iPhone 5 Nano Sims Months away for Giffgaff Users

Posted on Sep 15 2012 - 2:09am by Richard Sharp

Apple announced their brand new iPhone 5 earlier in the week which has been welcomed with mixed feelings. I for one can’t wait to get my hands on one, my hardest decision will be choosing a colour and even that could come down to a flip of a coin. So for me it’s a simple choice; network providers on the other hand are having bigger problems.

As you may remember I switched to Giffgaff earlier in the year. I cut down my sim and was ready to go. The problem with the iPhone 5 is that is uses a nano sim; a thinner and smaller sim which is the first of its kind that could be cut down and sanded, but who’d want to put a sanded down sim in a £500+ phone? I wanted to learn how GiffGaff was going to tackle the new NanoSim.

My first port of call was the GiffGaff forums where Mark has provided an official update “We will be supporting the iPhone 5 as soon as we can, but before we go ahead and offer the nanoSIM, there are a number of technical changes that need to be made”.

This indicates they weren’t fully prepared for the Nano sim. Perhaps Apple didn’t reach out to confirm it would be included before their announcement on Tuesday. Either way, the news has GiffGaff users spooked and the news gets worse.

Mark’s post goes on to explain how the rollout may occur, “To be able to get the giffgaff nanoSIM launched as soon as we can, we are looking at alternative distribution methods. If all goes well, we hope to have the SIM cards ready for distribution in the coming months.”

What do you make of all this? Will you wait for the new Nano sims, or will ‘months’ be too long to wait?

Update:

As an avid Giffgaffer I have reached out to provide whatever help I can with this distribution service. Check back for updates.

16 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. nimish September 15, 2012 at 12:01 pm - Reply

    i was about to join giff gaff but this will stop me from doing so

    • Alistair September 15, 2012 at 8:42 pm - Reply

      Eek me too. Thanks Google

  2. John Glynn September 15, 2012 at 3:46 pm - Reply

    Definitely waiting for Giffgaff to get their lazy act together. Love the new iPhone, but nothing could make me go back to O2: I've cut an average £55 a month phone bill down to £10 with Giffgaff. No signal from the other providers at my home address. I would not take a contract phone as bought-from-Apple-unlocked means I can use PAYG sims when overseas also.

  3. Barry September 15, 2012 at 3:57 pm - Reply

    Three seems to be the only UK network that are prepared for the new iPhone but there coverage is very poor where I live, all the other operators either don't know what a nano sim is (poor training) or say that the only way to get one is to visit there stores on the 21st, because like most normall people I have a job and am not ble to get to there shops, why can't they post one out in time? I'm leaving giff gaff because of the sim problem and am not impressed with the way i am being treated as a potential customer on any of the other networks

  4. wingnut September 16, 2012 at 3:31 pm - Reply

    Come on Giffgaff get a bloody grip this i5 has been long awaited even the public knew it was a nano sim all the other providers are geared up for the launch. O2 are offering a sim swap you are on the O2 network as a sister company surly it's not that difficult to produce new sim cards.
    And as you will drop a large number of dedicated users over this think your mention of months has iced the cake I am now looking to move provider due to your poor foresight.

  5. Pui Tsui September 17, 2012 at 5:03 am - Reply

    I emailed giff gaff months before iPhone 5 was to come out and asked about the nano sim.
    Not a single reply !

  6. arfaan September 17, 2012 at 6:08 am - Reply

    Hi guys just thought I let uno Giffgaff is owned and run by 02 and I do know why they will take two months to bring the nano sim out for giffgaff because they are manafacturing 02 nano sims lmao.
    why do you think we get reception through 02? I have questioned 02 customer service many times and they just cannot reply to any questions asked lol, because they no its true. . im on giffgaff but it is abit ridiculous for nano sim to take this long. this is whats stopping me getting iphone 5 because giffgaff is a decent network on payg, esoecially with the payg deals so il just wait.

  7. Disappointed September 17, 2012 at 7:30 am - Reply

    Months is just not good enough! Giffgaff knew this was coming, as much as every other giffgaffer, and did nothing to get ready. Now a good third of the community will be leaving in favour of Three!

  8. Ricky September 17, 2012 at 7:45 pm - Reply

    Giffgaff. Your members love your unique ideas.. your fresh approach.. we support you. But… having to wait months for an iPhone 5 nano sim?? STOP! I'm off to check the 3 network website… £25 p/m. No contract. 2000 mins, unlimited net and free 3 to 3 calls. Unfortunately, I think Giffgaff will notice a decrease in members in a few weeks…

  9. Pui Tsui September 18, 2012 at 9:53 am - Reply

    I bought a nano sim cutter to stay with giffgaff !
    With sand paper ready too to shave some mm off the micro sim
    Now waiting for iphone5.

  10. nab October 3, 2012 at 3:23 am - Reply

    Will any phone shop cut the sim to a nano sim can't wait few mnths that's ridiculous

  11. Krystyna dean November 29, 2012 at 12:21 am - Reply

    Does anyone have any idea when or if gift gaff plan to produce a nano sim

  12. Apple News January 11, 2013 at 12:03 pm - Reply

    i was about to join giff gaff but this will stop me from doing so

    • gadgetsandgizmos January 11, 2013 at 1:21 pm - Reply

      After investigation we'd say it's perfectly safe to use a cut down sim.

  13. itunesmp3 February 1, 2013 at 11:14 am - Reply

    Love the new iPhone, but nothing could make me go back to O2

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