Often, an effect is not the normative function of an artifact becuase the artifact is rarely useful for that effect. One might worry that this poses a problem for other artifacts that are rarely used, such as a SIM card ejector. Let us address this concern to see whether our account correctly entails that ejecting a SIM card from a mobile device is a (and maybe the proper) normative function of the artifact.
Firstly, the artifact has certain material features, typically a thin metal rod with a narrow, pointed end and a grip that makes it easy to handle. Call these “SIM-ejection” features. Clearly, these features are in principle suited to producing the effect for engaging the SIM card slot, so condition 1) is satisfied. But, condition 2) is also satisfied. Note that while there is rarely a need to eject SIM cards from phones, the situations in which such a need does arise call for an item that has exactly SIM-ejection features. Other relevantly similar artifacts, such as normal needles, for example, are less well suited to the task, as they are harder to comfortably handle. Furthermore, given the presence of the need to eject SIM-cards, it seems good for various reasons for an item that enables this task to exist. In fact, arguably SIM-card ejection is a necessary part of modern SIM-card slots that might be both appealing for aesthetic reasons and also better protect SIM-cards against wear and tear. As such, reasons for SIM-card ejection might be derivative of what reasons for SIM-card storage might call for. Given that items with SIM-ejection features are also typically not complicated or costly to produce, this need seems enough to make it so that enabling SIM card ejection is a reason that is good enough to explain why artifacts with SIM-ejection features ought to exist. This example illustrates how even rarely used artifacts that are not even that important can still possess a (proper) normative function.