A phone drops — and instead of working normally, a blank space appears where the carrier name should be. Or a "No SIM" message right on the lock screen. Such devices are brought to our service center regularly, and every second customer has the exact same first thought: "the SIM probably just popped out." Sometimes that's true. But often — it's not.

What happens inside upon impact

When an iPhone is dropped, several things can happen at once. The SIM card tray shifts or gets slightly deformed. The SIM card itself sometimes loses contact with the reader. But the worst part is the mechanical impact on the motherboard. The SIM reader connector is soldered, and the contacts can break away from the impact. You can't see this from the outside at all.

Another scenario is a cracked SIM reader itself. It's a small metal connector on the board, quite fragile. It breaks especially often in iPhone X, XS, and the 12 series — when dropped on a corner, the load goes directly into that area.

We had a case: someone brought in an iPhone 13 that fell from a meter high onto tile. Visually — not a scratch, the housing was intact. But the SIM wasn't reading at all. We opened it up — the SIM reader connector had detached from the board by literally a hair's breadth. Visible under a microscope, but nothing from the outside. We resoldered it — everything worked.

What you can check yourself

Before heading to the service center, there are a few simple steps you can take — you won't break anything.

  1. Remove the SIM card from the tray. Inspect it: are there any cracks, oxidation, or signs of deformation? Wipe the contacts with a dry cloth.
  2. Check the tray: is it bent, does it fit snugly back in place?
  3. Restart your iPhone. Sometimes after a jolt, the system simply doesn't "notice" the card — and a restart fixes it.
  4. Try another SIM card if you can. This will immediately show where the problem lies — in the card or in the phone.
  5. Go to Settings → Cellular and check if connection is on and whether APN settings were reset.

If nothing changes, you shouldn't disassemble it further on your own. Disassembling an iPhone without experience and tools ends up with torn flex cables and new problems.

When you can't do without a technician

If the SIM is intact, the tray isn't bent, and another card isn't reading either, the problem is inside. We most often see three scenarios:

  • The SIM reader connector detached — easily resoldered, usually 1–2 hours of work.
  • The SIM reader itself is broken — replaced, parts are available for most models.
  • Damage to motherboard traces — requires microsoldering, but is also fixable.

Another example: someone brought in an iPhone 12 Pro — it fell inside a backpack, and the owner didn't even hear the impact. A day later, they noticed there was no service and thought it was a carrier issue. They came to us a week later. Turns out — a crack in the SIM reader plus micro-deformation of the tray. We replaced the reader, adjusted the tray — and the phone works.

The repair cost depends on the model and the specific breakdown. Usually it's between 1 500 and 5 000 rubles — the expensive option is only if the motherboard is severely affected. Turnaround time — usually the same day.

Didn't help? Come to iClub

If your iPhone stopped detecting the SIM after a drop and your troubleshooting steps didn't yield results, bring it to us. Diagnostics are free. A technician will inspect it, tell you the exact cause and cost without pushing unnecessary services. We are located in Novosibirsk at 35 Kommunisticheskaya St.