Apple Delays Launching Of Digital Identity Cards And SIMs Until 2022, Why?

Apple delays rollout of state ID and digital SIM features in the US. (photo: doc. apple)

JAKARTA - Apple seems to be facing confusion. The reason is that the features of state ID cards and digital SIMs in the US, which are heralded to be launching soon, are rumored to be delayed until 2022.

According to a report obtained by MacRumors, Wednesday, November 24, the news is listed on the update page for iOS 15. The change comes after news broke that Apple was seeking tighter control over how states roll out the feature.

The feature was originally announced at WWDC 2021. Apple said that the feature would allow users to use the Wallet app to store digital IDs for use at airport security checkpoints.

As previously announced, this system will depend on the registered state. The company says Arizona and Georgia will be the first to allow citizens to add licenses to their phones.

The states of Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah will follow later. Earlier this month, a report also showed how tight Apple's contracts are with the states it chooses to lead the program.

CNBC International reported, stated in the contract seen from Georgia, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Kentucky, that Apple has sole discretion over how the states market the program.

Not only that, states are also required to report how successful they are, the launch date of the program, and even determine which devices they are allowed to mark as compatible. The state is also responsible for funding the program from public tax payments.

Beyond early 2022, Apple hasn't shared a specific release date for the feature. What's clear is that it won't be coming to iOS 15.2. The operating system update is currently in beta testing and does not include support for storing digital IDs.