How to cut the micro-SIM into a nano-SIM

Since the iPhone 5 is already out in the gray market, we managed to get a nano-SIM from a Globe Store a couple of days ago. They sell it for Php40 for prepaid or you can get a free replacement SIM if you’re on postpaid. Smart still doesn’t sell any nano-SIM so we had to cut a micro-SIM to be able to try it on the iPhone 5.

So we bought a SmartBro micro-SIM for Php150 and tried to cut it down into the nano-SIM size.

We got this toolkit (originally a manicure kit) as a token from one of the previous Sony events we attended (which finally found its worth as a SIM cutter).

From the kit, what we needed was just the nail cutter, the nipper and the filer.

Since there isn’t any actual template we can use to make the markings, what we did was just snip off all of the plastic portions of the micro-SIM, leaving just the gold-metal surface exposed.

You can switch between the nail cutter and the nipper when cutting out the plastic portion of the SIM. Just be careful not to damage the metallic part.

If the edges of the cut-out is still rough, use the nail filer. You can rub the filer against the rough edges to make it more even and smoother. Don’t worry about hitting the metal strip a bit since it won’t really damage it.

That’s it. The final remaining SIM will actually be a little smaller than the actual nano-SIM. However, once you place it on the cradle, the metallic touch points will still fit just right and the iPhone 5 will now be able to detect the SIM card.

This should work just fine if you have a Smart postpaid account and they can’t sell you a nano-SIM yet. The cut-out SIM still works on some smartphones that uses SIM trays since all you need to do is adjust the metallic surface to the 4 connectors on the tray.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

9 Comments

sean says:

9 years ago

i also tried this method sa iphone6 pero prang naapektuhan ung quality ng signal nklgay no service almost all the time..nadamage ko cguro ung metal part during the cutting process..so bumili nlng ako ng nano sim..haha
- Reply
kanzchu says:

12 years ago

just buy a sim card puncher..
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Rayvermaya says:

12 years ago

Nice technique!
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007 says:

12 years ago

How can we know the correct orientation of the sim when placing it inside the phone?
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bojo says:

12 years ago

Greenhills already sells nano sim cutters,
and Yuga, for your reference dude:
http://www.airportal.de/nanosim/
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Wreek888 says:

12 years ago

Can we also cut the regular size sim?
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ramillav says:

12 years ago

I reckon SMART can do it for you, too, in their Wireless Center.
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