How to cut a SIM card for a micro SIM at home

On older, non-touch phone models, and on many touch devices, there was a slot for large SIM cards. But in modern mobile devices the slot has become much smaller, and a regular card is no longer suitable.

When exchanging an old mobile device for a new gadget, there is no desire at all to purchase a new SIM card. You can visit the sales office of your operator and exchange your old SIM card for a new one, while keeping all available funds, tariff and connected options on it. But some users prefer to do everything themselves at home. Therefore, we present step-by-step instructions on how you can make a Micro-SIM from a regular SIM card.

Types of SIM Cards

Have you ever wondered why SIM cards are sold built into a large plastic base? Let's tell you a secret - once upon a time this was a SIM card! Yes, it’s so big and inconvenient, but phones at that time weren’t exactly small. Back then it was considered an achievement that a telephone could work wirelessly, and few people were interested in the size of the card with which calls could be made.

Parts, tools and consumables

The procedure itself is not that complicated, but it requires tools and materials.

SIM connectors

They are not inferior to USB connectors in terms of variety. In addition, some of them are located in the same housing with SD card slots. Usually sellers in radio stores sell such spare parts individually, but you can buy a whole set on AliExpress.

There are never any extra parts, and besides, there will be spare parts in case of repeated malfunction.

Tools and tweezers

You definitely need at least simple tweezers. We will use it to remove the broken connector from the board. To resolder the connector reliably and efficiently, you need a soldering station or soldering iron and a hair dryer with temperature control.

Consumables

You will need aluminum tape, paste-like flux, and solder. If there are difficulties in replacement, Rose's alloy will also come in handy. To clean the board after soldering work, you will need isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) or Galosh.

Sim adapter

If you decide to purchase a new SIM card today, when you open the package, you will find a card with several cuts. All you have to do is select the required SIM card size - and press in the right place - and you have in your hands a card suitable for your device. And if you want to move it to another device, just save the remaining parts and use them as an adapter.

What are the formats of SIM cards for smartphones?

Progress manifests itself in all areas of life, and mobile devices are no exception. To satisfy the ever-increasing demands of customers, manufacturers strive to fit the maximum number of chips into their model, while the dimensions of the devices have a steady downward trend.

Related article: How to activate a Beeline SIM card

All this creates the prerequisites for saving space for each component. This, in turn, had an impact on the size of SIM cards. In addition to the standard size SIM card, also called Mini-SIM, there are other formats that are becoming increasingly popular:

Now it’s worth considering in more detail how to turn a regular-sized SIM into the Micro-SIM format.

Cutting a SIM card

But what to do if you have an old-style card (mini-SIM)? Then regular pruning can come to your aid. But the question arises, how to cut a SIM card? There are several ways to transform a map into a new format:

1. contact the communication salon. As a rule, they have special devices - SIM card cutters. For a fee or without it (depending on your luck), they will help you resolve this issue - and adapt the SIM to your device.
2. trim the card yourself.

Soldering technique and its subtleties

As an example, consider a problem with the Fly smartphone.

This smartphone has already had a replacement board with SIM connectors, but they are broken again. A common cause of malfunction is when the smartphone does not see the SIM card. One of the connectors is missing a central contact, the second was even more damaged.

In the photo, one of the two SIM connectors has already been replaced and the second one is warming up.

It is important to evaluate the soldering location. If soldering occurs on a massive metal substrate, the board will transfer the incoming heat from the hair dryer and will not heat up. This is the main mistake beginners make. Therefore, when replacing connectors, inexperienced craftsmen immediately set temperatures above 350 °C. The solder itself begins to melt from 180 ℃ to 230 ℃ (lead-containing solders) or from 180 to 250 ℃ (lead-free solders).

And when the board is heated to the conventional melting temperature of the solder, the part itself or the connector, or the top layer of the board is affected by a much higher temperature. Therefore, it is best to place the board on a wooden board with several layers of napkins on it. There should also be few of them (the surface will no longer be smooth, which in turn will lead to poor surface tension of the solder). Wood and paper heat up much earlier and release less heat into the environment.

