Microsoft appears to be making its own SIM card for Windows 10 devices.
The news emerged as Microsoft quietly released a free app to the Windows Store called Cellular Data. The app is designed to enable Windows 10 devices to connect to the web even when out of Wi-Fi range, and seems to make use of various national mobile networks rather than signing you up to a single one.
Cellular Data will enable you to pay for a mobile data plan on Windows 10 devices using only your Microsoft account details. It seems that you will be able to buy a set amount of data, which expires after a certain time.
But the key element here is in the additional hardware requirements. According to the app listing, it has been “designed to work solely with specific Windows 10 devices and requires a Microsoft SIM card.”
There’s no such thing as a Microsoft SIM card, of course. At least, not yet there isn’t.
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There’s been no official announcement from Microsoft on this matter, and there’s no further pricing or availability details. But it seems clear that Microsoft is making its own SIM cards.
As The Verge points out, Microsoft could also be following Apple’s lead on this. The Apple SIM, which launched in 2014 alongside the iPad Air 2, is a virtual SIM system that enables you to sign up with multiple networks through a GUI rather than slotting in a specific physical card.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
