Samsung's 1GB S-SIMTM: your GSM SIM and 1GB storage, combined

So you picked up your GSM-variety LG KG800 Chocolate phone to find it not only missing the 850 band, but it also suffers from a paltry 128MB of on-board memory (without any type of expansion) making the whole media aspect of the phone relatively pointless. Well check it tri-bander, 'cause Samsung is ready to boost your storage via the ol' SIM slot by coupling 1GB of NAND flash with a traditional SIM without upping the size of the card. Yes, that makes the 1GB S-SIMTM card yet another "world's biggest" for Samsung. No word on when these 1GB S-SIM (as they are generically dubbed) cards will be available or who might actually carry them. All we know is they they're on display right now at the Cartes 2006 show in Paris.

[Via Akihabara News]

[PEZ Posted Nov 15th 2006 4:30PM]

I remember this tech being posted about a while back. This is good stuff, although, in six monthhs, 1GB is going to look almost skimpy(?) What do you guys think?

[Fungflex Posted Nov 8th 2006 10:30AM]

I will agree that 1gb will look fairly skimpy compared to what they are doing with flash memory these days. However when you realize most current sim cards are only 64kb this is a giant leap forwards.

[PEZ Posted Nov 15th 2006 4:29PM]

Fung, that may be true, but it is the overall realestate that 64k takes up - which is miniscule to begin with. It is the reorientation of the card that still makes it seem skimpy. Take the micro-sd. Up to 2GB there, similarly sized, just boxier. We'll see.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 8th 2006 12:42PM]

Does this mean we can clone/consolidate multiple sim cards saved on one S-SIM card?

Chances are, probably not...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 8th 2006 1:36PM]

this is all well and good, but is there any software support for these in existing phones? do the media player apps know to look at the SIM as a possible location for media? doubtful.

The SIM card itself consumes much more real estate than microSD and is mostly plastic for stubby fingers to grab onto.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 8th 2006 2:42PM]

Hey! Leave my stubby fingers out of this!