A Chinese tech shop has done what Apple chose not to: add a physical SIM card slot to the iPhone Air. There’s a catch, though: to make internal space for the SIM card tray, they removed the vibration motor.
While a notable trade-off, it’s the only way to add a physical SIM card to the iPhone Air.
How modders squeezed a SIM slot into the iPhone Air
Due to its super-slim design and to maximize the internal space for the battery, Apple designed the iPhone Air without a SIM card slot. With eSIM adoption picking up pace, this should not be an issue. But in case you still prefer physical SIM cards, it makes the iPhone Air a no-go.
That’s exactly the problem a mobile shop in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei market in China has solved with its mod (via @UniverseIce). They modified the phone to add a physical SIM card slot.
In the process, they removed the vibration motor to make the required internal space. Instead, they replaced it with a smaller unit that only provides basic haptic feedback. Still, that freed up enough space to install a full SIM slot on the phone.
B R E A K I N G!🙀
Yes, you’re seeing this right. The iPhone Air now has a SIM card slot.
This is a modified iPhone Air created by tech enthusiasts. They installed a physical SIM card tray, allowing the phone to use a physical SIM, make calls, and access mobile data normally. pic.twitter.com/v6S71jcn4O— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) January 23, 2026
While not a viable solution, it’s commendable that the mod works. More impressively, based on the shared images, it appears the iPhone Air functions flawlessly, and can make calls and connect to mobile data. Even its IP rating is seemingly intact.
This isn’t the first time such an ambitious hardware mod has emerged from China. Over the years, Chinese modders have repeatedly shown their skills and upgraded Apple’s various products in unimaginable ways, like upgrading the NAND chip on iPhones and iPads to increase their storage.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
