In fact, if you don’t mind cutting out some unnecessary plastic, you can remove the SIM card from the Razr and insert it into your Nexus 5 with no problem. Never mind that this latest phone didn’t even catch Google’s eye when the card was made, the nature of the SIM card means compatibility is a given.
While rapid advances in computing power are of course nothing new, the evolution of mobile devices is something else entirely. The Razr V3 from 2003 and the Nexus 5 from 2013 are so different that it’s hard to reconcile the fact that they are (at least superficially) designed to serve the same purpose – with everything from the physical layout fundamental to the way users interact with them after undergoing drastic changes in the ensuing years. Even the network technology they use to support voice and data communications is different. However, there is at least one component they share: the humble SIM card.
Indeed, there is every reason to believe that the same card, now 20 years old, can be installed in any number of phones on the market today. Although, again, minor surgery is required to shrink it down to size. That’s the beauty of a SIM card or subscriber identity module. It allows you to easily switch your mobile service from one phone to another, regardless of the age of the device or manufacturer, and generally does not need to notify your service provider about the convert. It’s a simple concept that has served us well throughout the time when cell phones came along and separated the phone from the phone contract.
So naturally, there’s growing pressure in the industry to screw it all up.