Samsung Gear S2 classic 3G Smart Watch: the first product with eSIM standard support
Welcome readers of the blog iCover ! On February 18, 2016 in Barcelona, Samsung Electronics announced the Gear S2 classic 3G smart watch, the first product on the consumer market within the GSMA Consumer Remote SIM Provisioning architecture that supports the eSIM (Embedded SIM) standard. Unlike the traditional SIM card, the eSIM integrated at the hardware level allows the owner of a smart watch, smartphone, tablet to avoid rigid contractual restrictions of the “native” operator and switch to the priority network immediately after its registration by the device. One of the most promising areas to maximize the potential of the eSIM standard is, of course, IoT.
eSIM, “Embedded SIM” or “Embedded SIM”, in comparison with the “classic” removable SIM card, has a number of significant advantages, and one of the main differences is the ability to remotely control (reprogramming) “over the air”, including Shift cellular operator.
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The introduction of a standard based on eSIM technology creates opportunities for developing a unified user interface when using M2M communications (Machine to Machine). In this regard, according to Samsung, eSIM technologies in the framework of a single specification will be a powerful incentive for the development of the Internet of things and their promotion to the global market. At the same time, thanks to the integrated eSIM, the cellular network of operators can be used to connect many new types of devices, such as home and industrial electricity, water and heat meters, on-board car computers, security alarms, etc. And according to the GSMA’s forecasts, the number of such devices integrated in one form or another into the global mobile network by 2020 will reach 12 billion.
About eSIM standard through the mouth of its developers
As we have already mentioned, the announcement of the first device on the market providing support for eSIM took place on February 18 in Barcelona. Speech about global support of absolutely still young standard eSIM ( Embedded SIM ) does not go yet. At the same time, in promoting the new product, Samsung timed the already signed contracts with the largest players in the mobile market - Orange, M1 Limited, SingTel, StarHub Ltd., Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Vodafone Group and with the vendors of SIM-cards Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient. , Oberthur Technologies.
“We strive to anticipate the needs of our users and our first product, with eSIM support - one example that proves the importance of this priority,” said Yunsang Park, senior vice president of R & D division at Samsung Mobile Communication Management ... “We are pleased to introduce Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G is not only a starting point for the development of a new standard for connecting devices, but also as a step forward in our quest to support the development of the IoT market. In turn, the new standard for our customers is a step forward in terms of security and new opportunities for the free choice of operators. ”
One of the objectives of Samsung in promoting the product is the widest possible coverage of the regions and the availability of the standard to most of the company's customers. “We worked closely with the leaders of the mobile industry to create a global, compatible, unified and integrated solution that allows consumers to remotely connect their devices to mobile networks. This is just the first step to open up new and exciting prospects for the IoT market, ”said Jean-Christophe Tisseuil, President of SIM, GSMA.
Interesting opinion about the prospects of the eSIM standard of a number of leading mobile operators - Samsung partners, reflected in the company's press release:
“Orange welcomes the possibility of an alternative way for a client to access mobile devices. We are pleased that our customers using the Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G smart watch can even forget their mobile homes, while maintaining network availability. Distribution of connected devices with cellular support of several operators is a very important stage in the work carried out by us and our partners together with Samsung in the direction of developing a unified architecture using eSIM, ”said Yves Maitre (Orange).
“Telefónica is inspired by Samsung’s success in promoting wearable products with new features. We intend to continue to support GSMA initiatives, and, together with Samsung, to develop the eSIM standard as a promising way to secure and secure connectivity for the next billion M2M devices. ”- shares the plans of Francisco Montalvo (Telefónica concern).
“We are encouraged by the fact that TeliaSonera has become part of an initiative that allows us to provide an even higher level of service and comfort in using our mobile devices by our customers. The interrelation of products and services in the world of mobile technologies is growing stronger every day, and we are interested in our customers being able to use them fully and on their own terms. The eSIM standard is an important step in this direction, ”says Jesper Hedblom, head of the sales department of TeliaSonera.
“The new usage standard proposed by GSMA will allow customers to connect Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G devices to fast and reliable Vodafone networks. SmartWatch can be easily added to a custom Vodafone package, allowing our customers to confidently connect to the network even while jogging when the smartphone is left at home, ”commented Patrick Chomet from the Vodafone Group.
“The launch of the Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G sets the bar for the SmartWatch in terms of connectivity and customer service. Using eSIM, on the one hand, opens up the possibility for a secure and remote control using a smart watch with a mobile subscription, on the other hand, it makes it easier to promote Samsung products with eSIM support and GSMA specifications worldwide, ”said David Buhan, senior vice president. subscriber department of Gemalto.
Based on the information provided in the press release, the Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G smart watch with eSIM support will be available in the networks of the listed operators and in free sale starting March of this year. Information about the cost of new items is not yet available. As for the technical characteristics, here the manufacturer has brought sufficient clarity. The model will be equipped with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a display resolution of 360 x 360 pixels. Dust and moisture protection are at IP68 standard. The functionality of the gadget provides a 2-core chip with a clock frequency of 1 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, a 4 GB flash drive. Supported technologies NFC, Bluetooth 4.1., Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / e. The capacity of the built-in battery is 300 mAh. The operating system is pre-installed proprietary Tizen OS.
In addition to Samsung, LG, Huawei and Microsoft have already announced their support for the transition to a new standard. The final consensus with Apple, seeking its own technical solution, has not yet been reached. It is worth remembering that their own SIM card for the latest generation of iPad, which allows users to independently choose a cellular operator and the tariff right out of the box, Apple introduced in 2014. However, this initiative was supported by only a few operators: T-Mobile and AT & T in the USA, and also EE - in the UK, where today the Apple SIM has not received wide distribution.
According to the preliminary plans of the association GSMA, the eSIM specification for smartphones will appear in June of this year. However, despite the priority in the distribution of technology integrated eSIM, the abolition of traditional SIM cards in smartphones is not planned.
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