Apple is reported having been working with SIM-card manufacturer Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would allow consumers in Europe to buy a phone via the web or at the Apple Store and get the phones working using Apple's App Store. It is rumored that once the SIM is integrated into iPhone, customers will be able to choose their carrier at time of purchase at the Apple web site or retail store, or buy the phone and get their handset up and running through a download at the App Store instead of visiting a carrier store or calling the carrier.

The new SIM, as noted, “is embedded in a chip that has an upgradeable flash component and a ROM area. The ROM area contains data provided by Gemalto with everything related to IT and network security, except for the carrier-related information. The flash component will receive the carrier related data via a local connection which could be the PC or a dedicated device, so it can be activated on the network. Gemalto will provide the back-end infrastructure that allows service and number provisioning on the carrier network.”
Besides, the new SIM could also enable users to roam across regions and obtain service without requiring a unique SIM for each different location.