Nano SIM card

A Nano SIM card measures 0.48 inches (12.3 mm) wide and 0.35 inches (8.8 mm) tall, with a thickness of 0.03 inches (0.67 mm). It is the smallest and most current SIM card size, introduced in 2012 and now the standard in nearly all modern smartphones. This page covers the exact dimensions, the SIM card size family, and where Nano-SIM is used today.

Dimensions

How it compares in size

Nano-SIM is about 40 percent smaller by area than Micro-SIM and roughly 60 percent smaller than the original Mini-SIM (standard) card. It is also slightly thinner than the other two formats, at 0.67 mm versus 0.76 mm, giving phone manufacturers a little extra internal space.

The SIM card size family

Nano-SIM was introduced by Apple with the iPhone 5 in 2012 and quickly became the industry standard afterward, since it left the most room inside increasingly slim phone bodies. It remains the smallest widely adopted physical SIM format, though eSIM technology has started to replace physical SIM cards entirely in some newer devices.

Devices that use Nano-SIM

Nearly every smartphone released since 2012 that still uses a physical SIM tray takes a Nano-SIM, including current iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel models (in regions where eSIM has not fully replaced physical SIM slots). Many tablets and some cellular smartwatches also use this size when they support a physical SIM.

Nano-SIM vs eSIM

Unlike a physical Nano-SIM, an eSIM is a chip built directly into the phone’s circuit board and has no physical dimensions to remove or swap. Some newer phones, particularly certain iPhone models sold in the US, have dropped the physical SIM tray entirely in favor of eSIM only. Where both are supported, a Nano-SIM and an eSIM can often run side by side for dual-line setups.

Frequently asked questions

What is the size of a Nano-SIM card?

12.3 x 8.8 mm (0.48 x 0.35 inches), the smallest of the three common physical SIM card formats.

Do all current phones use Nano-SIM?

Most phones with a physical SIM tray use Nano-SIM, though a growing number of newer phones, especially in some markets, rely entirely on eSIM instead.

Can I adapt a Nano-SIM to fit a larger slot?

Yes, using a plastic adapter frame that holds the Nano-SIM in the correct position within a Micro-SIM or Mini-SIM slot.

Is Nano-SIM thinner than other SIM sizes?

Yes. Nano-SIM is 0.67 mm thick, slightly thinner than the 0.76 mm thickness of Mini-SIM and Micro-SIM cards.

What replaces Nano-SIM in newer phones?

eSIM technology, a chip embedded directly in the device with no removable card, is increasingly replacing physical Nano-SIM slots in newer smartphone models.

Related objects

• Micro SIM card
• Standard SIM card
• iPhone 15
• Samsung Galaxy S24