Airtel gives away cheap and dysfunctional “Smart Sims”, are you impacted ?

Airtel recently tried to solve the sim size problem by offering customers a nano sim card and a smart sim pack which had sim trays of different sizes. This entire package came along with the sim for a nominal charge of Rs.50. Here is my feedback.

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The original Nano sim that doesn’t fit into the Airtel sim tray.

The Nano sized sim card from Airtel

The package looked impressive and I thought that they have been crafted more precisely than the Chinese sim adapters but I was so wrong. I was surprised and taken back by the pathetic fit and finish of the sim trays, and one needed to really push the sim in the adapter.

I took the adapter to the nearest Airtel store (H.S.R Layout, Bangalore) and the store manager tried inserting the sim but even he failed. He also tried inserting it in another adapter but even that didn’t help. As usual the Airtel staff blamed me for not using the adapter properly and asked me to purchase a duplicate micro sim instead, defying the whole purpose of a sim card adapter. The store manager was extremely rude and he stopped paying any attention thereafter.

The after market sim tray that accommodates the nano sim perfectly

After this experience I walked into the neighbourhood mobile store and I was promptly handed a Chinese made sim adapter for Rs. 30 and voilà! it sure did fit perfectly in the slot.