Sim Card Question

[Richard Desgnr]

I just ordered a S3 mini unlocked GSM

I want to use Walmart Family Mobile which runs on T Mobile.

Walmart wants $25.00 for the Sim Card With Activation Number

T Mobile only wants $.99 cents for a sim Card

Question is can i use the T Mobile Sim Card to Activate the Phone ?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! It looks like the phone would have to be unlocked first, to run on T-Mobile. See this page: https://www.myfamilymobile.com/Support/DeviceSupport/DeviceSupport.aspx?supporttype=UNLOCK

 

[Richard Desgnr]

I bought the Phone Factory Unlocked.
Will the cheaper TMobile card work with Family Mobile ?

 

[Crashdamage]

You cannot use a T-Mobile SIM for the Walmart plan. It might be using the same network but SIM cards are carrier-specifc. When you start the phone it gives the service provider's name, not the name of the network. Buying service from Walmart is the same as say, buying your service from Cricket. Cricket uses AT&T's network but you can't use an AT&T SIM and when you start a Cricket phone it doesn't say AT&T service, it says Cricket.

It doesn't matter anyway, since T-Mobile won't sell you a working SIM unless you buy T-Mobile service - from T-Mobile.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[Richard Desgnr]

Thanks for your help.
Walmart wants $25.00 for a starter kit.
TMobile Wants 99 cents for a sim card.

 

[B. Diddy]

As Crashdamage mentioned, you can't use the cheaper T-Mobile SIM to activate the phone on the Walmart Family Mobile plan. Using the T-Mobile card to activate will require you to purchase a T-Mobile plan. The higher cost of the Walmart SIM is probably offset by a cheaper monthly rate. But T-Mobile's plans are pretty inexpensive as well, and the service might be better on the whole, so you may want to go with T-Mobile anyway.

 

[Richard Desgnr]

TMobile gives you 1gb. Data
Family Mobile gives nyou 3 gb. Data

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, so that would offset the initial SIM cost of the Walmart plan.