Old S4 doesn't recognize SIM card

[Lucy Davies]

Gave my brother my old S4 so he has a phone until he gets money for a new one. We are both on the same network but when he puts his SIM in it comes up saying no SIM emergency calls only. What can we do to make the phone work?

Is it coz the phone was a contract phone & my brother is pay as you go? Or is his SIM to advanced for an old phone?

 

[hereticgod]

Could be several things. I'd try removing the sim card, factory resetting the phone. Then I'd power down insert sim and boot up again.

 

[Lucy Davies]

That didn't work unfortunately.

 

[B. Diddy]

Which carrier are you on? Did your brother get that phone originally as a prepaid phone? If so, the carrier might have to unlock the phone so that a non-prepaid SIM (even from the same carrier) can work.

 

[Lucy Davies]

Which carrier are you on? Did your brother get that phone originally as a prepaid phone? If so, the carrier might have to unlock the phone so that a non-prepaid SIM (even from the same carrier) can work.

We are both on EE and yes his phone was prepaid. Taking it to an EE store tomorrow to see if they can help.

 

[Lucy Davies]

Went to an EE store & they tried a few things & it still said no SIM emergency calls only so there guess was that the prongs that read the SIM card one of them could be pushed back & advised me to go to a Samsung store as they would no more about it & maybe able to fix it.

Went to the Samsung store with a repair centre at the back & the repair guy looked at it & said it wasn't worth fixing as it would cost £210 & they don't make the bits for the phone anymore as it's so old now. But he was impressed with the condition the S4 was in its the best one he's seen

Went to a cheap repair shop & they would send it away for a week to repair & it would cost £35.

That's how today went & thought I'd just share what's happened in case anyone else also has the same problem. To be honest I think it's just better to get a cheap new phone for my brother to use.

 

[Tim1954]

A cheap new phone would be my next move.

 

[B. Diddy]

Amen to that. A cheap new phone means a more recent OS version with better security as well.