When I got my 3G iPad last year, there were no prepaid micro sims available yet at Globe or Smart so I went to one of the stalls in Theater Mall, Greenhills where they charged me P100 to cut up a standard Smart Buddy sim to micro sim size.
I discovered that Smart had this smart feature called Web Connect.
You register the sim online, fill up some info about yourself, assign a password, a TPIN (optional) and you were good to go. Web Connect allowed you to inquire about your sim balance, avail of promo packages, and get technical help when needed.
For several months, I was happy. I’d use the Pasaload feature to load up my iPad whenever i needed to go 3G. But when carriers began offering prepaid plans with unlimited surfing for a day, a week and a month, I realized that being charged P20/hour was getting costly, especially since I needed to be online whenever I was out of the house.
Mistake # 1 – Wrong Sim
When the Smart system detects that your sim is a Smart Buddy, you only see call/text promo packages on your Web Connect account! So all that time, I thought an ipad could never avail of unlimited surfing packages and had to be content with hourly rates. Yun pala, I had the wrong sim! It had to be Smart Bro!
So last week, off I went to Smart Wireless Center and purchased another sim, costing only P40. This time, I made sure it was a Smart Bro prepaid micro sim.
Mistake # 2 – Registering on Web Connect via Web
As I’m always wifi-connected at home, it was just natural for me to register on Web Connect while on my home network. Apparently, Smart’s system requires that you register by being on 3G AND using the iPad’s micro sim. Otherwise, your Smart Bro packages and other promos don’t show up on your account’s screen.
I learned this the hard way and had to communicate with @SmartCares (Smart’s Twitter account). They had to refresh my micro sim so I could register again.
I think I successfully activated my micro sim because last I checked, I could already see the Smart Bro packages for unlimited surfing options.
Just one last hirit (my suggestion) for Smart people.
The iPad has no texting function unlike a smartphone where you text a given format to subscribe to unlimited surfing. The way the Smart system is now, it appears that you need to first connect to Smart using your 3G connection (which means you get charged P10 just to connect). Then you choose an unlimited surfing option, say the P50 unlimited surfing for one day. So in effect, I get charged P60 instead of what should just have been P50 had I subscribed on a smartphone.
Can Smart please find a workaround so I can register for surfing options via wifi on Web Connect instead of spending P10 just to connect via 3G? Anyway, the account requires a password so no one else can enter the account and register for a surfing option and other packages.
Hi! Thanks for this post! I will now know what to do to my ipad.. As i dont want to switch networks.. But can you help me to cause i have an iphone 4 and i want to use a smart prepaid to it but microsims are not available to it? What do you think i should do? Just buy a cut-out prepaid smart buddy or smart bro microsim like for the ipad? Thanks!
Hi Ann. I am not sure I understood your question but I will try.
Smart has microsims for the ipad so I presuppose that these can be used for your iphone 4 (is it an open line?). Best thing to do is to visit a Smart Wireless Center nearest you, bring your iphone and find out if they can help you out with your concern.
Good luck!
hi! sorry sa question.. ang gulo pala ng tanong ko.. super nagmamadali lang… anyways, thanks for the reply… i got a smart bro prepaid micro-sim na kaso for the ipad lang sya.. wala pa daw available na smart buddy prepaid microsim for the iphone 4.. sa main branch na ako actually bumili at nagtanong.. hayyy! pwede ba ang smart bro prepaid micro-sim sa iphone 4? or kelangan talaga smart buddy prepaid microsim? sobrang naiinis na ko sa smart! wala na ata ako choice but to switch network na para lang magamit ko ang iphone4 na prepaid pa din…
To Ann: Smart Bro microsims are only for the iPads or Internet routers. Smart bro is only for surfing and not for calls.
I also have an iPhone 4 and I am using smart buddy. All you have to do is go to those cellphone tiangge and ask which one of them has a microsim puncher/cutter. They usually charge 20-50 pesos to punch/cut your regular sim to a microsim. After that you can use it na on your iPhone 4.
OR you can google on the net on how to cut your sim card yourself.
Hi.. I bought a Smart prepaid and have it cut, i am using the Always On service and its ok naman, 300 pesos for a 250mb usage per month. Suitable naman for me since i have a witribe in my office, my only problem is how to activate this service monthly without removing the microsim from my Ipad and transfer to a mobilephone wherein i can text the promo to activate.. I already tweeted Smartcares and waiting for a positive reply..
To Anonymous:
Register for a My Smart account at http://my.smart.com.ph.
With that account, you can subscribe VIA WIFI to any of the Always On or Unlimited Surfing plans of Smart.
Very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing this. SMART should pay for your services.
To Unknown:
Hahaha. Thank you for the thought. Smart, do you see this? 🙂 But kidding aside, it's just a little contribution for people like me who had to find out for myself how to do this.
for ipad 3g user, use regular sim (cutted to microsim) to avail free text from their promo. dont use smartbro its only data. yes you can text and call after you "jailbreak" your ipad.
madami jan sa tabi nag j jailbreak.
2p
Hi Anonymous, does the regular sim offers unlimited surfing packages just like the smartbro microsim? And i have a question too, is it okay to jailbreak your ipad? I have some fears regarding to have my ipad jailbroken. That it might caused malfunctions.. Hope u cud help me on this. Thank you.
pwd po ba patulong dyan?nkabili po ako ng smart bro prepaid micro sim.and kpag ininsert qpo to my iphone4.no service po sya.compatible po ba ang smart bro prepaid sim sa iphone4 or pang ipad 3 lang tlg sya?
