Fairphone3 pushing out Nano SIM cards

[Mark_McArthur]

I recently got my Fairphone 3 and I’ve been trying to set it up with a SIM card from giffgaff. They have sent me a Nano SIM card and this SIM card does fit, except that when I push the SIM card in far enough to put the phone battery back in, the card pops back out. It seems like the springs that are supposed to help me remove SIM cards are triggering too early and pushing out SIMs before they’re fully in place.

I have been able to force the SIM to stay in while I put the phone battery back in by holding a thin piece of plastic between the SIM and the battery. However, the phone hasn’t picked up on the SIM. There’s a small chance the SIM just hasn’t finished activating yet.

Has anyone has this problem before? Does forcing the SIM to stay in like I did work, or will the phone refuse to read a SIM when the springs are activated to push the SIM out? Is there any way for me to fix this issue myself?

[amoun]

Hi Mark and welcome to the forum

Try a friends SIM, to ensure it’s not your SIM. If it’s the same problem with another SIM contact support@fairphoine.com for a fix/replacement phone.

On a separate issue, if you use an SD card format it as external/portable storage.

A little guide to... using SD cards

Android 6 introduced new options for using an SD card in your phone. When you format an SD card or insert a new SD card, you’ll have two options: Internal (adopted) storage or External (portable) storage. The option that most closely matches older Android versions is the external option. There are a couple of things to take into account when choosing which option works best for you: Formatting as internal storage means that… your SD card and the internal phone storage will no longer be vis…

[AnotherElk]

@Mark_McArthur

Does forcing the SIM to stay in like I did work, or will the phone refuse to read a SIM when the springs are activated to push the SIM out?

The SIM will not work if it is forced out again and only held in place by the battery.
You have to push it into the slot until you hear a click at the end, then it will stay in the slot.

[amoun]

Ah! @AnotherElk has the idea. I hadn’t thought that you may not be familiar with the locking feature of the SIM, like the micro SD cards.

[JeanCL]

Yes, it would help if Fairphone mentioned in the instructions that you have to push the Sim in much further and more firmly than would be expected to get it to click into place, and without that it will . I struggled with this and was very concerned that the phone was faulty or that I would break it in the attempt.

[AnotherElk]

Welcome to the community forum.

@JeanCL

Yes, it would help if Fairphone mentioned in the instructions that you have to push the Sim in much further and more firmly than would be expected to get it to click into place

This got me searching for instructions … Do you mean the ones that tell you “Press gently all the way in until the nano-SIM card(s) click in place”?
Expectation is subjective. The nano SIM clicking in place is objective and verifiable.

Set up the SIM card(s) on your FP3/FP3+

[JeanCL]

That didn’t appear in the paper ‘Quick Start Guide’ with my purchase earlier this year but it is good news if it does now. Jean

[AnotherElk]

Ah, the Quick Start Guide could be improved then.
They actually don’t quite show it that well in the video on the support page either.