Hack to use microSD and SIM simultaneously in hybrid slot

[NotMyRealName]

So i got my redmi 3s prime yesterday, haven't opened the box yet. in the meanwhile i decided to try an old micro sim i had lying around. held it with tweezers and heated with a lighter for 3-4 seconds, it barely peeled off. heated for a couple more seconds and while peeling off the sim contacts, it broke/tore in half! so this is a little more tricky than yt suggests, may try the alcohol method next. problem is i dumped a whole bunch of old sims in my native place, don't have any spare for experimenting :-(

 

[NotMyRealName]

Please see this video specially from start to first 5 mins, the youtuber shows the thickness needed to perform the hack with digital vernier callipers

That's a very good video, even though it's in Hindi, it's very clear and the dude knows what he's doing. Learnt that the total thickness needs to be <1.2mm. Also saw that his alcohol removal went very cleanly. I was a bit apprehensive about alcohol, because it requires about an hour of soaking, and since the entire chip is submerged, maybe it could damage or weaken even the chip/contact area, not just the plastic backing.[DOUBLEPOST=1475925957][/DOUBLEPOST]looks like in addition to my tweezers, i'll probably need to pull out my artery forceps, vernier, x-acto knife and alligator clips![DOUBLEPOST=1475926044][/DOUBLEPOST]in the video the tray that went into the mi max wasn't easily going into the redmi 3s !

 

[paarkhi]

That's a very good video, even though it's in Hindi, it's very clear and the dude knows what he's doing. Learnt that the total thickness needs to be <1.2mm. Also saw that his alcohol removal went very cleanly. I was a bit apprehensive about alcohol, because it requires about an hour of soaking, and since the entire chip is submerged, maybe it could damage or weaken even the chip/contact area, not just the plastic backing.[DOUBLEPOST=1475925957][/DOUBLEPOST]looks like in addition to my tweezers, i'll probably need to pull out my artery forceps, vernier, x-acto knife and alligator clips![DOUBLEPOST=1475926044][/DOUBLEPOST]in the video the tray that went into the mi max wasn't easily going into the redmi 3s !

I've tried both the methods of removing the plastic from the back and the alcohol method is more clean, I soaked it for 5 mins and it was easily separated, the plastic can be reused in this case whereas if you burn the plastic for removing then it is not reusable, heating method was not so easy. I've removed the gum from the back of the sim but still the combo doesn't go in the phone. Afraid of removing more because that's how I've spoiled the first Jio Sim, I too don't have any additional sims for experimenting. I'm trying on active Jio sims so want to tread carefully.

 

[vaibhavyagnik]

Guys, a jugaad will be a jugaad! Even if it is working now, it may not work after a fall, the sim and micro SD may get seperates and the tray can get stuck inside! Won't it be just easier to just buy a small non intrusive USB otg pen drive?

 

[NotMyRealName]

Won't it be just easier to just buy a small non intrusive USB otg pen drive?

If there were such a thing, of course. But there's nothing that you can keep safely plugged into your phone all the time.

My music collection alone is about 50gb. And i'm not going to keep changing the music on my phone just because i don't have space for everything at once. The '32gb' on these damn phones is really about 22gb user usable. Add some apps and it's way below 20gb.

 

[paarkhi]

If there were such a thing, of course. But there's nothing that you can keep safely plugged into your phone all the time.

My music collection alone is about 50gb. And i'm not going to keep changing the music on my phone just because i don't have space for everything at once. The '32gb' on these damn phones is really about 22gb user usable. Add some apps and it's way below 20gb.

Exactly my thoughts

 

[NotMyRealName]

According to this document, the 'pull' area is 0.05mm thicker than the rest of the card. Would sanding that down to the level of the card make a difference?

So my preliminary vernier testing had some interesting results.

Card	Main area (mm)	Pull area (mm)
PNY 128GB P-SDUX128U160G-GE	0.74​	0.98​
SAMSUNG Evo Plus 64GB	0.78​	1.03​
SAMSUNG Evo Plus 32GB	0.74​	1.00​
Transcend 8GB Class4	0.70​	0.91​
Sandisk Ultra 64GB *	0.74​	0.95​

* Note: the Sandisk has a sticker on the back, presumably covering the chip area. This sticker has added ~0.09mm to the actual thickness mentioned above. Not sure if removing this sticker is safe in the long term.

The 128GB is in use in my tab and the 64GB in my phone. Will have to swap them to use the lower thickness in the new phone.

Also measured the sims i have:

Jio (nano)	Vodafone (nano)	BSNL (micro)
0.68-0.69​	0.67-0.70​	0.75-0.79​

[DOUBLEPOST=1475959069][/DOUBLEPOST]LOLOLOL this dude used hair gel !

 

[paarkhi]

According to this document, the 'pull' area is 0.05mm thicker than the rest of the card. Would sanding that down to the level of the card make a difference?

So my preliminary vernier testing had some interesting results.

