The United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple a patent for the design of SIM card connectors found in mobile devices and a bevy of other electronics.
The patent is likely Apple’s response to the ongoing battle with Nokia and other phone manufacturers over the future of SIM card connector designs. The battle between Apple and Nokia has become increasingly relevant as well with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute agreeing to set clear policies regarding how its member companies license patents related to the technology.
Apple ultimately positioned itself as a driving force behind the ETSI’s ruling by pledging royalty-free licensing of its nano-SIM design if the ETSI ruled in Apple’s favor. The ETSI eventually did.
The latest patent awarded to Apple by the USPTO on Christmas day covers a number of different methods of inserting and ejecting SIM cards. The design’s focus specifically on preventing the user from damaging the device or the SIM card if the card is inserted or ejected improperly.
A passage in the filing claims the filing covers not only iPads and iPhones, but covers products such as media centers, MacBooks, and larger screen displays. Expect this to stir up a considerable amount of speculation about Apple’s future products.
Source: AppleInsider
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