Sim Card

[bstmstrxellos]

We know that the Thunderbolt will require a sim card to access LTE. Now I've only ever owned Verizon phones before, so I have never dealt with sim cards before.

My question is for devices on AT&T and T-Mobile, do they usually come with new sim cards already in the phone and if you have one you just replace it with yours, or do you always have to use your existing sim card and buy a new one separately if you never had one before.

I just looking for an idea of what to possibly expect.

Thanks

 

[Edwill86]

^ good Question!

I kind of assumed it will come with a sim card or VZW will install one when you activate it..but I would like to know for sure as well.

 

[Nitros7]

have to remeber this isnt your run of the mill SIM, this is for the 4G. normaly your phone info is on the SIM and thats what gives you service though the SIM's ID number... with CDMA your phone has its own ID and thats how service is paired to the phone... So your 4G SIM will have to be the one VZW gives you (you couldnt go out and buy a prepaid SIM and use it). In all other cases your provider gives you a SIM unless you go the prepaid route but your SIM in those cases can be transfered form phone to phone.

 

[durangojim#AC]

My guess is that vzw will ship the phone with the card to you and you install it yourself, unless you buy it a store, in which case a rep will put his greasy prints all over your pristine new device.

 

[TBolt2011]

This had probably been taken into consideration, but wouldn't it be possible to put a 3G (or even 4G?) sim card from, say, ATT into the phone? Of course assuming that the circumstances somehow came down to that.

I don't know sim cards at all, so I'm probably wrong. Like a lot wrong. >.>

 

[Mooch10]

i am going to Verizon tomorrow and was actually going to ask them about the SIM card. wen I watched the un-boxing of the Tbolt the guy showed where the SIM card went but did say it does not come with one. It was not even noted on the box of items that come with the phone.

 

[htowngator]

It's just a small rectangular piece of plastic that has hard coded data information and the phone reads it to validate much like an encryption key. They usually come as a punch out piece of a larger card about the size of a credit card.

 

[Nitros7]

This had probably been taken into consideration, but wouldn't it be possible to put a 3G (or even 4G?) sim card from, say, ATT into the phone? Of course assuming that the circumstances somehow came down to that.

I don't know sim cards at all, so I'm probably wrong. Like a lot wrong. >.>

I would say not, the card is paired with the service I believe like on the BB storms they where both CDMA and GSM so the card was used for the GSM radio... in this case its use for LTE and the card will most likely be paired with LTE... now whether thats a hardware or software thing I dont know if its software then with a hack you may be able to, but hardware it just wont happen.

 

[anon(157335)]

i am going to Verizon tomorrow and was actually going to ask them about the SIM card. wen I watched the un-boxing of the Tbolt the guy showed where the SIM card went but did say it does not come with one. It was not even noted on the box of items that come with the phone.

The TB that he was reviewing was not meant for retail sale, so VZW would not bother including a SIM card. I'm sure if he contacted VZW to add the phone to his account they would send him one.

The same were true if you were to buy the TB from a third-party website like Wirefly; unless you were to sign a VZW contract with them when purchasing the phone you would need to activate the phone and request the SIM card from VZW.

 

[htowngator]

CDMA uses the ESN data to validate so it is unique to the phone and that's why if its stolen it can't be used once VZW enters that ESN into the "bad" list (for the lack of a better term).

It makes switching phones a hassle b/c you have to register the phone each time (*228 option 1) unlike GSM where your SIM contains all the information relevant to YOU only so swapping phones is as easy as putting the SIM in there. However, its far less secure and anyone can use your phone if it's lost by just replacing the SIM.

I believe LTE is based on GSM technology so that's where a SIM card comes in.

 

[Mooch10]

thanks Tripp, makes sense

 

[gvillager]

When I got my 4G Pantech UML290 modem the sim card wasn't in the phone box. It was a separate line item at zero cost on my receipt and was included in the fedex shipping box. I'm sure it'll work the same way with 4G phones.

 

[Chrisy]

FWIW my VZW Global BlackBerry 9630 came with the SIM card pre-installed in the device. There was no larger card holder like shown in the pic in this thread.

I'll be buying TB from a store I never bought in store before and I don't really want the rep handling my phone at all!

 

[shaddix]

I don't really want the rep handling my phone at all!

QFT... last time I had someone in store messing with my phone they sat it face down on a pen with no screen protector