Difference between types of SIM cards. How to change SIM card size? What are the differences between modern SIM cards?
As everyone knows, Android is very power hungry. operating system. Under normal usage, the phone has to be charged every night, otherwise the next day you may suddenly be left without communication. In this regard, phone users resort to various tricks - when the phone is not needed, they turn on airplane mode, use the device only when minimum brightness screen, install programs that unload everything from memory, etc.
I don’t really like these machinations, because... The device must work at full capacity. The brightness level should be comfortable, performance should be high, and background synchronization should eliminate the need to check email, news, and messages on social networks with your hands.
But not so long ago I decided to slightly improve the situation with energy consumption by replacing an old-style SIM card with a voltage of 3.3 Volts with a new-style SIM card with a voltage of 1.8 Volts. It is not difficult to distinguish these two SIM cards - they have different contact pads.
How to replace a SIM card
Replacing a SIM is very easy. All you have to do is go to any sales office of your operator, write an application and wait 2 minutes until the card is ready. After half an hour you can already use it.
What did I want to get from the replacement?
To be honest, I wanted the phone to function in normal mode until the evening of the next day. Before replacing the SIM card, this didn’t work out in any way, the phone was constantly discharged when I was at work (i.e., it lasted no more than a day and a half with average use). And if I used the phone actively, the charge was only enough for 6-7 hours. This is even less than one working day.
List of my daily needs: FM radio (1 hour), book reader, player, weather forecast, Email, RBC news, Bashorg reader and Internet for little things. Sometimes, when you need to go somewhere after work, GPS and Yandex maps are very useful. Often some small programs are needed, such as a metro map (to calculate the time of arrival at the station) or train schedules.
What did I get from the replacement?
The phone's workday starts at 7:00 am when I wake up for work. On the first day of testing, an unpleasant glitch occurred - the application with the catalog froze during the day background pictures to the PicSpeed desktop. I discovered this freeze only after half an hour, during all these half an hour the application was actively using the processor, so even the next day it was in the top for consumption.
The phone was dead by the evening of the next day (not completely dead - 10% charge left)
The next test was more honest, because... there were more calls and at work I listened to music from my phone (this was not the case on the first day). The phone was also dead by the evening of the next day (15% charge)
It was possible to see how long the phone would last in the end (wait until the charge reached 5%), but I didn’t want to be left in the morning without communication and without an alarm clock.
At first, it seemed to me that the connection became worse, because... The phone could not find the 3G network at home. But at work I received the phone the same way as before (this is in our office, which is located in the basement, in which the archive of government agencies was located)
I caught it the same way as before, which means that the connection was only near the toilets and in the office where I work. There was no connection in other places. At home, 3G began to be caught a little less often, but I’m not inclined to blame the SIM card for this. Because There were no problems with 3G in other places.
Bottom line
In the end, I can’t say that I got a big gain in battery life. Of course, there is an increase, but the device does not reach two days of comfortable use.
But now you can easily get through the rest of the day even if you use your phone very intensively at work. This is already a plus.
None mobile device will not be able to work on the carrier's network without a small chip, usually called a SIM card. This is a small chip surrounded by plastic. It contains all the necessary data for the network, and also allows you to save some user information - for example, a list of telephone numbers.
The SIM card is an intermediate link between the subscriber and the telecom operator
There are several types of SIM cards, differing in size. And what? newer standard, the smaller the card. IN latest models Smaller SIM cards are increasingly being used, so when buying a new phone, the issue of adapting the SIM card becomes relevant. In this article, we propose to familiarize yourself with the standards of SIM cards, understand what the difference is between them and how to reduce them for use in a new device.
Types of SIM cards
There are three main formats: mini, micro and nano. What are they?
Mini-SIM
Standard card format. Used in most modern phones. In everyday life, the name without the prefix “mini” is popular. The dimensions of this card are 25×15 mm. It does not need to be adapted, even if it is more than one year old. Just insert and use.
Micro-SIM
Compared to the previous type, micro-SIM has smaller dimensions - 15x12 millimeters. First used in iPhone 4. Lately This format is increasingly being supported. When buying a new phone, it’s easy to cut it off from a regular SIM card.
Nano-SIM
The latest, smallest SIM card used in the latest iPhone models and iPad as well flagship models on Android. The nano-SIM looks like a chip without any plastic around it. The card dimensions are small - 12x5 mm, so it is more difficult to adapt from larger formats.
How to change SIM card size
There are several options for changing the size of a SIM card: order a new one from your operator, contact a telephone repair shop, or cut a regular card yourself. In the latter case, there is a risk of damaging the card due to inexperience, and then responsibility for its damage will fall on you.
