How can SIM cards be changed in devices without a SIM card tray?

Question

Level 1

4 points

How can SIM cards be changed in devices without a SIM card tray?

In preparing for an international trip, I contacted my cell carrier about using my new iPhone 4 with an international SIM and they said, 'no problem, your phone is unlocked for use with an international SIM'. I then called Apple (phone was still under AppleCare) and they took my serial number and said, 'no problem, just open up the SIM card tray on the side of the phone and put in the new SIM.'

Based on their advice, I went ahead and bought an international SIM for my trip, but when I went to insert the SIM, I learned that my phone does not have a SIM card tray. Does this mean my phone doesn't have a SIM card? If it has one, how can I swap it out with my international SIM for my trip?

Posted on Jan 10, 2013 1:52 PM

Reply

Answer 1

razmee209

Level 10

191,568 points

Jan 10, 2013 1:53 PM in response to dgrjbr

Did you look on the side of iphone, that is where the sim card tray is at, you should see a little hole.

Reply

Answer 2

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Jan 10, 2013 1:55 PM in response to dgrjbr

GSM iPhone 4 sim try is located here:

CDMA iPhone 4 does not have a sim tray & does not use sims. Do you have a CDMA iPhone 4? Who is your carrier?

Reply

Answer 3

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,365 points

Jan 10, 2013 1:56 PM in response to dgrjbr

Who is your carrier?

Reply

Answer 4

varjak paw

Level 10

170,206 points

Jan 10, 2013 2:43 PM in response to dgrjbr

If you have a Verizon-model iPhone, as a CDMA phone it does not have a SIM and cannot be used with any other carrier except Verizon partners through their international roaming service. Contact Verizon to ask about availability of coverage in various countries; there won't be extensive.

Regards.

Reply

Answer 5

dgrjbr Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 11, 2013 1:00 PM in response to wjosten

Thanks all. My carrier is a local company called nTelos. Apparently they also use these CDMA non-SIM phones. I sure wish I had known this when I was deciding between the 4, 4S and 5. There is nothing on any of the Apple support pages or my carrier's marketing materials that discusses that there is this difference between some iPhone4 phones and other iPhone4. Even AppleCare didn't know when I called them, and the page referenced above with the picture doesn't point it out, either (though I now see it has a parenthesis that says "GSM", which implies, but doesn't state, this issue).

At least now I know I'm out of luck for the next 2 years. Thanks, again.

Reply