Additionally, you need to install a radiator (for example, a coin, or you can get by with thermal tape, aluminum tape). We set the hair dryer at 100 - 150 ℃ and maximum air flow (I have a Lukey 702 station).

Warm up the board for 2-3 minutes. Then, we increase the temperature to 250-290 ℃ and slightly reduce the air flow. After just 10-30 seconds, the soldering area will be at the melting point of the solder. If this does not happen, you need to wait a little longer or raise the temperature by 10 - 20 ℃. You need to remove the connector with tweezers carefully so as not to touch the SMD components.

As a result, the broken connector is soldered intact and without overheating.

Next, we prepare the soldering area. We solder the contact pads, add a little flux and solder.

We install a new connector and solder it using exactly the same principle. First, 100 - 150 ℃ with maximum air flow for a minute or two. Then, reduce the flow a little and raise the temperature to 250 - 290 ℃. The connector begins to be soldered in (this is noticeable by the glare of the solder), press it down a little with tweezers.

After the hairdryer is finished, you need to additionally solder the contacts.

And a little more about soldering

By the way, the board itself with the SIM connector also has a metal substrate, but this is not a reason to increase the temperature to 400 ℃. It's just that the soldering time is a little higher, which is not very important.

And a test with a SIM card.

Cutting a SIM card with your own hands

Let's look at the second method in more detail and tell you how to cut a SIM card at home. To accomplish this task, you need to have a pencil, ruler and sharp scissors on hand. For subsequent adjustment of dimensions, you may also need sandpaper, since cutting small parts is not very convenient.

First you need to decide on the size of the card you want to get as a result. If you need to cut a SIM card for a micro SIM, then its dimensions should be 1.5 * 1.2 cm, if for a nano SIM, then you should be left with a rectangle with sides 1.23 cm and 0.88 cm. After that Once you have decided on the dimensions, it is worth drawing the contours of the future SIM card on your source card. And only after that, carefully, without touching the chip, cut the card.

Previously they wrote -

“How to set your own ringtone on iPhone”

Cutting the SIM using a special cutter

If you need a micro SIM card, but you don’t understand how to cut the template or don’t want to waste time on it, there is another way out. Special cutters for SIM cards are sold on the Internet and mobile phone stores. They help you quickly and without unnecessary hassle cut the card to the desired size: micro or nano. However, buying a cutter only makes sense if you change your SIM frequently. However, the device is inexpensive and will last for many years.

Try inserting the cut card into the slot of your smartphone. If she fits in it like a glove, and the gadget catches the net without problems, we congratulate you - the trimming was successful.

If you need to insert the cut card into another slot, for example, back into a phone with a regular SIM, use the removable frames that come with universal SIM cards. Do not try to glue the cut parts to the damaged card and, especially, do not insert any foreign objects into the SIM slot. If you cut the card incorrectly or touched the contacts, simply move on to the next section of our article.

Removing SIM holder debris

Now comes the fun part. Isn’t it important for us to maintain the readability of SIM and SD cards? A stupid question, of course, but now you have to imagine that the contacts in the reader are like hooks. And when you pull out a piece of the slot, it will actively cling to these hooks. And it’s easier to break them off. Here is an example of a broken holder.

Our task is to ensure that the debris slides over these hooks. Everything inside looks something like this.

And thick film will help us with this. It must be cut to the width of the slot. The length is at your discretion. If only it was comfortable for you to hold it.

We insert the film up to the fragment and try to bring it under it. You can help with the rest of the slot. He will press the film together with the contacts. Basically, the preparation is over.

Now, using needles, carefully push the fragment out. Control the position of the contacts so that debris does not cling to them.

Personally, it took me about 20 minutes to pull out the fragment, but nothing was damaged.

Map template in nano standard

A simple and accurate option for properly reducing a map is to use a template. It can be downloaded and then printed. When printing, you need to set the A4 scale to 100%.

• The downloaded stencil is printed. Printing in color is not necessary, black and white is sufficient.
• A template of the required format (in our case nano) is cut out of paper.
• Using glue or double-sided regular tape (the second option is better), the template is attached to the SIM card where the logo is.
• The remaining plastic is cut off with scissors; you can also use tweezers, which must be sharp.

