www.boingboing.net/2008/05/06/phoneunlocking-simsh.html
permalink Here's a nice little bauble: a tiny shim that sits between your phone's SIM and the phone, which unlocks the handset. Note the admirable use of the grocer's apo'strophe in the sell-copy -- a sure sign of daffy ingenuity.
Because of it's very thin & slim design it fits into almost all phone's on the market and can also be easily removed again. It's got Gold Immersion and makes perfect contact with the card and the socket at ALL times.
May 6, 2008 12:09 PM From its description: "Does not do any changes to your SIM card or phone (you only have to make a cut in the SIM card)" OK, that's a change _to_ the SIM rather than _in_, but still it's enough to make me nervous. If anyone has positive experience with this, I'm interested. I'm considering upgrading, but would prefer to do so via a used phone, at least initially...
Oh, and the cut to your SIM is not anywhere near the circuitry. The only electronics in your SIM is under the gold contacts. Just snip off the last 2mm of the card, and slip the shim and the SIM back into your new phone. com has these too, and they all work just about the same.
May 6, 2008 2:19 PM Re #7: It allows a phone to work on networks other than the one that originally sold it to you, without having to go through the complicated time-critical process of keying an unlock code into the phone or the even more complicated techniques of mucking with the circuitry to reset that lock. And in fact some phone companies will happily give you an unlock code, but only AFTER you have been with their plan for at least the minimum time so they've recaptured their original sign-up discount on the phone.
Could someone explain to me what the heck this thing is for. "Unlocking" generally means using a phone issued by one carrier with the network of another carrier. Kinda like when you fill up your Ford car with the less expensive Toyota gasoline.
May 6, 2008 2:46 PM FYI: Immersion gold plating on PCBs is not intended for contacts, but for a solderability preserving finish. If you pop these cards in and out a bunch of times don't expect that gold to hold up. By its nature it can only be a few microinches thick, at most.
May 6, 2008 2:56 PM The omission of the iPhone on the phone compatibility list is glaring. I wonder whether Apple's exclusivity deals have resulted in some extra technical limitation there, or whether it's something more mundane like a really tight fit in the SIM slot.
You have to Jailbreak the phone but it does allow the T-Mobile service icon to pop right up with no issues since day 1 I think I paid $35 for hers. You trim off part of the factory SIM card so the little black chip has enough clearance, but other than that it's really just pop-it-in and go.
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