can't see why people are getting excited about LTE for the iPad with the draconian data limits and pricing. At current rates LTE just means you get to your 2GB limit faster.

LTE without reasonably priced data (unlimited or whatever) just doesn't make sense on an iPad.

FWIW
DLM
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rodimus Prime Avatar
190 months ago
Really?
Sorry but I do not see this as proof of LTE on the iPad 3. I see it as AT&T updating there Sims all to the same thing and modern standard they are using.
Sorry boys and girls this is not proof of LTE going into the iPad 3.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)