Phone options

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Big Al - 19 Feb 2007 06:22 GMT

I'm new here so if this sounds stupid....

Have a Nokia Gold phone that's many years old and not very good. Someone
told me I could find a different phone and just put my sim card in it. So I
did, and it worked. Until I dropped it. So I'm back on the original phone.
My question is what other phones will work this way? Not the brand of the
phone, but the carrier. Any of the prepaid phones I see everywhere for $30
or less work with a T-Mobile sim?

Reading here I see mention of "unlocked" and "locked" phones. How can I tell
if a phone is locked?

Next question: On eBay there are a lot of pre-paid sim cards for T-Mobile
phones. Can I put one in my phone and expect it to work? Is that a good
option if I start to run short on minutes? (Out going calls only.)

Al

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BruceR - 19 Feb 2007 09:12 GMT

Locked means that it will only work with the carrier that sold it. Since
you have a TMo account you can use any GSM unlocked phone or one that is
locked to TMo.

The prepaid phones you see may work if they are from TMo but not from
others. In the US the 2 main GSM carriers are TMo and Cingular/ATT.
Verizon & Sprint/Nextel are not GSM and will not work for you at all.
Since it sounds like you have been with TMo for some number of years,
stop by their store (NOT an independent dealer) or call them and ask for
a new, free phone. They'll be happy to give you one if you agree to
remain with them for another year.

> I'm new here so if this sounds stupid....
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Al

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EpsilonRho - 19 Feb 2007 23:29 GMT

The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are T-Mobile
and Cingular (AT&T).
The cost of the phone depends from the contract you want. If you choose a
prepaid plan, typically you will pay the "normal" market price for the
phone, but if you sign a contract with fixed monthly payments, then the
company will offer you phones at discounted prices or sometimes even free of
charge, if you agree to a 2 year contract, for example. If you buy the phone
from T-Mobile with the prepaid service, I believe they agree to unlock your
phone after 90 days. After that, you are free to choose GSM carriers without
any restriction by buying different SIM-carts.

This is what I did recently:
1. Bought on eBay an unlocked Motorola Razr
2. Bought on eBay a T-Mobile Sim-Cart
3. Inserted the Sim-cart into the phone.
4. Checked that everything was OK
5. Called T-Mobile and ask them to change the area code

For $120.00 for the phone plus $10.00 for the Sim-cart with 30 minutes
included, that was my total expense.
I hope it helps.
Gene

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Steven J. Sobol - 20 Feb 2007 01:11 GMT

> The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are T-Mobile
> and Cingular (AT&T).

There are a couple smaller carriers too. Dobson CellularONE is one of
them.

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BruceR - 20 Feb 2007 01:33 GMT

BTW, it's a SIM carD - not carT.

> The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are
> T-Mobile and Cingular (AT&T).
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> I hope it helps.
> Gene

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-= Hawk =- - 20 Feb 2007 02:08 GMT

>The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are T-Mobile
>and Cingular (AT&T).
>The cost of the phone depends from the contract you want. If you choose a
>prepaid plan, typically you will pay the "normal" market price for the

The same phone I got buying a prepaid package for $60 was listed at $130
if bought without a plan. Which one of those is the 'normal' market
price?

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BruceR - 20 Feb 2007 04:23 GMT

If you buy a plan the carrier subsidizes the cost of the phone so it's
less than without the plan. Even prepaid is still a "plan" so there is
some subsidy involved.

>> The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are
>> T-Mobile and Cingular (AT&T).
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> $130 if bought without a plan. Which one of those is the 'normal'
> market price?

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-= Hawk =- - 20 Feb 2007 04:45 GMT

>If you buy a plan the carrier subsidizes the cost of the phone so it's
>less than without the plan. Even prepaid is still a "plan" so there is
>some subsidy involved.

But it's not really a 'plan'. You get the phone, a few minutes of
started air time and no requirement to purchase more. Same phone minus
the SIM card and minutes is twice the price. If, as the OP states, you
already have a SIM card why on earth would you spend twice the funds to
get the same phone when you can just toss the new SIM card and put your
old one in the new phone?

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Brian K - 20 Feb 2007 08:23 GMT

>
>> The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are T-Mobile
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> price?
>

Which phone? Which Manufacturer? What Model? You can find reviews and
purchase info market price, mrsp or contract price at:

http://Cnet.com
http://www.mobileburn.com/
http://www.phonescoop.com/

FYI - I'm a T-Mobile customer who recently upgraded to a Moto RAZR V3.
My cost was $29.93 with a 2 year contract. I've seen the same phone at
Global Computers for $169.00.

Here's a tip if you are planning to convert to a pay-as-you-go plan.
Generally your calling area may not be as wide as you'd get with a
contract. When last I checked there's no free long distance or free
roaming with many of the pay as you go plans.

On the other hand, I know people using T-Mobile who started out with a
one year contract. When that was up, they didn't renew or upgrade there
phone. There hasn't been any penalty for not renewing. Basically their
service is on a month by month basis but they still have all the
features they had under contract.

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"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
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-= Hawk =- - 20 Feb 2007 12:58 GMT

>>
>>> The only carriers in US that are using GSM (with the SIM cart) are T-Mobile
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>Which phone? Which Manufacturer? What Model? You can find reviews and
>purchase info market price, mrsp or contract price at:

Doesn't matter. All the T-Mobile phones are priced that way. At least
1/2 the price for prepaid as opposed to buying it without any 'plan'.

>http://Cnet.com
>http://www.mobileburn.com/
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>My cost was $29.93 with a 2 year contract. I've seen the same phone at
>Global Computers for $169.00.

And how much did that two year contract bind you into spending over the
next two years?

>Here's a tip if you are planning to convert to a pay-as-you-go plan.
>Generally your calling area may not be as wide as you'd get with a
>contract. When last I checked there's no free long distance or free
>roaming with many of the pay as you go plans.

T-Mobile's prepaid plan includes:
Nationwide long distance (including calls to Alaska and Hawaii)
National roaming on the T-Mobile USA network

Been that way since before I signed up well over a year ago.

>On the other hand, I know people using T-Mobile who started out with a
>one year contract. When that was up, they didn't renew or upgrade there
>phone. There hasn't been any penalty for not renewing. Basically their
>service is on a month by month basis but they still have all the
>features they had under contract.

We don't use the phone that much, mostly for emergencies (i.e.
hurricanes) and the occasional "Hey, pick up milk on your way home."
call. Paid $100 for air time last year, paid $10 to rollover the
existing minutes for another year, plan to roll the existing minute over
next year for the same $10 amount. $120 for three years of phone service
ain't bad.

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Brian K - 21 Feb 2007 01:10 GMT

>
>>
[quoted text clipped - 61 lines]
>
>

I don't feel bound by a 2 year contract. I've been with T-Mobile since
it was VoiceStream. So it's not like I want to jump to another
carrier. I have a 300 anytime minutes contract and I use it most months
to make long distance calls and talk to friends & family. As a
photographer, I am on the road a lot. So it comes in handy.

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____
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
____
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

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