Adrian holds a BA in English Studies and an MA in Philosophy and Contemporary Critical Theory. He has been writing about technology for a few years now, working both in Poland and with English-speaking publications, such as PCWorld, TechAdvisor, and now Pocket-lint.
He is particularly interested in sustainable tech, loves all things second-hand, but also enjoys writing all kinds of guides, how-tos, and comparisons. When not working, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy -- so, essentially, doing some more work. Whether you want to talk about phones, aesthetics, or critical theory, he's glad to have a chat!
A SIM card is inseparably connected with phones. From a huge, literally card-sized thing to a miniscule chip of today, it's been with mobile phones from the earliest days. Today it might be slowly being replaced by eSIM, but most phones still have that little piece of tech inside. If you want to start calling or texting, there is no way around it, you'll need one of these.
Unfortunately, even something so small can be absolutely deadly for your phone. There's an easy mistake you can make that might cause you dearly, and everything you need to make your phone completely dead is the small, innocent SIM ejector.
Small chip with a huge history
Connecting you since 1991
Back in the day, phones couldn't freely get smaller, and often because of SIM cards. The first ones were literally credit-card-sized, which kind of limited how small the phone itself could be. Then came the small SIM card, the "normal" and "micro" versions. Much smaller than the original, they usually had their place under the battery. And yes, batter could be taken out and replaced at any time. And then, steadily, an even smaller nanoSIM has taken over.
Right now eSIM is, probably, here to stay. It's more convenient and quick to install and exchange, as you don't even need the complicated mechanisms to get inside your phone. Newer iPhones in certain regions have gone as far as to eliminate the SIM card tray entirely, relying solely on the eSIM.
How do I find the SIM card tray?
It works the same whether you're using Android or iOS
Today, virtually everyone knows the drill with SIM cards. You find a SIM card slot somewhere at the edge of your phone. It's an oval cutout, around half an inch long. In order to get to the card, you need a SIM ejector. You can put it into a small hole near the SIM card slot and then push in slightly. The SIM card tray should pop up and give you access to a SIM card slot (or two for dual-SIM phones). You might even find a microSD card here as well if your smartphone still has one. To insert the card(s) back in, you simply place them on the tray in their corresponding spaces and slide it into place. With a bit of pressure, it should go in and sit flush with the phone frame.
Don't get your ports mixed up
Miniscule mistake, huge consequences
Sim card trays seem to be rather unproblematic compared to other parts of your phone. Unfortunately, in this simplicity lays the trap. Because you use this tray usually just two times when using your phone, it might end up being rather tricky. Add a bit of a design mistake that many phone manufacturers make, and there's a problem brewing.
I'm talking, of course, about the well-known issue of putting your SIM ejector tool into a microphone hole, instead of the release hole of the tray. It's easy to get mixed up: the holes are often very similar in size, and many manufacturers tend to make them rather close together, especially if your SIM card tray is placed at the bottom of your phone. You can easily mix up the two holes and but the SIM ejector tool into the mic hole.
What's the damage?
You can leave the battle unscathed, or end up with a dead phone
So, honestly, could inserting the card ejector into the mic hole be that bad? Well, contrary to popular belief, in this case you don't really worry about mechanical damage. The mic is usually mounted in a way that a stab will not b able to reach it, as it sits on the vertical wall inside. The danger is much more elemental.
When you insert a SIM ejector tool into the mic hole, you can, by a complete accident, end up destroying your phone's waterproof layer. Water is deadly for electronics, so every whole in your IP68-rated phone has to be sealed shut. Unfortunately, it's sometimes the case that by stabbing the mic hole, you can create a small opening in the seal inside, letting water enter the inside of your phone through that microphone hole. So, such a mistake can show up even weeks or months after the incident when your phone suddenly starts malfunctioning in the rain or after a dip in a pool.
All that being said, the chances of that happening to your phone are rather low. Water sealing, especially near delicate locations like that, usually has more than one layer, so even with it punctured you should be OK. However, it might be better to be rather careful with your phone around the water and not try to keep pushing for a smartphone diving record.