Alright, well played, AT&T: you've sort of managed to undo Apple's unfortunate move of eschewing nearly two decades' worth of deeply-entrenched SIM card standards in favor of a new one that literally nobody in the consumer cellphone world is using -- and for that, we thank you. We're being told that these new SIMs
are now being sold in AT&T stores for $15 and will work both with the
iPad 3G and... well, literally every other GSM device you've ever owned, thanks to a couple of well-placed perforations that can turn the standard SIM into a
micro SIM. This is presumably a preemptive strike to support the
next-gen iPhone, too, but otherwise, you can go ahead and use the big card without busting out the little one. Trust us.
Update: Our tipster wrote back in to say that they're actually not being sold in stores yet, so if you've formed a line outside your local brick-and-mortar, go ahead and turn in for the evening. Sorry, folks!
posted April 29th 2010 1:21AM
Anything to support the next iPhone, I'm in favor for.
@derekdevine
I hope your being sarcastic...
@abedinthehouse Yea.
@abedinthehouse
Question to those in the know (unless this thread's lost it's popularity already... in which case this comment shall sit here in the dust).
But would requesting a data only iPad sim (and of course, activating it) allow me to use it with whatever 3G capable AT&T phone i choose with no trouble at all? Or would the higher ups realize it and hunt down my (hypothetical) account and rain on my data-only loophole parade. As far as I know, this would be my only way of going about this... I'm already with T-mo and have no intention of leaving them, but I'd love to expand my options and try out some other stuff without having to pay for an extra phone number that i have absolutely no need for. Any help would be appreciated... though all I can offer at the moment are +1s and internets. Thanks!
How To Make Your Own iPad/iPhone MicroSIM:
http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/how-to-make-your-own-ipad-micro-sim-681020
@Sax25
That's crazy... now I know there's just no point. Why do micro sims even exist?
So... no one able to answer? Not even the top echelon of Engadget? Ziegler? Topolsky? Breakin' my stones here man :(
@skyblaze That's an interesting idea. Basically, you're getting unlimited tethering for $30/mth. I wonder if it would work - I don't see why not. The worst that could happen is that your account gets shut off, right?
Guys, there is a way to use microSIM card in every mobile phone, and not only in the Iphone 4 or Ipad! I heard there is a thing called micro sim adapter. Basically, you put your microSIM card inside it and use it in any phone. I googlesearched it and found it here: www.gomicrosim.com They say it costs 4.5 EUR. They also seem to offer the sticker guide to cut the regular simcard into the microsim. IMHO their price and quality is the best so far.
Wow AT&T helping consumers when apple fucked us? Isn't it usually the opposite?
@Zeroexe43
Yeah just like they "fucked us" when "forcing" everyone to use USB keyboards and mice, vs PS/2 - yeah you go on spewing shit everywhere, little baby.
@Zeroexe43 .. How did Apple fuck anyone ? .. The iPad 3G isn't even being sold yet so it doesn't affect anybody.
Not to mention that Apple isn't exactly stupid. I am pretty sure they have been working with the carriers to get the SIMs ready for launch.
@ISEPIC
For the sake of historical accuracy I feel compelled to point out that Macs never used IBM's PS/2 connector. Prior to their adoption of USB, keyboards and mice were connected via the proprietary Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port.
@taligent
First gen iPhone 4 mm headset? The micro sim in general so we cant put the iPhone one into it, flash on iPad, just saying they usually screw us in someway and AT&T kinda helped us here I guess the iPhone wont be exclusive to them anymore
@Plothole
for the sake of common sense, id like to point out not supporting PS2 is a pain in the ass because i cant just pop in an apple keyboard when im trying to boot my windows/linux whateverilike machine
@Zeroexe43 They just routed around Apple's two-year lock-in plan. That won't sit well with the money grabbers at Apple.
@Zeroexe43 .. Then just get an adapter. It is just an extra piece of plastic that is all:
http://microsim-shop.com/
@Punisher Plum
I have no such issue. It sounds like you're either using an older motherboard or otherwise don't have USB input enabled in your BIOS.
@Zeroexe43
MicroSIMs were designed to be backwards compatible from the very beginning. They all come like this. Even Vodafone here in New Zealand sells them in this format.
It's the new standard, eventually this will be the only type of SIM you can get.
@Plothole Another money making business -- although I like microsim as an innovation though. Reactions http://bit.ly/micro-sim-details
@melskohl
Hmm how is it another money making business? MicroSIM is a new standard and will start popping up in all kinds of new handsets within the next year or so, and any carrier can produce them so you will still get competitive prices. I really dont understand why people have a problem with this. Apple didnt invent MicroSIM, nor did AT&T. Carriers seem happy to support the new format too. Its win win tbh, have a look at the iphone 4g teardown, the MicroSIM takes less space givin more room for a battery, you may think it doesnt make much difference from the standard SIM card though every nanometer counts in electronics.
