Posted on 10/15/2009 5:34:12 AM PDT by 50sDad
A quick quesition for our Tech Brigade…a week ago, I seriously misplaced my cell phone, as in, it’s 80% sure it is lost in my house, but the best of research yields nada. I went to the kiosk and AT&T issued me a new sim and deactivated the old one, so no one can use it and if I find the phone, I can insert the Sim and be back to normal.
My daughter replaced her broken one with the same model; the replacement was “unlocked” for use on any carrier. But what about going to a different model? Do I have the freedom to buy a different model of phone, unlocked, and just put the SIM in and go?
Absolutely. Go to Ebay, there are hundreds upon hundreds of unlocked phones. Just put your SIM card in and go. I always buy this way, that way your two year contract can expire with the carrier.
Keep in mind, if you had a regular phone and buy a Blackberry or something, you will only have whatever service you have paid for.
Yep...any unlocked phone....
Now that doesn’t apply to PDA’s since you need a data plan from most carriers.....You can get yourself in trouble with high charges if you all the sudden start using data (internet) without a data plan....
yes.
somewhere on the phone will be a sticker with the IMEI serial number.
Call the AT&T service number and give the technicians that IMEI number and the serial number of your new SIM card. The AT&T tech will pair the two and you’re good to go.
caveat: need a compatible SIM card to your future phone. 3G to 3G, or 4G to 4G, or whatever. Easier to find the phone, then swap out SIM cards at AT&T store, the IMEI and SIM can be paired at AT&T retail stores too.
As long as the SIM card fits the phone you want to buy, there shouldn’t be a problem. Check at the store to make sure it’s compatible with the phone.
My granddaughter broke her ATT phone, so we got her a go-phone (very cheap) and put the old SIM card in it, called and made sure it was activated. This way we don’t have to worry about replacing an expensive phone, insurance charges, shipping back and forth, etc.
yes so long as it is unlocked
I’m having more trouble that that.
sometimes when people call me they are routed to another number, sometimes I do not even get the calls and when O called AT&T they said that they never authorised the routing of the number and have no idea why it happened.
They fixed the problem and now two weeks later it is happening again.
Not only that but sometimes I pick a guys voice up but only in the way of a one word like got it or I have heard now.
I call England and the family in England call me a lot and it seems to happen on most international calls but as time went by it was starting to get more on national calls.
Same as my e-mail which I never got off a girl out in Norway and the UK many times.
believe me mate you just get that SIM card in and you will be OK hopefully you are not having problems like I am
go phone???????????????????
Huh?
Sentence structure is your friend
It sounds like someone may have “cloned” your SIM card and therefore your account. They can forward your calls to another number with a few key presses. I would report it to your carrier and get a new SIM.
ATT makes it, it’s around $20 bucks, find it in any WalMart. They market it as a pay-as-you-go phone, but it can be used as a contract phone, also, if you have an ATT contract already.
thank you for that and I will ask for a new SIM
again thank you.
Sounds like a great idea, thanks
I got my daughter’s old phone (bad front display, workable otherwise), popped in the sim, and I am good to go! Thanks for the idea, and I will check out your alternative as well.
And of course, it means I didn’t give the weasels at AT&T the price of a new phone, and I know where on the web I can get an exact replacement for $70 if I want to. Thanks again!
I’m glad it all worked out well for you. :-D
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