Cut your Micro-SIM for iPhone 4 and iPad 3G: Stencil and Scissors-Solution

The Micro-SIM cards used in the new iPhone 4 and the iPad 3G are (almost) identical and fully compatible to the stansard SIM-Cards used in most mobile phones. Therefore, any SIM can be used as a MicroSIm, too – after the surplus plastic is cutted away. To fit a standard SIM in the microSIM-tray of the iPad or the upcoming iPhone4, one can use Macnotes’ free PDF / Paper / Scissors solution instead of expensive simcard punching devices or adhesive stencils sold on eBay.

(MicroSIM zuschneiden, deutsche Anleitung) Given the prices of adhesive films or SIM punching devices it seems likely that one or the other quick dollar is earned through the fear of irreparably destroyed SIM cards. One can get the same results for the cost of a printed sheet of paper, though.

On the MicroSIM Cutting Howto-PDF manual, a black stencil is printed, with its outer outline showing the size of a standard simcard, while the inner outlines define the mikroSIM-format. Print the sheet, cut out the stencil, glue it on the back of the SIM card (the side *without* chip contacts!). Then just cut off the black area. The cutting edges are partially on or over the border of the chip, but that does not matter – the SIM Chip electronics are further inside on the chip.

A Micro-SIM, still in its plastic frame, and a standard SIM tailored to micro SIM format using the Macnotes template

Two things to take care of:

– when printing the PDF, it must not be scaled down in any case, otherwise the size of the template will differ from the standard formats. Your SIM card could then be destroyed when cutted to the wrong scale.

– the MicroSim shows fewer contacts compared to the standard SIM. This ist normal, the layout of the existing contact areas of the micro-SIM is identical to that of the standard sized SIM card.

Finally: we do not take any liability of course. For MicroSim-cutting, we recommend using sturdy, sharp scissors and a steady hand.