Currently, some mobile phones already support eSIM technology so there is no need to install a physical SIM card. Long before eSIM technology existed, Steve Jobs apparently wanted the first iPhone not to have a physical SIM card slot.
This story was told by Tony Fadell, former VP of iPod at Apple, in an interview at the Computer History Museum event.
According to Fadell, during the early development process of the first iPhone, Steve Jobs opposed the idea of installing a SIM card slot in the iPhone because of his design preferences.
Fadell told how Jobs told the engineers and designers who worked on developing the iPhone that he didn't want another hole in the device.
The Apple founder used Verizon as an example to claim that an iPhone without a SIM card slot would work. Verizon at that time was known for its CDMA network and not GSM.
As is known, CDMA phones do not require a SIM card because they can be directly connected to the operator's network.
Fadell then recounted how he tried to convince Jobs using market data. He argued that using a CDMA network for the iPhone would not work because it had less adoption than GSM.
"So when you're working with people who are very opinionated, especially when they get the V1 right, and you have to fight them, make sure you bring the data," Fadell said, as quoted by 9to5Mac, Saturday (14/5/2022).
"And that we have to be a group, it can't be just one of them," he continued.
Steve Jobs was very involved in the development of the first generation iPhone. Previously, Fadell had told how Jobs wanted the first iPhone to have an iPod-style physical shape and buttons because the design of the music player was already very iconic.
Now that eSIM has become a fairly mainstream feature, there are rumors that Apple will eliminate the SIM card slot on iPhones in the next few years. Will Steve Jobs' dream come true soon?
