Iphone 5

Frank II, The SIM tray on the iPhone 4S isn't very big either, and I was also concerned about breaking it when I changed SIM cards. If you're careful with the change, you should be fine. I travelled with an iPhone for the first time this year, and packed along the SIM tool and also made sure that I had at least one paper clip for "backup". I usually change SIM cards during the flights to & from Europe, as I can take the time to do it carefully. I don't know how available the Nano SIM cards are in Europe? Any shop that sells iPhones should have them for the cell networks in their country. If you're using non-Verizon SIM cards in your phone, I'm assuming the phone is unlocked? You could also use international roaming with Verizon, and in that case you wouldn't have to remove the SIM. Cheers!

I have an unlocked iPhone 5 and just recently purchased a SIM card to switch out and use on my upcoming trip to the US. I can tell you that they are not even close to being breakable, though they are very small and could be lost. Also, because the tray is small, it's kind of finicky to place it right, but certainly do-able with only a minute or two of fumbling (in my experience). What I am doing is storing my extra SIM (and a paperclip to open the SIM slot) in a plastic box that I have left over from when I bought an SD card for my camera. I will make sure that I have a desktop or large surface when I make the change, though, to minimize the chance of it dropping and being hard to retrieve (like in between chair cushions, etc). Even spreading a towel across your lap would do.

I am a bit confused. We just bought the Iphone5S a couple weeks ago and we were told that it was internationally ready, and then my husband called Verizon and set up our service for the trip. So maybe it is the "S" that makes the differnce?

I don't think there is an iPhone 5S. Just an iPhone 5. Frank, are you wanting to change out the SIM card that came with your phone for a European SIM card?

Andrea--yes, I want to get a different sim card because Verizon global rates are ridiculous. There is no Iphone 5 "S." Only the 5.

Judy, I think what they meant by "internationally ready" is that it is now technologically compatible with the communication bands used in Europe......previous Verizon iPhones could not be used on European channels. Now it's able to use European SIM cards, which wasn't the case with earlier versions of Verizon iPhones.

I have an AT&T iPhone 5. I thought it was 'locked' and the sim couldn't be switched out unless it was 'unlocked.' No?

Some Verizon phones are quad band and have both CDMA and GSM bands. The CDMA was for in the U.S. and they offered international service on those specific phones. They were locked so you couldn't use anyone else's sim cards. They now have a new policy where they will unlock one phone every ten months if you are a customer in good standing. (I just had my Blackberry unlocked.) However, the new Iphone 5 is already unlocked so users can put in their own sim cards. (The U.S. government is either now or will soon require all U.S. carriers to offer phones unlocked.)

@Judy, Just to confirm, there is no iPhone 5S at this time, although rumours indicate that might be the next version of the iPhone to be introduced next year (possibly as early as June). @Frank II, It's good to hear that your iPhone 5 is unlocked, as that simplifies the situation to some extent. The biggest challenge may be to find a Euro SIM card that includes data. These are apparently somewhat easily available in the U.K., but not necessarily as easy in other countries. Italy seems to be one of the most bureaucratic in that regard (not surprisingly). I used a travel SIM with my iPhone 4S this year and that worked well, although it was a bit more expensive than I had anticipated. Using a travel SIM with data was somewhat of a "trial run", so I'll be fine tuning that next year. Cheers!

I have got it now. Frank did not say that he just did not want to pay Verizon prices. And wanted a sim card to a cheaper servie. We just signed up with the Verizon global service because we don't make many calls home while we are over there. We have always used their service even with the last phone we had, and it has never been that expensive at the end of a trip. We mostly use it for an emergency and a couple quick calls to home. I was just confused because when we bought it a couple weeks ago we made it clear we needed it for international and they said it would work.

There is an iPhone 4s and an iPhone 5 but no iphone 5s - yet. The 4s doesn't use the nano-sim.

Judy, it's true, I neglected to say I didn't want to pay Verizon rates because if I did, I wouldn't have to change sim cards. I would just call Verizon and activate their service. It's sort of implied that if I'm changing sim cards, I want to use a different carrier. I need mine more for data than for calls but I also need to make calls within Europe while there. I'd rather save a few dollars and spend it on a nice meal that give it to Verizon. Kia, I like the idea of using an SD card case to protect the sim card. I think I'll put it in my moneybelt for safe keeping. (No, I don't use the kind that goes around your waist. I use the "Hidden Pocket" type. )

Limle, Regarding the "No SIM Card" issue you describe, I've never had any problems of that type with my iPhone 4S. However, I should mention that I'm still using iOS 5, so perhaps that problem is unique to iOS 6 iPhones? This is one reason I haven't bothered upgrading the OS yet. On another note, it's great to see that Apple is now providing a free Google Maps App on the iTunes store. Perhaps that's an "admission" that the Apple Maps has been a great disappointment and won't be fixed in the near future, and also a vindication of sorts for Google. The potentially dangerous incident that occurred in Australia last week was perhaps "the last straw". Cheers!

When I got up this morning top status bar show "No sim card" on my brand new iPhone 5.
Turning power off and on again brought signals bar again. I hope this doesn't recur. I had similar problem with 3G. This is disappointing. Apparently this happened in 4 and 4S. Any solutions ?

Turning power off and on again brought signals bar again. It is easier to go into and out of "airplane" mode. Same result usually.

Is there somewhere online that sells UK Nano SIM cards that will ship to the U.S. or do I just have to buy one on arrival? I have a Verizon iPhone 5. I looked at T-Mobile's UK site and their form doesn't allow for sending to a U.S. address. We'll be arriving at LHR in July and first stop is Bath, which has a T-Mobile store.

I would like to add a comment about changing the SIM card . Kia touched on it when she spoke of laying a towel on your lap . The towel part is great , the lap , maybe not . I do a great deal of work with small mechanical parts , although not sim cards ( unless I'm traveling ) . Such things , if ped , have a pronounced tendency to bounce away from the point of impact in a totally unpredictable direction . In my youth , I spent hours looking for a small part that landed where I least expected to find it . A towel ( preferably white ,common to hotels ) on a bed or other stable surface will not only prevent bouncing , but will make visibility far more pronounced .Having used this method for the last three years , It's saved me alot of headaches . Seems a small point , but consider .

Yup, I can vouch for the unpredictable bounce of the SIM cards I lost my US SIM card on a recent trip while making the change :( As for buying SIM cards for international travel, there are many options online that will ship to the US and Canada, each offering coverage in over 100 countries. I was luckily able to buy a replacement for my lost SIM card in the airport upon arrival (which is where I was when I lost it), but I prefer to have one with me before I go. Telestial gets a lot of good reviews online, and that's where I'll be buying mine for an upcoming trip to Portugal. Many offer different rates for different services (talk/text/data), so do your own research first. A comment about getting a nano card if the company doesn't sell one, it's awfully easy to cut a micro card down to size. I've done it twice (both successfully), and the most recent time I did it by sight (using my Canadian SIM card as a template) with no problems. You just need a good pair of scissors (good enough to cut a credit card cleanly) and a piece of sandpaper or an emery board/nail file. You need to sand the edges a bit, as well as take down the thickness a tad (less than 1 mm), which I did with a couple of passes of my emery board. There are templates available to download, if you want to use that.

Any s to this as far as buying a nano sized sim card (iPhone 5) while in Europe? Specifically Italy as that where I will be going. TIA Mike