Nokia “not aware” of any Apple patents essential to its Nano SIM proposal

Once again, the Finnish cell phone giant Nokia is opposing Apple’s proposal for a new requirement related to the emerging Nano SIM card standard, dated back to 2011. According to a rumor yesterday, Apple wants to license its version of the Nano SIM to others royalty-free in exchange for any Nano SIM-related patents held by other companies.

Today, Nokia said in a statement it does not know of any Apple patent related to the iPhone maker’s Nano SIM variant. Essentially, Nokia just slammed Apple’s recent strides aimed at promoting its Nano SIM variant ahead of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s (ETSI) ruling later this week…
According to IDG News Service, a Nokia spokesperson said in an email statement:

We are not aware of any Apple Intellectual Property which it considers essential to its nano-SIM proposal. In light of this, Apple’s proposal for royalty-free licensing seems no more than an attempt to devalue the intellectual property of others.

Nokia also opposed Apple last week by arguing its Nano SIM proposal is technically superior to an Apple-backed solution which requires a tray, meaning phones would need to be re-engineered with this in mind. It’s interesting how Nokia and Apple are both going out of their way aggressively pursuing their respective proposals.

Roughly a third smaller than the Micro SIM utilized on the iPad/iPhone 4/4S, the Apple-backed Nano SIM is basically a Micro SIM stripped of all the plastic, as seen in the below image.

Apple-backed Nano SIM. Source: The Verge

But because it still has the same length as the width of current Micro SIMs, Apple’s Nano SIM risks jamming if users tried to force it into devices, leading to card and product damage, Nokia argues. On the other hand, Nokia’s solution has different dimensions from today’s Micro SIM cards.

Yes, Apple’s solution is thought to benefit the design of the upcoming sixth-generation iPhone, but what’s Nokia up to with their Nano SIM proposal, also backed by RIM and Motorola?

ETSI will discuss Nano SIM proposals later this week at the Smart Card Platform Plenary conference in Sophia Antipolis, Southern France.


Australian Government to sue Apple over “misleading” 4G iPad name

Well this isn’t too surprising. TheNextWeb is reporting that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced plans to file a lawsuit against Apple in the next 48 hours regarding its “misleading” iPad WiFi + 4G advertising.

As most of you know, the wireless version of Apple’s new tablet is indeed compatible with 4G networks here in the US and in Canada. But in other countries, including Australia, the slate is limited to 3G data speeds and, if available, HSPA+…
The ACCC believes that since the new iPad can’t connect to 4G mobile data networks in Australia, the name “iPad WiFi + 4G” is inaccurate and misleading to consumers. So it plans to take action.

Before we go any further, it’s worth noting that Apple has added a warning to its website regarding the 4G iPad model to help clear up any confusion. It reads:

“The iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G model can roam worldwide on fast GSM/UMTS networks, including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA. When you travel internationally, you can use a micro-SIM card from a local carrier. You can also connect to the 4G LTE networks of AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada.”

But is this enough to keep consumers from expecting the WiFi + 4G iPad model to run on 4G networks in their home country? The ACCC doesn’t seem to think so.

According to the report, the Commission is expected to file an application in federal court in Melbourne tomorrow, and is seeking injunctions, penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers who were misled.

What do you think? Should Apple remove the term “4G” from new iPad advertisements outside of the US and Canada?


Apple to add Baidu as default iOS search engine option in China

If Apple’s multiple mapping firm acquisitions and recent iPhoto makeover haven’t convinced you that the company is trying to distance itself from Google as much as possible, maybe this will.

Sina Tech is reporting that it has learned that Apple is looking to add Baidu, China’s market-leading internet search company, as a default search engine option in iOS. So long Google…
According to the report, the Baidu integration is expected to make its way to Chinese devices via a software update. And users could see the new firmware as early as next month.

As TheNextWeb points out, the move is far from shocking. Baidu is responsible for a staggering 83.6% of internet searches in China, so making it a default search engine option in iOS makes sense. Also keep in mind that Apple has offered Bing and Yahoo as Google Search alternatives for quite some time now.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it, this could spell serious trouble for Google’s mobile search business in China. It’s already trailing its competitor by 60%. And once Baidu is integrated into iOS — which sees more devices activated in China than in the US — it’s going to be even harder for Google to gain ground.


If approved, Apple will license its Nano SIM to others royalty-free

Last week, we told you about two opposing proposals concerning the emerging Nano SIM standard. An Apple-backed solution requires a tray so phones would need to be re-engineered with this in mind. It is largely believed to benefit the ultra-thin design of a sixth-generation iPhone.

The other proposal is led by Nokia and backed by Motorola and RIM. It calls for a Nano SIM variant that doesn’t require a tray and is even smaller than Apple’s. The two camps had tabled their proposals to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and now a report has emerged claiming that Apple’s solution, if approved, will be offered on a royalty-free basis to any industry player…
According to the patent blog FOSS Patents and its author Florian Müller, Apple is willing to license all related patents concerning the Nano SIM standard to the other members of ETSI, royalty-free. Apple has allegedly sent a letter to those members confirming this. The company is said to ask in exchange any patents essential to nano-SIMs held by other companies.

Müller explains:

A perfectly reliable source that I can’t disclose has shown me a letter dated March 19, 2012 that a senior Apple lawyer sent to ETSI. The letter addresses the primary concern of critics of the proposal. The FT said that “the Apple-led proposal has caused some concern among its rivals that the US group might eventually own the patents”. But Apple’s letter has removed this roadblock, if it ever was any, through an unequivocal commitment to grant royalty-free licenses to any Apple patents essential to nano-SIM, provided that Apple’s proposal is adopted as a standard and that all other patent holders accept the same terms in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.

The development comes just as ETSI is scheduled to discuss Nano SIM proposals later this week at the Smart Card Platform Plenary conference in Sophia Antipolis, Southern France. Roughly a third smaller than the Micro SIM utilized on the iPad/iPhone 4/4S, the new Nano SIM helps mobile devices shrink in size or implement additional functions.

Last week, Nokia opposed Apple’s proposal and issued a lengthy statement basically arguing “Apple’s proposal does not meet all of the pre-agreed requirements” for ETSI’s planned Nano SIM. The Finnish cell phone giant believes that “our proposal has features which would make it easier for consumers to insert and remove the SIM without damage”.

Apple first submitted a new Nano SIM requirement to the European Telecoms Standards Body back in 2011. Carrier AT&T in the United States has publicly backed the Nano SIM initiative. Whichever way you look at it, looks like the miniaturized Micro SIM is already on its way out.

Are you excited about the prospect of an even smaller and thinner SIM card freeing up the valuable space inside your iPhone 5, said to be a major redesign?