What will my sim card currently work in?

[7UP]

Release day thunderbolter here... I went to the online verizon site to LOOK at upgrading to the DNA. It stated that my sim card would not work... I would have to purchase a new one. Why is that? And are there any other "newer" phones out there that my sim card WILL work in?

Thanks!!

 

[viper31573]

Release day thunderbolter here... I went to the online verizon site to LOOK at upgrading to the DNA. It stated that my sim card would not work... I would have to purchase a new one. Why is that? And are there any other "newer" phones out there that my sim card WILL work in?

Thanks!!

im not trolling, but im guessing so you will buy a new one. doesnt the DNA come with a sim card? my thunderbolt did

 

[anon(394005)]

New phones use a smaller micro-sim card. The Thunderbolt SIM card is larger and will not work in them, thus why you're prompted about a new one. You don't have to pay for it though despite the wording on Verizon's website. Upon checkout, the SIM card cost will be zero (Verizon does NOT charge for SIM cards whether you get one online, in store, or over the phone).

 

[natehoy]

More to the point, my understanding is that the SIM card is only for the LTE network. To get on the CDMA network (voice, SMS, and fallback for data if LTE is not available), Verizon still needs to provision the phone based on the IMEI#. So you can't just swap back and forth between devices by moving a SIM card around like you can on a GSM network.

So even if you could use the old SIM by cutting it, which is trivial, it wouldn't really do you any good.

Just have Verizon put a new SIM in your new phone and call it good.

 

[rosser]

That's not exactly true. For the most part, cutting the SIM works. I did that from my Bionic to my Nexus and sometimes I switch back and forth Sim cards with an adapter. It usually works. But if that's not ideal for you, just go to your local Verizon store. They give them away for free most of the time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

 

[dpham00]

More to the point, my understanding is that the SIM card is only for the LTE network. To get on the CDMA network (voice, SMS, and fallback for data if LTE is not available), Verizon still needs to provision the phone based on the IMEI#. So you can't just swap back and forth between devices by moving a SIM card around like you can on a GSM network.

So even if you could use the old SIM by cutting it, which is trivial, it wouldn't really do you any good.

Just have Verizon put a new SIM in your new phone and call it good.

Why you would want to cut a sim card when you can get one for free is beyond me, but it will work.


Sent from my Verizon Galaxy SIII

 

[Bond32]

I currently have the s3 which uses the smaller sim. I called Verizon, they said I should still be able to put in my old larger sim in a tbolt and it would work.

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[steve0617]

There's something weird about the TBolt SIM card being used again. I had mine, upgraded to the Razr Maxx HD. It came with its own microSIM card. I then wanted to reactivate the Bolt by adding a line to my Shared plan so my mother in law could join us on our plan. Couldn't activate it online (it said I had to call) so I did. Phone person said they cannot reactivate that exact SIM card. I HAD to get a new one. Either I had to go to the store or they'd mail me one. Went to the store and clerk confirmed it needed a new card, which she provided/activated. Works fine. Original white SIM card was trashed. New one is Red (not that that matters I don't think).

So seemingly, there's something weird about our TBolt Sim with VZW. I agree it *should* be able to be used in a new phone (same size or cut down) but that wasn't my experience with actually attempting to reuse it.

 

[anon(394005)]

There's something weird about the TBolt SIM card being used again. I had mine, upgraded to the Razr Maxx HD. It came with its own microSIM card. I then wanted to reactivate the Bolt by adding a line to my Shared plan so my mother in law could join us on our plan. Couldn't activate it online (it said I had to call) so I did. Phone person said they cannot reactivate that exact SIM card. I HAD to get a new one. Either I had to go to the store or they'd mail me one. Went to the store and clerk confirmed it needed a new card, which she provided/activated. Works fine. Original white SIM card was trashed. New one is Red (not that that matters I don't think).

So seemingly, there's something weird about our TBolt Sim with VZW. I agree it *should* be able to be used in a new phone (same size or cut down) but that wasn't my experience with actually attempting to reuse it.

I don't believe it has anything to do with the phone itself. What most likely happened was your old Thunderbolt SIM card was de-activated or marked expired in the system when you started using the new micro-SIM in the Maxx. Since the old one can't be re-activated, you had to get a new SIM. You should however be able to use the Maxx's micro-SIM card (with an adapter) in the Thunderbolt if you wanted to (or needed to) actively switch back and forth between the two phones.

 

[steve0617]

I don't believe it has anything to do with the phone itself. What most likely happened was your old Thunderbolt SIM card was de-activated or marked expired in the system when you started using the new micro-SIM in the Maxx. Since the old one can't be re-activated, you had to get a new SIM. You should however be able to use the Maxx's micro-SIM card (with an adapter) in the Thunderbolt if you wanted to (or needed to) actively switch back and forth between the two phones.

That makes sense. Didn't think that perhaps the card dropped out of their system and could never to be used again, rather than the TBolt (and it's configuration in their system) being the issue.

 

[7UP]

Got my answer.
Thanks guys!

 

[NotJustAPhone]

More to the point, my understanding is that the SIM card is only for the LTE network. To get on the CDMA network (voice, SMS, and fallback for data if LTE is not available), Verizon still needs to provision the phone based on the IMEI#. So you can't just swap back and forth between devices by moving a SIM card around like you can on a GSM network.

So even if you could use the old SIM by cutting it, which is trivial, it wouldn't really do you any good.

Just have Verizon put a new SIM in your new phone and call it good.

Actually, you can do that. I switch my SIM card between my SGSIII and Galaxy Nexus all the time. Everything works fine (LTE. EvDo, and 1xRTT data, along with voice, SMS, and MMS) and there's no need to do anything other than move the SIM card from one device to another.

 

[berdinkerdickle]

Actually, you can do that. I switch my SIM card between my SGSIII and Galaxy Nexus all the time. Everything works fine (LTE. EvDo, and 1xRTT data, along with voice, SMS, and MMS) and there's no need to do anything other than move the SIM card from one device to another.

I know I'm late to the party, but this is good news to me.
I always liked gsm because the way i could swap back and forth between my knock around phone and my really nice one.
It's cool that we can now do it with Verizon.