What is SIM ?

Nowadays, everything is stored in your phone, or in the cloud. So there’s really no need to complicate the SIM’s usage – let the small fella focus on his one true job, which is to identify you (so that telcos can bill you).

If a SIM is outside these preferred networks it uses the first or best available network.

In 2014, alongside the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4, Apple unveiled Apple SIM, a way for the company to offer dynamic network choice to its customers without the hassle of getting SIMs from multiple carriers.

You’ve seen it in films and honestly, it’s pretty scary if it were to happen to you in everyday life. Can people truly track you down just by knowing your number that’s attached to your SIM?

ICCID is the identifier of the actual SIM card itself - i.e. an identifier for the SIM chip.

Apple SIM allows iPad owners to connect to compatible networks in over 180 countries; in the U.S., those carriers include AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

It all actually doesn’t really come down to your SIM, but in fact to the mobile phone tower that’s closest to you. If you’re in a place where the local mobile phone mast is too busy, you’d be pinged off the second nearest mast or the next in line.

Nowadays ICCID numbers are also used to identify eSIM profiles, and not only physical SIM cards.

Though the Apple SIM is manufactured by Apple, you still purchase plans from a specific carrier using your credit card — there's no iTunes billing option.

The only thing that’s truly handy in tracking down is probably the app “Find my iPhone”, which is pretty useful for when you’ve lost your iPhone again for the almost 100th time. Google’s also got its own version called Find My Device, too!

Each SIM is internationally identified by its integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID).

The beauty of Apple SIM is its ability to interface with multiple networks: If your local providers support it, you can swap between network plans depending on which one makes the most sense for your needs; for example, you can swap between Sprint and T-Mobile if you go from a Sprint-heavy part of the country to someplace where T-Mobile's network reigns

But if you’ve watched Designated Survivor, you’ll know that tracking you down doesn’t even require you to hold on to a physical device; algorithms can predict where you are at any moment.

ICCIDs are stored in the SIM cards and are also engraved or printed on the SIM card body during a process called personalisation

And let’s just say that algorithms are often more accurate than your phone #justsaying

When traveling internationally, you can also use Apple partners GigSky, AlwaysOnline Wireless, and au to purchase per-day or per-megabyte bundles to save on roaming costs.

The IMSI is the abbreviation for International Mobile Subscriber Identity, which is actually a one-of-a-kind ID that’s used to connect the person who’s dialling up your number to your phone, and not someone else’s.

The ICCID is defined by the ITU-T recommendation E.118 as the Primary Account Number.

The 9.7-inch iPad and iPad mini include the Apple SIM in the nano SIM slot at purchase, but you can always swap it out for a different carrier SIM if you so choose.

It’s very technical, but let’s just say that it’s a number that’s tagged to you. Sort of like an international NRIC number.

All iPad Pro models, in contrast, have an empty nano SIM slot and an additional embedded Apple SIM card: As a result, you can use the embedded Apple SIM if you choose, or pop in a new SIM without losing access to Apple SIM's carrier-switching features.

This SIM helps iPad owners to use multiple networks. You can swap between one plan to another, and even save on roaming costs while you’re travelling. Sounds like a dream now, doesn’t it?

Its layout is based on ISO/IEC 7812. According to E.118, the number is up to 22 digits long, including a single check digit calculated using the Luhn algorithm. However, the GSM Phase 1 defined the ICCID length as 10 octets (20 digits) with operator-specific structure.

It’s basically a SIM card for tablets, which if you think about it, would make perfect sense: nowadays, people have a phone and a tablet. So each of us would have two SIM cards, and this helps to make sure you’re not wasting data on just one of them.

Bet you never knew that one tiny thing could have so many unknown factors tagged to it.