Smart watch Samsung Gear S2 classic 3G: the first product supporting eSIM standard

    Welcome iCover Blog Readers ! On February 18, 2016 in Barcelona, ​​Samsung Electronics announced the Gear S2 classic 3G, the first product on the user market within the GSMA Consumer Remote SIM Provisioning architecture with support for the eSIM (Embedded SIM) standard. Unlike a traditional SIM card, eSIM integrated at the hardware level allows the owner of a smart watch, smartphone, tablet to avoid the strict contractual restrictions of the “native” operator and switch to the priority network immediately after it is registered with the device. One of the most promising areas, allowing you to maximize the potential of the eSIM standard, is, of course, IoT.

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    eSIM, “Embedded SIM” or “Embedded SIM-card”, in comparison with the “classic” removable SIM-card, has a number of serious advantages, and one of the main differences is the ability to remotely control (reprogram) “over the air”, including the ability to change of mobile operator.

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    The introduction of a standard based on eSIM technology creates opportunities for the development of a single user interface using M2M communications (Machine to Machine). In this regard, according to Samsung, eSIM technologies within a single specification will be a powerful incentive for the development of the Internet of things market and their promotion to the global market. Moreover, thanks to the integrated eSIM, the cellular network of operators can be used to connect many devices of a new type, such as home and industrial electricity, water and heat meters, on-board car computers, security alarms, etc. And in accordance with the forecasts of the GSMA association, the number of such devices integrated in one form or another in the global mobile network by 2020 will reach 12 billion.


    About the eSIM standard through the mouth of its developers

    As we have already mentioned, the announcement of the first device on the market that provides eSIM support took place on February 18 in Barcelona. Weare not talkingabout global support for the still very young eSIM ( Embedded SIM )standard. At the same time, promoting the new product, Samsung timed to announce the already signed contracts with the largest players in the mobile market - operators Orange, M1 Limited, SingTel, StarHub Ltd., Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Vodafone Group and SIM card vendors Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient , Oberthur Technologies.

    “We strive to anticipate the needs of our users and our first product, with eSIM support, is one example of the importance of this priority,” said Yunsang Park, senior vice president of R&D at Samsung's Mobile Communication Business Management ... “We are pleased to introduce Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G is not only a starting point for the development of a new standard for connecting devices, but also as a step forward in our desire to support the development of the IoT market. In turn, the new standard for our customers is a step forward in terms of security and new opportunities for free choice of operators. ”

    One of the tasks of Samsung in promoting the product is the widest possible coverage of regions and the availability of the standard to most of the company's customers. “We worked closely with leaders in the mobile industry to create a global, compatible, unified and comprehensive solution that allows consumers to remotely connect their devices to mobile networks. This is only the first step, opening up new and exciting prospects for the IoT market, ”said Jean-Christophe Tisseuil, President of SIM, GSMA.

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    An interesting opinion about the prospects of the eSIM standard of a number of leading mobile operators - Samsung partners, reflected in the company's press release:

    “Orange welcomes the emergence of an alternative way for a client to access mobile devices. We are pleased that our customers, using the Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G smart watch, will be able to even forget their mobile homes while maintaining network availability. The distribution of connected devices with cellular support for several operators is a very important stage of the work carried out by us and our partners together with Samsung towards the development of a unified architecture using eSIM, ”says Yves Maitre (Orange).

    “Telefónica is encouraged by Samsung's success in promoting wearable products with new capabilities. We intend to continue supporting GSMA initiatives, and, together with Samsung, to develop the eSIM standard as a promising way to securely and securely connect to the next billion M2M devices. ”- Francisco Montalvo (Telefónica) shares its plans.

    “We are encouraged by the fact that TeliaSonera has become part of an initiative to provide an even higher level of service and comfort in the use of mobile devices by our customers. The interconnection of products and services in the world of mobile technologies is growing stronger every day, and we are interested in our customers being able to use them fully and on their own terms. The eSIM standard is an important step in this direction, ”said Jesper Hedblom, Head of Sales at TeliaSonera.

    “The new standard of use proposed by GSMA will allow customers to connect Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G devices to Vodafone's fast and reliable networks. SmartWatch can be easily added to the Vodafone user package, allowing our customers to confidently connect to the network even while jogging when the smartphone is left at home, ”commented Patrick Chomet of the Vodafone Group.

    “The launch of the Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G sets the bar for SmartWatch in terms of connectivity and customer service. Using eSIM, on the one hand, opens up the possibility for safe and remote management of mobile subscriptions using smart watches, on the other hand, it greatly simplifies the promotion of Samsung products with eSIM support and GSMA specifications around the world, ”said David Buhan, Senior Vice President Gemalto Customer Relations Department.

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    Based on the information provided in the press release, the Samsung Gear S2 Classic 3G smart watch with eSIM support will be available in the networks of the listed operators and in free sale starting in March of this year. Information on the cost of new items is not yet available. As for the technical characteristics, here the manufacturer introduced sufficient clarity. The model will be equipped with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a display resolution of 360 x 360 pixels. Dust and moisture protection are maintained at the level of IP68. The gadget's functionality is provided by a 2-core chip with a clock frequency of 1 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, and a flash drive with a capacity of 4 GB. Supported technology NFC, Bluetooth 4.1., Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / e. The built-in battery capacity is 300 mAh. As an operating system, the proprietary Tizen OS is preinstalled.

    In addition to Samsung, LG, Huawei and Microsoft have already announced their support for the transition to the new standard. The final consensus with Apple seeking its own technical solution has not yet been reached. It is worth recalling that Apple introduced its own SIM card for the latest generation of iPad, which provides users with the opportunity to choose their mobile operator and the tariff directly out of the box in 2014. However, only a few operators supported this initiative: T-Mobile and AT&T in the USA, as well as EE in the UK, where Apple SIM has not yet become widespread.

    According to the preliminary plans of the GSMA association, the specification of eSIM for smartphones will appear in June this year. However, despite the priority in the dissemination of integrated eSIM technology, the abolition of traditional removable SIM cards in smartphones has not yet been planned.

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