Card	Main area (mm)	Pull area (mm)
PNY 128GB P-SDUX128U160G-GE	0.74​	0.98​
SAMSUNG Evo Plus 64GB	0.78​	1.03​
Transcend 8GB Class4	0.70​	0.91​

The 128GB is in use in my tab and the 64GB in my phone. Will have to swap them to use the lower thickness in the new phone.

Also measured the sims i have:

Jio (nano)	Vodafone (nano)	BSNL (micro)
0.68-0.69​	0.67-0.70​	0.75-0.79​

[DOUBLEPOST=1475959069][/DOUBLEPOST]LOLOLOL this dude used hair gel !

But the Guy says he does not recommend the Gel Method and he has not shown inserting the sim in the phone, Don't know how the sim tray is in RN3 or R3S-P but there's space in Mi Max for the pull area. Please click the attached thumbnail. I also saw a video where he is managing with the transparent tape. Will try to search again and attach.

 

[NotMyRealName]

I just found a couple of spare unused sims. Both are micro. Gonna try alcohol on them. So soaking for 5-10 minutes should be enough to loosen the chip without damaging the card?

This page and this have some interesting results of cards in acetone.[DOUBLEPOST=1476043412][/DOUBLEPOST]

I've tried both the methods of removing the plastic from the back and the alcohol method is more clean, I soaked it for 5 mins and it was easily separated...

Soaked my damn sim for over an hour and nothing has happened. Did you use alcohol or acetone? maybe my alcohol is too old??

 

[NotMyRealName]

After 2-3 hours of soaking in alcohol, i had enough and took a knife to the sim. It came apart with slight resistance. I should have passed the knife all the way through but i stopped midway and tried peeling off the chip. As a result it got a bit bent right at the back end (pins 1-3). Straightened it out, put it back in the card and it was still working. I forgot to measure the original thickness. Shaved off some epoxy till it was 0.46mm thick and it was still working. shaved off some more and i started to feel some bumps under the knife blade. Maybe it was the chip itself or maybe it was the bond wires from the chip to the contacts. However it stopped working and would show 'insert sim' when tested. At this point it was 0.40mm thick.

I'm not sure if this image is only representative, but if it's the real deal, then the bond wires are right in the epoxy, which means shaving/filing/sanding it down will risk severing the link from the chip to the contacts, even if you don't reach the chip itself.

Also, using my double sided tape, the total thickness was increased by 0.15mm. I think that's too much for the already tight squeeze so better to use superglue. I plan to hold the contacts down in place on the microsd and apply superglue using a pin or needle, not directly from the tube. This will allow fine control and bond only the outer edges to the surface, so it will be easier to remove.[DOUBLEPOST=1476056956][/DOUBLEPOST]I think a hot air blower or even a hair dryer would melt the glue enough to separate the chip from the card. No need of either a flame or alcohol. Only problem is I don't have access to either.

 

[paarkhi]

After 2-3 hours of soaking in alcohol, i had enough and took a knife to the sim. It came apart with slight resistance. I should have passed the knife all the way through but i stopped midway and tried peeling off the chip. As a result it got a bit bent right at the back end (pins 1-3). Straightened it out, put it back in the card and it was still working. I forgot to measure the original thickness. Shaved off some epoxy till it was 0.46mm thick and it was still working. shaved off some more and i started to feel some bumps under the knife blade. Maybe it was the chip itself or maybe it was the bond wires from the chip to the contacts. However it stopped working and would show 'insert sim' when tested. At this point it was 0.40mm thick.

I'm not sure if this image is only representative, but if it's the real deal, then the bond wires are right in the epoxy, which means shaving/filing/sanding it down will risk severing the link from the chip to the contacts, even if you don't reach the chip itself.

Also, using my double sided tape, the total thickness was increased by 0.15mm. I think that's too much for the already tight squeeze so better to use superglue. I plan to hold the contacts down in place on the microsd and apply superglue using a pin or needle, not directly from the tube. This will allow fine control and bond only the outer edges to the surface, so it will be easier to remove.[DOUBLEPOST=1476056956][/DOUBLEPOST]I think a hot air blower or even a hair dryer would melt the glue enough to separate the chip from the card. No need of either a flame or alcohol. Only problem is I don't have access to either.

Mine is isopropyl rubbing alcohol with 70% isopropyl. I just kept for 5 minutes and then pushed the blade between the sim metal plate and the plastic and with perpendicular action detached it.

Removing epoxy is the most difficult job of the whole process.

Using glue will erase the number from the back of the microSD card if in case needed for warranty purposes after the removal of sim chip.

I think 0.46 mm should be ok because the thickness of micro SD card as you said is 0.68 to 0.7 mm and once the SIM chip of 0.46 mm is placed on it, it will be somewhere near 1.16 mm which is perfect and below 1.20 mm as shown in YouTube video.

I suggest you not to remove the epoxy from the SIM chip below 0.46 mm.

Let me know if you succeed.