Contact your telecom operator
The simplest and surest way. You just need to come to the communication store with your phone and passport and order a SIM card replacement service. You will receive a new card in the appropriate format, and your phone number, balance and connected services will be saved.
Recently, operators have been offering subscribers multi-format SIM cards that are suitable for all types of phones. Outer shell- this is a mini-SIM, from it you can use a nano-SIM along the indicated dotted line. You risk nothing and use communication services without any problems.
This service is completely free. In some cases, you need to pay a small amount, which will remain in your account. This option is offered by the operator Tele2.
Let's go to the workshop
If for some reason you cannot contact a communication shop or do not want to wait for a new card to be sent, then you can cut it at any workshop. This will be done using a device similar to a stationery stapler, into which a SIM card is inserted, and with one click the excess ends are cut off. This service is inexpensive, and in some workshops it is completely free.
Cut by hand according to the template
If the previous two methods are not available to you, try doing it yourself. To do this, you will need scissors, double-sided tape, a ruler, a pencil or felt-tip pen and the SIM card itself. You don’t have to calculate anything, just use the popular world wide web template. Download it from the link and print it at 100% scale on an A4 sheet. It can be used to make micro and nano-SIM.
- Using double-sided tape, carefully stick the SIM card onto the marked area, making sure that it completely matches the drawing. Don't press too hard, otherwise you won't be able to peel it off later.
- Draw long horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines with a pencil or felt-tip pen. The dimensions of the format you need will be marked on the SIM card.
- Trim the excess plastic as carefully as possible along the drawn lines.
- Using sandpaper or a file, carefully trim the cut areas and round the edge as indicated in the diagram.
- Remove the tape and insert the SIM card into the phone.
The whole process will take a few minutes, so take your time so as not to cut off too much. To make your work easier, there is a photo on the same template showing how to properly attach the SIM card. Don't be afraid, you will succeed.
Conclusion
Now you know how SIM card formats differ and how you can adapt them. Of course, contact a communication salon. But if you don't want to wait a long time, try cutting by hand using a template.
What SIM card format does your device support? How did you change the dimensions? Did you manage to do everything yourself? We are waiting for your answers in the comments.
Immediately after purchase new SIM card there is a need to activate it. Usually, the subscriber does not have to puzzle himself with this question, since the activation of the number is carried out by a sales consultant. However, this does not always happen, so many subscribers often think about how to activate a SIM card for Megafon, MTS, Beeline, etc.
This article will provide detailed instructions for subscribers of the Megafon operator. There are several ways to activate a new SIM card, and within the framework of this publication, the Internet assistant will introduce you to the most relevant ones today.
- Attention
If you are interested in how to activate a Megafon SIM card after blocking, we recommend that you immediately proceed to reading the article “”. Here you will also find instructions relevant for new SIM cards.
How to activate a Megafon SIM card from a phone, tablet or modem
Megafon's services are used by owners of phones, tablets and USB modems. Therefore, it is advisable to consider ways to activate a Megafon SIM card from a phone, tablet or modem. In principle, the methods for activating a number do not imply significant differences depending on the device used, however, there are still some differences, so we recommend using the instructions that are relevant to you. Also you can just paste new sim card into the phone, activate it, and then place it, for example, in the modem. Which option to choose is up to you, but we will consider them all in detail.
- Attention
In most cases, SIM card activation occurs automatically, immediately after the first call or access to the Internet (relevant for a modem). If this does not happen, use one of the methods below.
Activating a Megafon SIM card from your phone
Most often, the need to activate a megaphone SIM card arises among phone owners, so you should start with the methods that are relevant for of this device. Before activating a Megafon SIM card using one of the methods below, you should take into account the fact that the waiting period for number activation can take up to three days after concluding an agreement with the operator. Usually you don’t have to wait that long, but you should be aware of this feature.
You can activate your Megafon SIM card:
- Via USSD command;
- Through Personal Area;
- Through the contact center;
- Through the communication salon.
Let's look at each of the above methods in detail. 
Activating a SIM card on a tablet
In principle, to activate a SIM card on a tablet, you can use any of the above methods. Special attention should be paid to the process of activating the Megafon SIM card on the iPad.
To activate a megaphone SIM card on an iPad, follow these steps:
- Insert the SIM card into the tablet and turn it on;
- Connect your iPad to your computer;
- Launch iTunes and go through the simple registration procedure. After this, the SIM card will be ready for use.
