I have a cell phone by Suncom and I found a phone I liked on Ebay. The phone is unlocked, which means all I have to do is switch my sim card from the old to the new phone, but i dont want to buy the phone and have it shipped, THEN realize that the card won't fit or work correctly.
2006-12-22 12:17:36 · 7 answers · asked by Shay S 2 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Cell Phones & Plans
No, NOT all sim cards are the same. If that phone was used on the same carrier as you, suncom, then you should be OK, but otherwise you're taking a big gamble.
2006-12-22 12:25:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
All sim cards are the same size--though I've seen references to a "mini" sIM card that I know nothing about. If the phone is unlocked then it is not limited to a specific carrier and as only the SIM card information is used to establish calls and assign billing then your Suncom card will work with the new phone. The carrier cannot tell if the phone is supposed to be locked to them or not. Older phones and CDMA use the ESN (electronic serial number) and can be tracked by carriers, newer phones that use SIM cards cannot. CDMA doesn't use SIM cards so they are tracked by ESN and if the phone isn't in the carriers database they won't support it and you can only use it for 911 calls. (ANY cell phone, analog, digital, CDMA, GSM, any band, active or not can be used to dial 911.) I have a Nokia 3595, an N-Gage, and an N-Gage QD and use the same SIM card with all of them with no problems.
2006-12-22 15:58:01 · answer #2 · answered by Ron S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
SIM cards are compatible with GSM technology and the service providers that use this technology are Cingular and T-mobile the major ones. If you are not sure, ask the ebay seller if the phone uses GSM and if it is compatible with Suncom that uses SIM card.
Verizon and US Cellular use CDMA technology and they do not have SIM card in the phone.
Even though these phones are unlocked they are NOT the SAME. Buy the phone that is on GSM and NOT CDMA.
2006-12-22 12:27:02 · answer #3 · answered by Mack 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I´m a mercahnt sailor. I purchased a Motorola V-60 GSM unlocked phone in the United Arab emirates about three years ago. I have purchased and used SIM chips from the UAE, Singapore, Australia, Guatemala, Mexico, and other countries without problems. All the cards are the same size, and in my case I only bought cards that used pre-paid time. I have since purchased an unlocked Samsung D500 from E-Bay and am having similar success. But stay with GSM equipped phones!
2006-12-22 13:34:16 · answer #4 · answered by Jeff w 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All SIM cards have standard dimensions, and should work on any GSM phone. However, if the phone you are purchasing does not have the GSM bands that your carrier uses (i.e. 850/1900), then the phone will not work, not because of the SIM card, but because of the phone and the network not being compatible.
2006-12-22 14:14:24 · answer #5 · answered by spazattack674 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It should work if the phone you want to buy is GSM.
If it's a CDMA phone then you're out of luck because those phones don't use sim cards.
Usually, all sim cards are the same size.
2006-12-22 12:20:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
SIM cards or chips are the smae on companys i think like i got a cingular phone ,and if i want to upgrade they swith the sim chip
2006-12-22 13:33:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