Since now there are many nations around the world where the iPhone 4 is sold unlocked, anyone can choose the best network and tariff for their needs without tying themselves down to a long contract. There is no doubt that this is how phones should be distributed; however, buying the Apple iPhone 4 in this way comes with its own distinct problem: the micro-SIM.
The person who buys the iPhone 4 unlocked directly from Apple probably already has a phone with a contract they're happy with and have no intention of changing or upgrading. However, their current SIM would be the standard size, used in every digital mobile phone since the late '90s, which won't fit, leaving them with several options.
Option one is to cut your own SIM with a pair of scissors and reduce it to size. The trouble is, you have to be highly accurate. If you've ever seen both a micro and mini SIM together, you'll notice that the chips are slightly different sizes, so there isn't an obvious guide to assist with measurements. If you mess it up, you could be left without a phone, or if your mini-SIM was using all of the chip's surface area, you might lose information and be without a mobile phone.
Another option is not attempting to cut your card at all. You can get a new micro SIM card from your mobile network, but you'll have to wait for it to be delivered, leaving your new phone in the box until it arrives, then activate it in the mobile phone. You might drop into the local network store and ask for a replacement on the spot, but judging by this article, various customer service employees don't even know the iPhone 4 requires a different sized SIM! So good luck with that.
Saddest of all though, is if you're planning to take your unlocked iPhone 4 to another country like Germany and want to use a SIM on a local network, as you'll have to choose the first solution until the iPhone 4 is generally available there. You can overlook the lack of Flash support and the high prices, but the most significant pain about the Apple iPhone 4 is its use of the micro-SIM, which for many provides no benefit and is essentially seen as an inconvenience.
As always in situations like these, some heroes emerge to help out the frustrated masses. The first is a company called Cut My Sim, which produces a kind of stapler/hole punch hybrid that will cut your current mini-SIM down to micro-SIM proportions. A good idea, but it costs $25/£20 and is sold out until July. Then there's a guy named John Benson, who has published in-depth instructions on how to cut your SIM to micro-SIM size. It looks relatively straightforward, but finding a meat cleaver is a bit of a hassle.
Are you in a similar situation? Let us know how you're planning to deal with the micro-SIM issue if you're buying an unlocked phone. Is your network helping you out? Or perhaps you have another solution we haven't mentioned here?