Xiaomi exploring a SIM card that might also double up as a microSD card. However, this is not a new technology, as Ziguang, a Chinese electronics company released a similar product in the Chinese market called, Super SIMs with China Unicom. (Image: ITHome)
Xiaomi is trying to find a solution for consumers to add more storage inside of smartphones, without sacrificing on internal space. According to a new report by ITHome, Xiaomi has patented a new two-in-one 5G SIM card that can double as a SIM and a memory card.
The patent states that one side will be used to house all of the SIM components and the other side will house the memory module for storing space. The patent reveals a pin layout for memory card and a SIM contact layout on the other side.
But keep in mind this is still a patent, and might not necessarily translate into an actual product from the company. Still a patent does show what future products Xiaomi is exploring, and the SIM/microSD card would make for an interesting one, especially with the future 5G network roll out, which is planned across the world.
It would appear though that the 5G SIM/microSD card is not really a new technology in China market. In May last year, telecom operator China Unicom had partnered with Ziguang Group and introduced what was called as a 5G Super SIM.
This 5G Super SIM came with the ability to store data as well, and it came in options of 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB, though the company also announced plans for bringing 512GB and 1TB storage variants soon.
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China Unicom’s 5G Super SIM gave customers the option to store their photos, videos, and other data on the SIM. It could also serve as a backup when moving to a different device. The company was also promising enterprise-grade encryption with this Super SIM, according to reports.
SIM storage as an idea is not new as such. Earlier on in feature phones the storage space was limited in most SIM cards. Users had the option of saving their contacts, etc to either the SIM or the phone’s storage, given both were often limited. But with smartphones now sporting bigger on-board storage, SIM storage is not something that users really think about so much.
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One reason for companies exploring the SIM/microSD card option is the advent of 5G technology, which is expected to increase data consumption and could see users requiring a lot more space in order to store heavier video files, etc.