What Apple did not provide in the iPhone, the Chinese added behind the scenes
Information about the project was revealed by the well-known leaker Ice Universe, showing photos fully functional device with the SIM tray placed next to the USB-C port.
They reduced vibration and added a SIM reader
iPhone Air is the first Apple smartphone to be sold worldwide only in the eSIM version. In a flat design 5.6mm there was simply no room for a traditional SIM tray. But is it really? What Apple couldn’t do was done by talented workers at an electronics store in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei district.
Chinese specialists had to find a place for a SIM slot remove the original Apple Taptic Engine vibration motor and replace it with a much smaller unit that still provides basic haptic vibration. The space thus obtained allowed for: installing a SIM card reader and a physical slot, enabling full functionality of the device. Impressively, the modified phone retains an IP68 waterproof rating.
Photos shared by Ice Universe confirm that the modified iPhone Air works with a China Telecom SIM card, can make phone calls and uses the 5G network without any problems. As Ice Universe explained:
What they did is really hardcore. To make room for the physical SIM card slot, they removed the original iPhone Air vibration motor module. They installed two new components in the freed up space.
iPhone Air is the first iPhone sold exclusively with eSIM globally, including in China, where Apple is collaborating on eSIM activation with only one operator, China Unicom. Customers of other chains are harmed, so it is not surprising that the idea for such a modification was born.