So...? Pointless post??
@think before you react
Not pointless, if you've ever bought a kirf phone with "dual sim" cards, you actually can have two carriers at once on the size of the original sim. They even show you how to on the instructions. Altough I'd rather call forward my number like a normal person
Actually now I'm considering to get the iPad 3G lol who wants a used wifi only?
@Zeroexe43
According to the last Engadget Show......no one.
Micro Sim has been standard in Europe for years.
@Discourse
No, it hasn't.
... Really? Wow. No it hasn't haha
@ISEPIC .. It has been part of the standard for a while. Just never used until now.
"The 3FF (micro SIM) is a size option that's fully acceptable and supported by the industry," said Jean-Louis Carrara, vice president of business development for telecommunications, at SIM card manufacturers Gemalto North America.
@Discourse
Eh? Which Europe is that then? The one I live in doesn't have any microsim's.
Yes, apple may have innovated and brought us some new fangled tech in the past but this one is just silly, it's not a technological advancement, it's just a smaller sim in a world where the Sim was small enough already..
The number of Sim swapping personal iphone users they will disable with this will be astounding.. And they've left themselves at the mercy of the rest of the [much bigger] mobile phone industry, who could choose to stay with the mini sim forever..
@ISEPIC I live in Estonia. My Nokia has used it since 2008.
@Doobry .. Calm down. You can cut a normal SIM card to turn it into a Micro SIM. So jailbroken iPhone users will still be able to swap SIMs as needed.
@taligent It's more to do with going the other way. SIM>MircoSIM is easy, you cut it. Going back to a normal phone after you get bored with your iPhone will be more of a pain now. I jumped ship last year. iPhone's too popular.
@Discourse. I do remember using them back back in the 50's.
I don't get it.
If you perforate it for a microSim slot, won't it then be unable to fit in a normal sized Sim slot? (Be too small, or be impossible to remove hahaha)
@Johnny Rockets
Im sure someone will come up with an adapter kind of like those micro SD card adapters.
@James .. Found this company that has them:
http://microsim-shop.com/
@Johnny Rockets Simple fix, Duct Tape...
Question: If the iPhone 4G will use this type of sim card, what will this mean for people who use a carrier not supporting it? Does it make any difference? Like, for example, if I bought a 4G iPhone here in the U.S, and then used it internationally on another carrier (by jailbreaking) would it be possible to use the normal sim cards provided by that carrier? Or am i forced to stick with carriers who provide the micro sims? (sorry for long ass question)
@Seven
Well i dont see how you would be able to fit a normal sized sim into a micro sim slot so im guessing you will be stuck on a carrier that has micro sims available. Im guessing that any cell company would go ahead and provide them if that is what it takes to get the iPhone on their network so at least one carrier per country will have them.
@Seven
Nope, only microSIMs will work with the iPad. You can't use any old regular SIM since obviously it would be too big to fit in the smaller microSIM slot.
@Seven Depends; if you have a normal sim, you just have to cut it to fit, without problems. If it's the other way, I'm sure an adapter will show up before you say China!!!
@jlarex
Meant to say iPhone not iPad, oops.
@Seven There is no such thing as iphone 4G as of yet. Apple does not use the xG as a way to describe the hardware generation but rather the network technology... and since we dont know whether or not the next iphone will be LTE capable, its silly to call it 4G.
@Bahumbug
Every generation of iPod would like to disagree with you.
$15? I have never paid for a SIM card with AT&T. Even for prepaid plans, they just give me the SIN chip for free.
The damn thing literally costs pennies to manufacture.
@pika2000
In Germany I paid 10 Euros for a sim card preloaded with 10 Euros of credit. Then I went to New Orleans where a mobile shop was charging $25 for AT&T SIM cards with no credit on them at all.
@pika2000
SIM cards are normally sold for around the $20 mark with any carrier (assuming they sell you one without a phone/service).
I know, I've bought several from AT&T and T-Mobile.
@abedinthehouse In the uk you can order packs of four sim cards online or you can go to most shops and buy them for a pound for 4 ? This micro sim is cool , but I don't actually understand what it does , it just looks like a smaller version of the sim I've got
@RioRyan LOL. Sounds like you were ripped off. I have bought pre-paid SIM cards with AT&T a couple of times, and at all those times, I only pay for the dollar amount I put in, the SIM chip is free.