 

[Criminal]

Shaved off some epoxy till it was 0.46mm thick and it was still working. shaved off some more and i started to feel some bumps under the knife blade. Maybe it was the chip itself or maybe it was the bond wires from the chip to the contacts.

dichloromethane will help you at this point. it'll melt (soften) the epoxy, so that you can pick up the goo with tweezers. this stuff is commonly used in paint strippers.

 

[haris5sani]

Instead of doing all this micro-management, where can I get this done in Mumbai?
Please let me know.

Thanks
Haris

 

[paarkhi]

Instead of doing all this micro-management, where can I get this done in Mumbai?
Please let me know.

Thanks
Haris

Ask the nearby mobile phone repair shop and if he's interested them show him the videos so that he gets an idea, let him try on some of his old sims and microSD card and then proceed with yours.

 

[NotMyRealName]

I think 0.46 mm should be ok because the thickness of micro SD card as you said is 0.68 to 0.7 mm and once the SIM chip of 0.46 mm is placed on it, it will be somewhere near 1.16 mm which is perfect and below 1.20 mm as shown in YouTube video.

no, microsd cards are 0.74 to 0.78mm.

right now i'm experimenting on getting the sim right and still working. testing in an old sony ericsson. I haven't even opened the redmi box yet. I need to first test the phone for a couple days with normal sims and microsd before trying this hack. so entire thing is gonna take a while before results. reason is my bro's 3s prime is not wokring on volte for some reason. so i need to make sure the phone is 100% before trying anything new. pretty sure xiaomi's indian QC isn't all that great based on my experience with other made in india products. when my bro's 3s prime arrived, there was a hair trapped between the fingerprint sensor and the phone body![DOUBLEPOST=1476093620][/DOUBLEPOST]

dichloromethane will help you at this point. it'll melt (soften) the epoxy, so that you can pick up the goo with tweezers. this stuff is commonly used in paint strippers.

i'm now actually worried about doing anything to the epoxy because according to the diagram the bond wires from chip to contacts pass through it. earlier I thought it was just a protective covering for the chip alone.

 

[Criminal]

i'm now actually worried about doing anything to the epoxy because according to the diagram the bond wires from chip to contacts pass through it. earlier I thought it was just a protective covering for the chip alone.

that's the case with every microprocessor or SMD chips. you'll expose the bond wires by dipping it in acetone. you need something to eat/melt epoxy but not the plastic because the latter step might dislodge the chip. it's okay to expose the bond wires while removing epoxy as you can protect it with a coat of clear nail polish.

 

[paarkhi]

I haven't even opened the redmi box yet. I need to first test the phone for a couple days with normal sims and microsd before trying this hack. so entire thing is gonna take a while before results. reason is my bro's 3s prime is not wokring on volte for some reason. so i need to make sure the phone is 100% before trying anything new. pretty sure xiaomi's indian QC isn't all that great based on my experience with other made in india products. when my bro's 3s prime arrived, there was a hair trapped between the fingerprint sensor and the phone body![DOUBLEPOST=1476093620][/DOUBLEPOST]

Ordered R3S-P for friend and VoLTE works fine on it, I hope it'll work in your case also.

 

[Poga]

What would it take for manufacturers to understand this and just give a little space for both. Evidently both can work together. Just picked up 3 samsung 64gb cards for 180 each but have nowhere to put it because of jio sim [DOUBLEPOST=1476132247][/DOUBLEPOST]I also understand that there is a method in which you remove the metal part in the sim tray itself has anyone tried that?
I am going to do this experiment soon myself and will post my reflections.

 

[paarkhi]

What would it take for manufacturers to understand this and just give a little space for both. Evidently both can work together. Just picked up 3 samsung 64gb cards for 180 each but have nowhere to put it because of jio sim [DOUBLEPOST=1476132247][/DOUBLEPOST]I also understand that there is a method in which you remove the metal part in the sim tray itself has anyone tried that?
I am going to do this experiment soon myself and will post my reflections.

Well said

 

[Poga]

IT WORKS!
Tried it with my Vodafone 4g sim.
So I went with the Acetone method get the SIM card for about 10 to 12 minutes and then using gentle prying with a sharp thin knife, the sim module came apart.
I did not come across any resin so to speak it look more like a chip so I decided not to mess with it. there was a dot on one of the sides of the same card( as you will see in the pics) so I did not do any markings for orientation. I used Araldite klear instead of Feviquick so that give me a little time to position it correctly. After a little drying of 2-3 minutes, I slowly pressed around the sides of the chip on the mettalic parts to give it to lower profile and Viola : I now have two sims and 64GB micro Sd(samsung)[DOUBLEPOST=1476187169][/DOUBLEPOST]See the two bars and storage specs[DOUBLEPOST=1476191895][/DOUBLEPOST]https://imageshack.us/i/poYZLpLQp
https://imageshack.us/i/pmu7eGABp
https://imageshack.us/i/poWKdIfMp