MicroSimCard
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nano-SIM's flimsy form factor poised to frustrate fleshy-fingered phone users forever
Most of us feel the average Subscriber Identity Module card is too small for our sausage-like digits, device makers loathe giving up that amount of space to an oversized plastic rectangle. Efforts to slim it down have been underway for ages, which is why some smartphones come with a micro-SIM, the easy-to-hold outer rim chopped off to make space for bigger batteries inside your device and to ensure your greasy fingers get all over the metal contacts. Sadly, it's time to wave goodbye to the idea of operating a smartphone without electron-tweezers, thanks to Giesecke & Devrient's new nano-SIM. The German fathers of the technology have shrunk the whole operation down to a 12mm x 9mm rectangle that's a third smaller than the micro-SIM and 60 percent smaller than the classic model: and as if to show off, it's also 15 percent thinner, too. The company will be exhibiting the chips tomorrow in Paris and has already sent initial samples to smartphone makers, expecting ETSI to sign off on the standard by the end of 2011 -- assuming they've been able to pick theirs off the table.
Does adjusting or trimming the iPhone 4's micro SIM fix the antenna issue? Probably not.
Ever since Apple decided to do little about the iPhone 4's pronounced reception issues except suggest that users hold the thing differently and / or buy a nice case, the voodoo engineering remedies have been flying in full force -- sure, we'll admit we tried sticking some tape over the side of our phone (no dice), but we stopped short when people suggested we try a couple coats of nail polish (insanity). Even we have limits, after all. But the latest snake oil fix is definitely the craziest we've heard so far: according to a 13-page (and growing) thread at MacRumors, the iPhone 4's reception issue can be fixed by adjusting or even trimming the micro SIM so the contacts don't touch the metal tray. The popular belief is that touching the side of the phone somehow shorts across the micro SIM, causing (mumble mumble) and leading to dropped signal. Making things more interesting, Apple and AT&T are apparently using several different types of micro SIMs, including one with a significantly larger contact area -- you can check a shot of two of our iPhone 4 micro SIMs side-by-side after the break. So does all this hocus pocus actually work? In a word, no. We tried it on a few of our particularly bad iPhone 4s -- the ones that consistently demonstrate the issue -- and achieved no meaningful results. We even went so far as to line the edge of one of our trimmed micro SIMs in electrical tape (pictured above) to ensure that no contact was being made, and we were still able to flatline the phone using the "death grip." Sorry folks -- we wanted this to work too, but it looks like people are just being hopefully optimistic. We'd say the real fix is going to have to come from Apple -- and given the growing discontent over this relatively severe issue, the sooner the better.
Cut My SIM does as its name commands
In case you haven't noticed, all the cool kids are using Micro SIMs nowadays. But help is at hand if you're stuck with an old and busted Module, thanks to this stainless steel SIM trimmer. Painfully simple to use, it accepts old school chips, smashes down on them with the full force of modernity, and spits out an appropriately streamlined Micro SIM. But wait, you can reverse the modification too -- just use the included "back to normal" kit to turn back time and restore compatibility with your dated gear. The first batch of 500 has already sold out, but the next is expected to ship by the end of this month at a price of $25 or just under €20, depending on where you reside. What else do you need, a written invitation?
How to create your own Micro SIM card using a chef knife and some scissors
We told you you could shave down your old and busted SIM cards and turn them into minty fresh Micro SIMs, didn't we? An industrious Londoner by the name of John Benson has gone and proven that concept with the help of some cutting implements and an original Micro SIM to use as a reference. His saintly patience resulted in his being able to negotiate the Vodafone SIM you see above into his iPad 3G (imported from the USA) and riding the waves of Voda's network as if Apple never decided to encumber its portable device with a silly new standard. The 3FF (Micro) SIMs and the bulkier original ones are electrically identical, so there's no threat of harm by using them interchangeably, though we can't say the same thing about the tools that get you there. As always, we advise trying to rope someone else into doing the work for you -- less chance of hurting yourself that way. Hit the source for more. [Thanks, Brandon]