To Anonymous (Aug. 19):
Alam ko compatible ang prepaid na SmartBro sa ipad at cellphone. Kasi SmartBro ang nakasaksak sa phone ko (pero hindi iphone4). Pakicheck ang internet settings mo. Baka doon ang problema. Better still, pumunta ka ng Globe business center at magpatulong. Thank you.
Hi ask q lng pwede ba mgtxt sa ipad to sim ?or tumawag to sim tnx need pb tlga pajailbreak ang ipad?
hello. just got my microsim smartbro this thursday. yung sim nilagay muna sa cellphone ko tapos niregister daw for 200unli (5 days)..tapos yung sim nilagay na sa ipad 3 ko. after nun, nag oppen ako ng email ko sa smart. na check ko naman na naka unli 200 nga ako and i have 16 pesos remaining.
my question is… paaano ako mag papaload ulit ng 200 unli… sana wag naman alis tanggal ang microsim sa ipad tapos ilalagay nanaman sa cellphone ang microsim just to buy… 🙁
@Rae – Pumunta ka sa http://my.smart.com.ph at magregister para gumawa ng account. Kung may account ka na, i-register mo ang smartbro number. Sa alam ko, pwede ka nang magregister sa iba ibang smartbro plans sa loob ng account na ito.
Hi, skin yung ipad ko na jailbreak ko na… Pero, anung apps pwede maka text and call? Nabasa ko kc sa cooment sa taas.. Salamat
buti pa ito nasagot mga questions ko sa smart. sa smart wala ako matanungan na matino! serious.
hi ms. jane! pwde po ba pa-help? : bumuli kasi kami ng microsim na smart bro pra sa ipad. ngamit ko nman, nkapagDL dn ako ng games. hehe. pero bgla di na mkaconnect. naisip ko naman bka wla na load. tapos nun magpapaload na ko, ndi nman masendan ng load tpos ndi dn mtwagan un number ng microsim. Ayun. Ano kya problema nun? Pls help! Thanks! 🙂
Dear Anonymous (Oct. 3, 2012):
Sorry at di na kita matulungan dito kasi ang mga ganyan dapat direcho na sa telco mo. Puntahan mo yung Globe, Smart or Sun centers para magpatulong. Hope you solve your problem.
anu po b # n tawagan para po ma activate ung som card n gamet mo.nakalimutan ko po kasi ung cnabi nung napag bilhan ko k kina
By nong nere2gister ko 2ng smart bro num ko using my iPad eh sabi your number is not active
Ako din got my smart bro sim tried to register sabi your red mobile number is not active…eh di naman red mobile to..
Hi everybody, I am going to Manila in about 3 weeks and need a micro sim for my new iPad with unlimited (or 1- 2 GB) data rate. Can I buy them right in the airport and how does it work with the activation? If I got it right, I'll have to buy a globe or smart prepaid sim and then send a text message to activate it which is not possible from the iPad (my iphone won't work, it is locked). Will the shop activate the sim card for me?
Any other solutions?
Best regards and thanks in advance
San ko po makikita yung verification code sa Pag add ko ng bro number? I'm using ipad po. Hindi ko po makita yung Bro Inbox… Salamat po in advance.
hi i have ipad mini 4g, and i used smart broadband regular sim and i cut it to make micro sim, panu ba gamitin un sa ipad mini, teach me nman how to register or kung anu kailangan ko gawin pra magamit ko sya sa internet..thanks
hi bought smart broadband sim, panu ba gamitin un sa internet, please teach me nman how to use it..on my ipad mini 4g.panu mag unli surf?
Hi.. I have iPad4 and Meron ng smart sim .pano b gamitin un sim pra mag Internet, tnx
Hi po,, ask ko lng po smart bro po na sim kse ung gamit ko for ip4 and then dati po nagagamit ko pa ung 3g nia but nung tinry ko po kanina ayaw na po gumana nung 3g.. help po pleasee hirap po kpag walang wifi :///
Gmit q ip0d 3g q d q alm pno mag unlmted surfing can you teach me guyz
Thanks to all…… I'll go for smartbro plan 999 unlimited surfing…. 🙂
help naman ,. smart bro sim pre activated ??? pano to ?
help naman ./ di ko maloadan smartbro microsim ko ,. pre activated daw ,. T.T
hello there! I have an iPad mini and I just bought a smart nano sim but I don't know how can I load my smart nano sim and how can I registered it with the promos?? is there any apps I can download? (just like on the other network? ex. globe) thank you 🙂
Hi JC. New Smart sims for ipads need to be activated first by putting it into a mobile phone and using it (ex, by loaidng it). Once it is activated and in your ipad, you can do regular top-ups via e-load. I'd also recommend that you set up an account at my.smart.com.ph. You can register for promos via this account as well as regularly check your load balance. Hope this helps!
Hi Jane. Is there no other way to activate the sim? Other than putting it in a phone? Because all I have is an ipad mini (which is where I put my nano sim in), and a lumia which uses a micro sim. XD
Hi po. Nagload po ako ng 30 at nagregister po ako sa Smart (microsim) ng UNLI25 pero ang reply po sa akin ay "could not sent" Ano po ibig sabihin nun? May prob po ba sa sim ko. One day plang po ung sim ko.