Nokia and Apple squabbles delay Sim card ruling

Apple and Nokia, along with other manufacturers, are locked in dispute over proposals for a new "nano-Sim". Nokia has threatened to withhold crucial patents if Apple's proposal is adopted, arguing that it does not comply with required specifications. The ruling has been postponed until the end of June. All firms want to secure the new format to keep up with devices which are getting ever smaller and slimmer. The nano-Sim will be at least a third smaller than the micro-Sim commonly found in today's smartphones. The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (Etsi) is the body responsible for setting the global standard for the format. By polling its membership - which consists of telecoms providers and manufacturers - it aims to reach a consensus over the ideal standards for future technologies. However, views over which nano-Sim should be adopted have divided the industry, resulting in the vote postponement, Les Echos reports. In one corner, Apple has proposed its own card which it said it will offer on a royalty-free basis to other manufacturers Prior to negotiations, Etsi said the nano-Sim must meet key criteria. These include a stipulation that the new card must not be likely to be confused with existing Sim cards to avoid consumers mistakenly damaging their phones by inserting the wrong type of card. Nokia argue that Apple's proposed card is the same length as the current width of the micro-Sim, and therefore fails this requirement. If Apple's proposal is voted through, Nokia said it will withhold more than 50 patent families it believes are crucial to its implementation. "We are not prepared to get into a position where our technology is used to implement a standard that is technologically inferior, and doesn't meet Etsi's own requirements," Mark Durrant, Nokia's director of communications, told the BBC. Apple declined to comment on Friday's delay. In the past, Apple has hinted at wanting to abolish Sim cards altogether. However, this was met with firm resistance by mobile network operators and retailers.