Apple confirmed today that it has released an unlocked variant of its cellular iPad in Japan allowing users to buy the device and use it with their carrier of choice.
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Update: In a blog post prematurely posted on its UK website, Vodafone confirmed it has 500,000 nano-SIMs ready to go, while noting the “first devices have now been announced.” It also posted the images above showing off just how tiny the new SIMs are… approximately 40 percent smaller than micro-SIM.
They’re so slim and tiny you might only be able to handle them with tweezers – but imagine the extra space the new nano-SIM card frees up inside your handset…The first devices have now been announced – and Vodafone has now got 500,000 of the new 12.3 mm x 8.8 mm nano-SIMs in stock.
We told you that nano-SIMs was arriving at carriers last week ahead of this week’s iPhone launch when the first one was spotted at T-Mobile partners in Europe. Today, iFun reports that Vodafone Germany also has its SIM cards in stock and ready to ship in the next 24 hours:
After the nano-SIM sightings at Telekom and O2 internally distributed cards, on which we reported in the course of the forenoon were able to report that we are now sitting in front of confirmed nano-SIM shipments Vodafone.
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According to a translated report from Nowhereelse.fr, images of the tray for Apple’s new nano-SIM design started surfacing from China. In June, the ESTI was thought to have selected Apple’s new SIM card design for its 4FF standard, and reports from just last month claimed European carriers are stockpiling the new SIMs in anticipation of a next-gen iPhone launch. A smaller home button appears to also be present in some of the images, which of course lines up with previous leaks.
Presented as being designed to slip into the SIM card slot of the iPhone 5, this element seems in turn confirm that the next iPhone indeed adopt this new standard imposed by Apple. I take this article to drag other photos with us in passing a Home button which should equip the iPhone 5 and which is also slightly smaller than previous generations, details of which we heard last Friday.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijlPC2THVVI]
With the introduction of the new LTE iPad on Verizon and AT&T, many were wondering whether AT&T’s 3G network would work on a new Verizon iPad. According to a poster on the Mac Rumors forums, popping an AT&T SIM card into the Verizon iPad’s micro-SIM slot appears to work fine as long as you adjust the AT&T APN carrier settings. Of course, this does not mean you will be able to use AT&T’s LTE network on the Verizon iPad. However, if you already have an AT&T SIM for the iPhone, this is an alternative for data when LTE is not an option.
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Berlin-based Nova Media, best known for its OS X utilities for OEMs used by carriers like Vodafone, announced a new personal hotspot device today called “XYFI.” The thumb drive-sized device (80mm-by-23mm-by-12mm) connects to any USB port for power and allows you to insert a SIM card to share a 3G data connection with up to eight other devices. The XYFI is also completely configured through a browser, so the entire setup process can be done through an iPad or iPhone. It will also function as a regular Wi-Fi modem for your Mac and packs a microSD card slot for file sharing over the network.
Nova Media explained in its press release that the XYFI provides up to 5.76 Mbit/s upload speeds and 14.4 Mbit/s download on 3G. Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi is compatible up to up to 54 Mbit/s on 802.11 b/g networks. It also supports WPS and uses WPA, WPA2, and WEP. In the image to the right, we see the web-based interface will allow a user to hide the network SSID, create guest logins, and manage network settings.
You can buy the world’s smallest 3G Wi-Fi hotspot for 179 euros (around $234 USD) from Nova Media here.
The full press release is after the break.
