Cell Phone Sim Cards??
Jan 19th, 2006, 06:07 AM
#1
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Cell Phone Sim Cards??
I have a Motoroloa and have service through Cingular. My phones has all but died but I still have another whole year on my contract so they won't let me upgrade/get a new phone. So...I saw a few phones on ebay the same as mine w/o a SIM card. My question is can I use the SIM card from the phone I have now in the exact same model phone I buy off of ebay? If so, do I have to do anything through Cingular to get this done? I know nothing about cell phones, SIM cards, etc. Thanks for helping!
Jan 19th, 2006, 06:27 AM
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To use Cingular here, the phone has to be:
- unlocked, or locked to Cingular
- has 850/1900 GSM frequencies
To use other SIM cards abroad, the phone has to be:
- unlocked
- has 900/1800 frequencies
Therefore, if you want to use a phone in both circumstances, it has to be unlocked, and is quad-band GSM with all those 4 frequencies.
Cingular doesn't care what phone you put your SIM card into.
- unlocked, or locked to Cingular
- has 850/1900 GSM frequencies
To use other SIM cards abroad, the phone has to be:
- unlocked
- has 900/1800 frequencies
Therefore, if you want to use a phone in both circumstances, it has to be unlocked, and is quad-band GSM with all those 4 frequencies.
Cingular doesn't care what phone you put your SIM card into.
Jan 19th, 2006, 08:38 AM
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In other words, buy an unlocked, Tri- or Quad-band phone. These tend to be cheaper on Ebay, but are widely available. A friend of my bought has Cingular service and bought a Motorola 551 (unlocked Quadband) from a Cingular store.
Or, buy a Tri/Quad phone from any vendor and do a 'net search for unlocking sevice or software.
Or, buy a Tri/Quad phone from any vendor and do a 'net search for unlocking sevice or software.
Jan 19th, 2006, 01:05 PM
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There are two types of tri-band phones. Early ones are always 900/1800/1900; but after the Cingular and Rogers start using 850, some tri-band phones are 850/1800/1900. A seller on ebay will tell you exactly what it is, or don't buy from him.
Most "world phones" now are quad-band GSM to cover all those 4 frequencies.
Most "world phones" now are quad-band GSM to cover all those 4 frequencies.
