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Ask HN: Why aren't phones software?

6 points by Toenex ↗ HN
I've recently started using my phone providers software app to make and receive calls and texts from other devices and it has wondering why we aren't phones purely software and the handsets generic? I can see we need to replace the sim card with a software key and I get that the provider is subsidising the cost so wants a lock-in period but are these the only things?

14 comments

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mobinni
Because like all things, people love options. Consumerism would fail if everything was generic.
Toenex
Surely I'd have more options if I could use any handset?

I'm a computer literate guy but I still end up carrying 2 handsets - one work, one personal - most of the time because the handsets aren't truly generic.

AndrewDucker
What do you mean generic? People like different screen sizes, are willing to pay different amounts for different amounts of storage, processor speeds, etc.
Toenex
I mean pick up my wife's phone, log in and now it's mine.
AndrewDucker
Aaah, Android can do a lot of that. The latest versions support multiple user logins, so you can share a phone other than the (which you'd have to swap).
notahacker
Don't you think the people that make the hardware and sell the contracts with shiny new phone bundled to justify the price would much rather you had 2 handsets?

If you were really determined to have an instantly portable number and contact list then there are VOIP apps which are accessible on most phones...

hiepnv
:D, so you need to write down that key or remember it when you want to use on another device

or if that key is provided somehow,such as pushing a request to provider to get it using internet, then what happened when there is no connection but gsm

or imagine when you use that key for few devices? what will be your main device and you want to suspend the others?

Many problems must be solved if you'd like to use a key instead of a SIM card :D

Jacen
SIM cards are used for authentication on the network. Using a dedicated encryption chip is this only way to ensure authentication, software keys are too easy to steal.

Today, any device with a sim card reader and GSM antenna may be used as a phone: computers, tablets, and so on. I don't know where you live, but, in many country, today, you can buy phone service without a phone, and with no lock-in period.

Toenex
Here's a scenario. I need to make a call but my phone is out of charge. "Here use mine." you say as you hand me your handset. I login on your handset, make my call, logout and hand it back to you. The call came from my number, charged to me I just happened to use your handset.
mattmalin
This is the current system, but with "use this physical item, the SIM card, to login".

This does assumes that the replacement phone in question is unlocked so can work on the other SIM card, but is certainly something that many people do quite often.

Toenex
and that I have my sim card with me.
mattmalin
Agreed, not an equivalent system.

Another scenario where this causes issues that a login equivalent can improve: imagine losing your phone including SIM card. This then causes a full interruption of all services tied to that phone number including actual phone service, and SMS, until the SIM is replaced. This usually takes hours/days depending on your location or carrier.

The other big difference in just swapping out sim cards is the need for a full phone reset and the interruption to the service of whomever you're borrowing the phone!

Toenex
Yep, essentially lots of 'not quites' with the current system.

I want phone-as-easy-as-email. I logon and immediately calls are routed to that device and I can pick up voicemail, make calls and send texts. If I have another phone account I can use the same handset to log into that account at the same time and all calls to that number get routed to the device as well. If the device has radio hardware (such as phone handset) it uses the radio network otherwise it uses wifi or whatever other network comms that device has. When I logout it all stops.

As a customer that's the interface to 'phone' that I want. Phone is soft, not hard.

RogerL
Imagine 2.9 Billion phones with a login of 'password'.

SIMs are secure(ish). Hand typed passwords are not (no one want to memorize and type a 20 character password formed from a mix of upper/lower/numbers/symbols).

(yes, sims are hacked and cost carriers billions. hacking sw passwords is a lot easier).