Apple's nano-SIM proposal has Motorola, Nokia, RIM unhappy

The nano-SIM is about to be approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), but this simple vote on a telecommunications standard won't be all that simple. According to a report from The Financial Times, the technical details behind this next-generation SIM is turning into a battle between Apple on one side and Motorola, Nokia and RIM on the other.

The dispute centers on Apple's insistence that the nano-SIM standard use a drawer-based design, similar to the micro-SIM design used in the current iPhone and iPad. Nokia, Motorola and RIM, however, have a competing design they claim has "significant technical advantages."

Even though most European carriers are siding with Apple, Motorola, Nokia and RIM are afraid that Apple wants to control the standard. This battle doesn't come down to technology per se, but votes, and Nokia has the most votes in the ETSI with 92. Apple has 45 votes, but is reportedly trying to significantly increase it voting power before next week's ETSI meeting.

[Via Engadget and The Verge]