If we're still talking about patents today, here's an interesting one that could help iPhone users to choose a subscription according to your own needs when purchasing an iPhone terminal. The patent brings back to our attention the idea of launching an iPhone terminal compatible with any operator on the globe, a terminal that would not need a SIM card but would work simply by entering the data of a mobile phone subscription. Apple's patent describes a method by which iPhone owners could view the tariff plans of several mobile operators on the terminal and choose one of them to be used with their own device. Users could compare offers of minutes, internet or messages and choose only what suits their needs.
For example, some users may be interested primarily in voice plans, while others may need features like unlimited text messaging.
Based on a user's needs, Apple's system could assign a priority ranking to carriers and their respective configuration profiles, allowing users to easily find a plan and provider that is right for them.
The problem with this system lies in the fact that all this information must be stored in the terminal or on an Apple server, so either we will have outdated information or we will need an Internet connection to access an Apple server that would contain all the offers of the operators that sells iPhone terminals. The idea is not bad, but I don't know how useful it is, considering that purchasing a subscription directly from an iPhone would be impossible, so a trip to a mobile phone operator would be needed anyway.
My opinion is that a "world mode" device without a SIM card and compatible with any mobile phone operator in the world would represent a huge advantage for the company from Cupertino.