Activating a SIM card on a USB modem
Megafon has provided the ability to activate a SIM card directly on a USB modem. First of all, you need to insert the modem into the computer and wait for the necessary installation to complete. software. After that, open any browser and enter the address lk.megafon.ru. In the page that opens, you need to fill in all the necessary fields, namely, indicate the phone number and PUK code of the SIM card that you want to activate. We mentioned earlier where to look up the phone number and PUK code. An example is shown in the picture on the right.
After logging into the self-service system, the number will be activated. You can also activate a SIM card for the modem using any of the above methods by inserting a SIM card into the phone, but this is not always convenient, so it is better to use the described method.
How to activate a blocked SIM card megaphone
The process of activating a new SIM card was described above. However, it often becomes necessary to activate a SIM card that has been blocked by the operator or voluntarily by the subscriber himself. We wrote a separate article on this topic, so here we will consider only the main points.
- Important
If the SIM card was blocked due to repeated incorrect entry of the pin code and then the puk code, then it will not be possible to restore the number.
You can activate a blocked SIM card:
- By replenishing your balance (if the reason for blocking is a large debt);
- By calling the Megafon operator at 8 800 333 05 50 ;
- Through your personal account;
- Megafon office.
This is where we will end this article. Now you know how to activate a megaphone SIM card. As you can see, there are more than enough options, and if the newly purchased SIM card was not activated automatically upon first launch, you can activate it yourself, following the instructions above.
At the end of May, the European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) will vote on a new SIM card standard, the so-called nano-SIM, which will be 20-35% smaller than the current micro-SIM used in the iPhone. Nokia Lumia and other devices. To answer the question, why else should they be reduced, let’s go a little deeper into history.
For any device to operate on any provider network, some kind of identifier is required. In the era of origin mobile communications served as this identifier unique number, which was assigned at the manufacturer, the so-called ESN (Electronic Serial Number). Switching from one operator to another was quite difficult, and sometimes even impossible without purchasing a new telephone. When purchasing a new device, it was necessary to come with it to the operator’s office to register it. This was extremely inconvenient, especially as the number of subscribers grew. Over time, mobile communications became available to almost everyone, and the number of devices began to grow continuously.
During development GSM standard engineers moved the subscriber identifier into a separate module, which they called SIM (Subscriber Identity Module). Essentially, a SIM card is a microcomputer that verifies the legitimacy of the equipment and registers the terminal on the network.
Let me remind you that on this moment Three types of SIM cards have been standardized
- SIM card size credit card(86*54mm). Appeared at the stage of formation of mobile communications of the GSM standard. Used in the then popular Motorola StarTAC series phones.
- Mini-SIM is a classic small SIM card measuring 25*15mm. Ubiquitous in the vast majority of mobile devices.
- Micro-SIM - a type of card popularized by Apple (15*12mm)
In the days of bricks, the size of SIM cards was of little importance, because... the equipment itself was quite large. External antennas, large batteries. For example, back in 1992, the first “handheld” GSM phone, Nokia 1011, measured 195 x 60 x 45 mm and weighed 475 g. Times changed, technological evolution moved forward, and the size of phones decreased. There was a need to reduce device components without compromising functionality. That's when it became necessary to reduce the size of SIM cards. All manufacturers began to switch to mini-SIM, the size of which was more than 12 times smaller than a standard SIM card. The emergence of mini-SIM was largely due to the race for phone sizes. Let's remember such phones as Panasonic GD55 or Motorola T191. These phones were so small that even the female half often experienced inconvenience in using them.
Now they are going to reduce the size of SIM cards again. There are four contenders for standardization. These are Nokia, Motorola, RIM ( trademark BlackBerry) and Apple. I'll tell you a little more about the SIM cards themselves.
Apple proposes to standardize a 12*9 mm SIM card, which will be held in devices using a special tray (which is already familiar to users of Apple gadgets), for which the company has received a patent. But Apple promised that if its decision was accepted, the company would license all patents needed for the standard for free.
Strongly against this decision made by the Motorola-Nokia-RIM alliance, which offered their own version of SIM cards, which are something similar to microSD cards and are held in the apparatus in exactly the same way. The sizes of SIM cards offered by companies vary slightly. Nokia offers a SIM card size of 10*8mm, while RIM insists on a size of 11*9mm. The fight for the standard is particularly fierce among Nokia, which has said it will not license its patents, which would be necessary if the European Institute chooses a solution as a standard. Apple.
