BlackBerry did a good job of keeping things neat and tidy under the battery door of the BlackBerry Z10. The Micro SD card is easy to insert and remove from its slot, as is the battery.
When it comes to the SIM card, BlackBerry has downsized things from previous BlackBerry Smartphones. The Z10 features the smaller Micro SIM card, that is now pretty much standard on all smartphones. The exception to this rule is the iPhone 5, which uses an even smaller Nano SIM card. The good news for iPhone 5 owners switching over to the Z10 is that they can actually use their Nano SIM card in the Z10, so long as they have an adapter for it.
Inserting a Micro SIM card into the BlackBerry Z10 is relatively straight forward. You need to remove the battery, then insert the Micro SIM card into the slot per the diagram that's painted into the device housing (underneath where the battery would normally sit - see photo above). If you have big fingers it may prove a little bit tricky. You need to be careful not to try and jam the Micro SIM in at angle, but rather make sure you are holding it flat and inline with the slot before inserting it. Don't force it. It should go in smoothly.
When it comes to removing the Micro SIM, begin by first pushing back on it from the tip that's furthest inserted. It will move out about 1/16th of an inch. From there, go back to the big end of the Micro SIM that's now accessible, grab it from each side with your fingers, and pull it out. Again, don't angle the Micro SIM - pull it straight out. If you run into issues because you have big fingers - enlist someone with smaller hands to help.
Inserting an iPhone 5 Nano SIM into the BlackBerry Z10
If you have an iPhone 5 and want to switch to the BlackBerry Z10, you can do that without any need to change your data plan. However, you will first need to purchase a Nano SIM adapter. Placing the Nano SIM into the adapter effectively makes it a Micro SIM, which will then fit into the Z10.
Once you have the adapter, WHATEVER YOU DO NEVER INSERT THE ADAPTER INTO THE PHONE WITHOUT THE NANO SIM CARD IN IT. I once broke a new BlackBerry in under a minute doing this (see video). Basically the pins within the phone that put pressure on the SIM card will get caught on the housing of the adapter. Trust me, you don't want this to happen.
Once you have your Nano SIM card inserted into the Nano SIM adapter, then the fun begins. The way the Nano SIM will naturally sit right sight up in the adapter is unfortunately not the way you need to insert it into the Z10.
You will have to flip the Nano SIM + Adapter combo over in order to insert it in the right direction. And when this happens, the Nano SIM will want to fall out of the adapter. Gravity is not your friend here. You'll be trying a million times to get it inserted with no luck, unless you follow this CrackBerry tip... work from below the phone.
IMPORTANT: Instead of having the display facing down and trying to insert the Nano SIM / Adapter combo into the phone with the Nano SIM facing down towards the phone, you need to flip things around. Hold the Z10 with the display facing up. Hold it above your head. Then with gravity now on your side and Nano SIM sitting facing up within the adapter instead of down, now work on getting into into the Micro SIM slot.
Note: It's still not a super easy install process. You need to be very gentle. Don't force anything. Make sure you're lining everything up straight. But working from this vantage point, you'll be able to succeed. Be sure to watch the video at the top of this post to walk through the process.
And if you are an iPhone 5 owner following this tutorial, let me be the first to welcome you to the wonderful world of BlackBerry!
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