SIM cards will soon be a thing of the past in iPhones and Samsung phones

Farewell sweet SIM card.

The mobile phone industry is gearing up for what could be a hugely significant development as Apple and Samsung are reportedly planning to replace traditional SIM cards in their devices in the near future. According to Silicon Republic, both companies are in talks with the GSM Association (GSMA) over moves to replace the traditional SIM cards with electronic, embedded SIM cards that could have a huge effect on mobile operators. Were an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy, for example, to have an embedded SIM rather than a traditional one, consumers would not necessarily have to be locked into a plan with a specific mobile operator. Instead, they would be able to choose from a range of options when they buy a new device. What's more, with Apple's own embedded SIM cards in use in iPads in the UK (EE) and the US (AT&T and T-Mobile), it seems as if such a move might happen sooner rather than later. Major international mobile brands such as Vodafone, Orange, AT&T and Telekom are already said to be on board and the GSMA are thought to be on the verge of announcing an agreement to introduce a standardised embedded SIM on devices. Sure, we'll miss the joy of having to copy of all our contacts onto our SIM card before we're able to use it another phone*, but it's a move which is probably for the best. *will not actually miss it at all