SIM card type: how to choose the right one for iPhone

Over the past twenty years, sim cards have diminished twice in size, and now when buying a new phone you have to pay attention to what type of SIM cards it uses. In this article we will tell you about the types and sizes of the sims used by Apple in their smartphones.

History of appearance

The very first mobile phones did not have SIM cards and used a permanent number as the identifier in the cellular network. This approach did not suit neither the first cellular operators, nor the users themselves. There was an idea about the need to create another system for identifying subscribers, which would be convenient for everyone, which led to the development of SIM cards. The legacy of the first identification technologies in modern cellular telephones is the unique IMEI number. It is assigned to each phone during its production and does not change during the entire operation time.

Technologically, a sim card represents a mini-computer. It has its own processor, file system and memory, constant and operative. For security purposes, the card has a built-in system for encrypting user data. The capabilities of this miniature computer chip are used by cellular network operators to create various kinds of built-in menus.

Types and sizes

In total, there are three standard sizes of replacement identification modules for the subscriber (SIM):

• Mini SIM (25 x 15 x 0.76).

• Micro SIM (15 x 12 x 0.76).

• Nano SIM (2 x 9 x 0.65).

The dimensions in this list correspond to the length, width, thickness and are indicated in millimeters.

The main type of cards used since 1996 is mini-sim. The micro-sims have been produced since 2004 and have also received wide distribution. The latest of the developed type is nano-sim. It appeared in 2012 and is used in many modern smartphone models.

The size of the maps is related to the dimensions of the mobile devices themselves. Reducing the thickness of phones and the internal space in the case caused the manufacturers to change the type of SIM card. Micro-sim, which means "small" or "reduced", first used Apple. The new size was applied to the iPhone 4. When the parameters of the main chip were retained, the card lost its plastic backing. For some time, thanks to the remaining thickness and basic functionality, the mini sim simply "cut" to the required size.

Cellular operators have adapted to the set of existing types of cards with time, and now, acquiring a SIM card in any salon, you get it in the form of a kind of "matryoshka". All three sizes are presented on one plate and are separated only by slits, thanks to which you can easily select the desired one. If you need to use the old model of a smartphone with a new SIM card, the outer shells of this "matryoshka" serve as an adapter, since the control chip contains only the "nano" size.

IPhone and SIM cards

For many years, the legislator of fashion and design trends in the mobile industry, the "apple company" has always been the first to use a new type of SIM card. As we already know, the fourth iPhone model resulted in the appearance of a "micro" size. A few years later, Apple again changed the type of SIM card. In the IPhone 5S, as in all smartphones of this company, starting with the "five" and ending with the "seven", only the "nano" size is used.

Thus, all modern models of iPhone use a single standard of sim card. For obsolete, but still used iPhone 4 and 4S will require the application type "micro", and for very original instances, which include 3 and 3G - "mini". The situation is similar with the tablets of this company. All information about the used sims can be found on the Apple Support page.

Finally

Having studied our material, you got the necessary minimum knowledge about simkartah, their types, sizes and use in Apple devices.