The selection of the standard will be carried out by voting by ETSI members. At the moment, 759 organizations from 60 European countries are members of the institute. And there is another scandal associated with voting. RIM accused Apple of trying to influence the outcome of the vote by registering its employees as representatives of other companies that are members of ETSI. In addition, Apple is now registering subsidiaries in European countries that are also members of the institute. Currently there are 6 companies registered in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and Italy, while Nokia has 2 companies registered, Motorola has 3, and RIM is not represented at all. According to rumors, Apple will also be supported by telecom operators, but this is just a rumor. According to preliminary data, the vote should take place at the end of May, but there is no certainty that it will take place. Most likely, it will be postponed again and give time to the companies to come to an agreement among themselves.
Main question which may worry us, ordinary consumers- what does changing the size of SIM cards give us? Positive as well as negative sides quite difficult to find. With SIM cards getting smaller, phone sizes are unlikely to become smaller than they are now. Indirectly, this proves that no one except Apple was in a hurry to change mini-SIM cards to micro-SIM, although this standard was adopted long before appearance of Apple as a player in the market mobile phones. And no one will make phones smaller - on the contrary, the trend of increasing screen sizes, as well as phone sizes, cannot be ignored.
Some might say that this will free up space in the devices for other components. But the freed-up volume is so small that it can hardly be used effectively. Also, changing the standard is unlikely to affect the final cost of the device. The only thing that can cause us inconvenience is visiting the operator’s office to replace the SIM card when purchasing a new device, but this is done only once. And you are also unlikely to experience any inconvenience from replacing SIM cards. Remember when last time changed the SIM card.
Why is Apple trying to change the standard? This is understandable. They've already run it in this technology, only the size of the SIM cards will change. Perhaps in the future they will still license their technology with royalties. And there is no such thing as extra money. Why does the rest of the alliance need this? It seems to me that this is just to protect yourself from a possible monopoly by Apple and, of course, to make yourself known. As you can see, the “apple company” is opposed by players whose market performance has greatly declined over the past last years. Sales volume is steadily decreasing, revenue and profits are falling. My statement indirectly proves the fact that such “giants” as Samsung, HTC and Asus do not speak out on this topic at all.
In conclusion, I want to say that whatever the result of the vote, there will be no shocks in the market, and this will affect you and me to a lesser extent. And even more so, do not forget that in extreme cases, all sorts of adapters will appear, with the help of which you can easily insert SIM cards into one or another device.
Related links
Sahakyants Mikhail (
SIM card (English: subscriber identification module) is a subscriber identification module used in mobile communications.
With the development of technology in the mobile industry and the growing requirements for cell phones, there is a need to create new formats of SIM cards for phones.
This is due to the fact that the hardware of today's phone is becoming more and more complex, and the dimensions modern smartphones are getting smaller. Thus, manufacturers have to save as much space as possible when developing new phone models.
The picture clearly shows the differences different types sim cards. the biggest - full size sim(86.60x53.98x0.76). Few people saw the “big SIM card”; such SIM cards appeared in 1991 and were used at the beginning of development cell phones. most people are used to the next largest SIM card mini-sim(25x15x0.76), such a card appeared in 1996 and is installed in almost all GSM phones. next in size is micro-sim(15x12x0.76), 2003, this standard was introduced and is used in smartphones 4, 4s, as well as all the first iPad generations. the smallest card - nano-sim(12.30x8.80x0.67), this standard also introduced in October 2012 and used in phones starting with Smartphone 5 and ipad tablets mini.
Options for the next generation of SIM cards (5ff) are being developed, which probably will not be replaceable.
How to cut a SIM card for micro sim?
Having purchased new phone or tablet (for example, htc, smartphone or ipad), you may find that the standard SIM card does not fit it and in order to continue using your usual SIM card after purchasing a new device, you need to cut it off. The main chip remains in place, only the size of the plastic base is reduced. Do micro sim from regular SIM card It’s not difficult to do at home; you just need sharp nail scissors, a sharpened pencil, a ruler, sandpaper (or a nail file) and a little patience.
As mentioned above, a regular SIM card is a plastic rectangle with a chip with parameters of 25x15 mm. The dimensions of the micro SIM card must be 15x12 mm. Trim regular SIM card before the right size can be done as follows:
This method is also suitable if you need to cut microsim to nanosim.
If the SIM card after resizing is larger than necessary, this can always be corrected; if the size is significantly smaller, the SIM card will become impossible to use and you will have to change it to a new one.
The opposite situation is also possible - using a micro SIM card in devices with standard slots. To do this, you will need a special adapter for micro SIM cards, which can be purchased at any communication store. this way, your micro SIM card will become universal for most devices.
Do you want to use several SIM cards in your phone at once? Then buy yourself with cash on delivery.