A few weeks ago we saw SIMable mentioned on some other websites and thought that it sounded like a great idea. What the SIMable chip does is allow you to use any SIM card in a SIM locked mobile phone without the need to have the phone unlocked. In their words: "Unlock your SIM card, not your phone!"
The SIMable chip
Unlocking a phone can be complicated and can require that you flash the ROM and install software etc. Some require special hardware to do the job and you have to take them to a dealer or send them away. Same handsets are more simple but in almost every case, unlocking the handset will invalidate the warranty and where it isn’t a simple free solution will cost you £20 or more.
The SIMable chip makes the whole process much easier and because you are not altering the handset in any way it wont invalidate the warranty. It works by sitting between the phone and the SIM card thus ‘unlocking’ the SIM and not the phone. This also means that you can use it on multiple handsets, when you upgrade for example, for a one off cost!
The only downsides to the SIMable solution is that it wont work with every handset out there, although there are lots that are supported (see the SIMable site for an up to date list). Secondly you have to punch a tiny hole in the end of your SIM card to accommodate the SIMable chip.
You may think that making a hole in your SIM is a terrible idea but it’s really quite safe and simple to do as the punch tool required to do the job is included in the kit.
SIMable punch
As you’ll be able to see in my video demonstration the process is dead easy and takes just a few seconds to perform.
Once you make the tiny hole in the SIM card the SIMable chip sits in the space than the whole lot fits in your phone’s SIM card socket.
SIMable and SIM stack
Possibly the best thing about the SIMable solution is that it costs less than it would typically cost to unlock just one handset but you can use it with many.
Take a look at SIMable’s website for more information and to see the most up to date list of supported handsets. Please bare in mind that this video is intended to show you how simple the SIMable solution is, you should check with SIMable for a list of devices supported by the latest versions of the chip.
Posted by: Matt
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