If you don’t have a printer, it’s enough to draw the boundaries on the product using a ruler and a regular pencil.

What to do:

• place the card so that the cut standard corner is at the bottom right;
• to the left of the chip, draw a straight line along the border, located vertically;
• From the border of the chip, on the left, retreat thirteen millimeters and draw an additional line;
• at the top of the chip, precisely along its edge, you need to draw a line horizontally;
• mark 9.5 millimeters from the top edge of the chip itself and draw a line.

The rectangle inside the lines after trimming must conform to the updated standard. You just need to make a beveled corner.

Sources

• https://mobila.guru/faqsingle/kak-obrezat-sim-kartu-pod-nano-sim/
• https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5ae75500256d5cf5602bba49/kak-samomu-vyrezat-microsim-i-nanosim-karty-5aeab86efd96b16361b91724
• https://justsovet.ru/hi-tech/mobilnye-telefony/kak-obrezat-sim-kartu-pod-nano-sim.html
• https://sovets.net/9033-nano-sim-karta.html
• https://DjDiplomat.ru/kak-obrezat-simku-pod-nano
• https://PhoneKZ.ru/yota/nano-simka-kak-obrezat.html
• https://tarifrus.ru/kak-obrezat-sim-kartu-pod-nano-sim/

What to do if there are microcircuits nearby

There are several solution methods. Either install radiators on the chips and protect them with metal tape, or use bottom heating up to 200 ℃. This problem is relevant for those devices that have a high layout of radio components on the board. For example, Samsung or iPhone flagships. On the iPhone there is usually a modem nearby, which is made in the form of a BGA chip. You can also accidentally heat up the processor, which you will get tired of rolling.

Therefore, evaluate your strength before replacing connectors yourself. There is also a more radical option - mechanical removal of the old connector. But this method is very dangerous because you can hit the tracks or unintentionally cut off other parts.

Disassembling the Samsung A520 smartphone

So let's get started. First, you need to thoroughly heat the back cover. You need to pry it with something very sharp and strong. I used a scalpel and a wide spatula. The lid is easy to break, so take your time. And do not insert the tool deeply, so as not to damage the NFC. Maximum 7-8 mm. Ideally, go through it and fix it with something, then continue heating it. You can also heat it with a household hairdryer, if it is of high quality.

Let's say the back cover has been peeled off. Next we see black plastic panels with the same NFC cable in the middle. Unscrew all the screws and pull out both panels. Pry it carefully, try not to tear or break anything. Then make sure both SIM holders are pulled out. Disconnect all visible connectors, starting with the battery connector. You can do it with your fingernail, but most importantly, not with a metal object.

Now you need to pull out the board. You need to pry it off carefully from the top edge. It is more convenient to do this with a spatula. In several places. You didn't forget to unscrew the three black screws, did you? One near the battery connector, two fix the charging connector.

What is eSIM

This is a chip (embedded SIM - built-in SIM) that is installed inside a smartphone or other device. You can record the same information on it as on a regular SIM card.

To connect an eSIM to the operator’s network, you need to receive a set of encrypted data from it and save it.

eSIM saves space inside the smartphone. The chip can be installed anywhere, and since you don’t need to take it out, there won’t be a hole for a “clip” in the case. Protection from dust and moisture is easier to organize.

In addition, to change the operator, you do not need . You can even connect to several operators - save different profiles with your own settings.

People started talking about eSIM when Apple released the iPhone XS/XR/XS Max. Previously, built-in SIM cards were used in the 2016 Samsung Gear S2 3G smartwatch and Apple Watch 3/4. Received eSIM support and Google Pixel 2 smartphone.

The problem is that not all operators support the technology. And in some countries (including the Russian Federation) eSIM is generally illegal .

Firstly, writing data to an eSIM is equivalent to copying a SIM card. This is a fraud.

Secondly, with eSIM you can switch to a new operator without notifying your previous one. This is a violation of the terms of the contract.

In general, for now eSIM can only be used in certain countries. And not all operators.

Read in our other article all the details about eSIM, as well as about the differences between eSIM and a regular SIM card.