So let’s say you’re really excited to get a new iPhone 5, but you’re getting an unlocked one straight from Apple. Problem: your current microSIM won’t fit. What to do?! Well you can hack your normal SIM down to size, if you’re desperate.
Just like you could hand-modify a miniSIM to be a microSIM, it’s not impossible to get a microSIM to fit the nano form factor. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Mini to micro wasn’t too bad because it was just a matter of height and width; you just have to do some chopping. Nanos, on the other hand, are 12 per cent thinner than their predecessors. Fixing this problem is a little rough.
John Chan at CNET explains:
I will need to pare down 0.12mm on my micro-SIM so that it will fit. After a few minutes of sanding with some sandpaper (240 grit, for those who care), it was finally down to 0.70mm. …Do note that in the process, the fine dust from the sanding smells terrible and may irritate your nose, so wear a face mask if you are going to attempt this.
Sanding down the plastic side doesn’t really hurt the card in any functional sense, but the bad-smelling fine plastic dust should be enough to scare you off. On top of that, the sanding might not actually be necessary. It’s impossible to tell, because iPhone 5s aren’t floating around yet. That being the case, just chill out, take a walk, pet a puppy, use your current smartphone for a little while longer, and wait for an adaptor that can save you the trouble and the risk of damage, to all parties involved. [CNET via Cult of Mac]