Following online sales, T-Mobile USA’s retail shops are now carrying micro SIM cards. The stores are getting a small but regular supply to handle those who are bringing in devices from outside the network. The move seen by TmoNews is likely to cater to unlocked iPhone 4 buyers who walk in.
A memo from the carrier supports this, as it tells staff that a device needs to support both 1,700MHz and 2,100MHz HSPA bands to get 3G on the carrier’s network. Current iPhone 4 units are missing the 1,700MHz band and have to run on EDGE (2G) on T-Mobile’s service.
Getting a new card is free if it’s with existing service but costs $10 if it’s a replacement for someone who already has service.
Unlocked iPhones have been a staple on T-Mobile’s network virtually since the unofficial option was available in 2007. Over one million are on the network, and the adoption was only dampened in 2010 when Apple’s switch to micro SIMs meant users couldn’t just insert an existing SIM. Micro SIMs and full-size cards are virtually identical on a technical level. Those with full-size SIMs have to cut them down to fit and end up sacrificing their ability to go back to a phone or other device that only takes full-size SIMs.
Such cards may also be necessary in the near future if the iPhone 5 brings official support for T-Mobile 3G.
