Question Using smartphone camera only to take photos without service?

[qazwsx]

Hello, I loved the photo quality of my long gone Galaxy S6 camera. I currently have a new phone with service for all typical smartphone uses. I'd like to get a used S6 and use just the camera to take photos. Can it be done without using a carrier for service? Can it be done without a sim card? Would it need some other card in place of the sim? How could I get photos from the phone on to my laptop? Thanks!!

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! You can absolutely use a phone without a SIM for its camera, and you can always connect it to wi-fi. Photos can be transferred to a laptop either via USB connection or by uploading the photos to the cloud (like Google Photos) using wi-fi.

 

[methodman89]

I like to think of it as a new mini tablet

 

[qazwsx]

Welcome to Android Central! You can absolutely use a phone without a SIM for its camera, and you can always connect it to wi-fi. Photos can be transferred to a laptop either via USB connection or by uploading the photos to the cloud (like Google Photos) using wi-fi.

Thanks! If I do exactly that, does it matter if the phone I get is locked, or unlocked (factory? network?)

 

[gomezz]

Rather than bother with a Cloud service you can also transfer the files files directly over wi-fi to your laptop using the FTP service of a third party app such as File Manager+ which is what I use. Activate the service in the app on your phone and the phone's storage will be visible in the normal Windows File Explorer on your laptop.

That said for bulk transfers I suggest using USB and FTP for the odd small ad hoc transfers.

 

[B. Diddy]

Thanks! If I do exactly that, does it matter if the phone I get is locked, or unlocked (factory? network?)

It shouldn't matter, with the caveat that in the old days some phones (usually sold by MVNOs like Boost or Tracfone) required activation on the network before use. But I don't think they do that any more, and besides, if you're buying it used, it would've already been initially activated.