Fund this: iPhone 5 case adds second SIM card
The Digirit SIM+ case lets you use switch between two cards and even has storage for a third, a huge boon for international travelers.
Are you constantly having to carry around two phones, one for personal use, one for work? Do you travel internationally and routinely swap "local" SIM cards for your primary one? If you're an iPhone 5 user, there's a product in development that might make you smile.
The Digirit SIM+ case lets you carry two SIM cards in one iPhone. And not just carry them, but also switch between them using a simple software-powered toggle. It's currently looking for backers on crowd-funding site HWTrek.
iPhones that run on GSM networks (notably those from AT&T and T-Mobile here in the US) employ SIM cards to establish network connectivity. Those cards can be removed as needed if you're traveling overseas, want a temporary different phone number, or just want to switch to a lower-cost carrier.
Of course, traditionally it's a one-SIM-at-a-time proposition. With the SIM+, you get to keep two cards loaded -- one nano-SIM, one micro-SIM. In fact, the case itself actually has an internal slot for housing a third card, though only two can be active at any given time.
Well, technically, only one can. Digirit relies on a simple SIM-switching menu for choosing the card you want to use. But in addition to basic toggling, you can set timed intervals for each card, nice if you want to use, say, one by day and another by night. Take note, however, that unless your phone is unlocked, you'll be limited to cards from your current carrier.
The SIM+ measures 0.41-inch thick, only about one-tenth of an inch thicker than the iPhone 5 itself. (It's not immediately clear if the case also supports the iPhone 5S, though it should given the similar dimensions.) Current plans are to make both black and white versions of the case with your choice of a black, red, or silver middle section that serves as the SIM cover.
Now for the bad news: currently the SIM+ has exactly one backer. The developers are hoping to raise $40,000 in the next 25 days. The least expensive buy-in option is $55, which gets you a black or white case with a silver cover. Shipping adds $10.
What do you think? Is this something you could use?