cellfilter
December 10, 2005 11:35 AM Subscribe
I'd like to get a friend of mine a new Cellphone for Christmas, since the one she has no longer works properly. Is it possible to buy her a phone such that she could just swap her old phone out with the new one, keeping the same account?
She has some sort of contract-free account with Cingular under the AT&T wireless brand (more on that inside), and I don't think that her phone uses a SIM card.
I'm not sure what plan or system she's on, but I know it's through AT&T wireless/Cingular, and her credit card is charged automatically whenever she runs out of minutes.
So what would be involved in getting her a new phone?
Ideally I'd like to get her an unlocked phone with a SIM card so she can take the phone with her if she ever wants to change providers, or change phones more easily in the future.
So, what are my options here? Anybody know?
I'm not sure what plan or system she's on, but I know it's through AT&T wireless/Cingular, and her credit card is charged automatically whenever she runs out of minutes.
So what would be involved in getting her a new phone?
Ideally I'd like to get her an unlocked phone with a SIM card so she can take the phone with her if she ever wants to change providers, or change phones more easily in the future.
So, what are my options here? Anybody know?
Her phone has a SIM card because both AT&T (when it was separate from Cingular) and Cingular are both GSM services, and GSM services use SIM cards. So you simply get a new phone and put her SIM in it.
However, buying a new phone without a subsidy is likely to be quite expensive -- be prepared to spend $300+ for a phone she'd get for free, or at least at a steep discount, if she signed a new contract.
posted by kindall at 12:33 PM on December 10, 2005
However, buying a new phone without a subsidy is likely to be quite expensive -- be prepared to spend $300+ for a phone she'd get for free, or at least at a steep discount, if she signed a new contract.
posted by kindall at 12:33 PM on December 10, 2005
what is the model of her phone? check it out at phonescoop.com to see if it has a sim. if it does, buy her phone on ebay or at a place that sells without contracts.
posted by thilmony at 12:39 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by thilmony at 12:39 PM on December 10, 2005
Kindall is not quite right. Her phone could be a TDMA phone, since AT&T did run a TDMA network for some time, in which case it would not have a SIM card. Finding a new TDMA phone will probably be a little on the difficult side, though there may be some floating around on eBay. I don't know how easy or hard it would be to get the former-AT&T half of Cingular to activate a new TDMA phone on her account, but I do know that it is likely that they would not activate one that was not AT&T branded.
posted by zztzed at 1:24 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by zztzed at 1:24 PM on December 10, 2005
Be careful - AT&T operates both TDMA and GSM networks, and if her phone is TDMA, it's not a simple SIM card swap.
If you can, ask her to take the battery cover off the phone and look for a physical removal SIM card to be sure. If the SIM exists, it's definitely GSM.
Also, if you buy her a phone, try to get an unlocked one (or have it unlocked for her). Cingular has two GSM networks - "orange" and "blue" (blue represents the plans and customers migrated from AT&T). If you buy her a brand new cingular phone, it will most likely be SIM-locked to the "orange" network and she won't be able to use it unless you have it unlocked.
posted by helios at 1:28 PM on December 10, 2005
If you can, ask her to take the battery cover off the phone and look for a physical removal SIM card to be sure. If the SIM exists, it's definitely GSM.
Also, if you buy her a phone, try to get an unlocked one (or have it unlocked for her). Cingular has two GSM networks - "orange" and "blue" (blue represents the plans and customers migrated from AT&T). If you buy her a brand new cingular phone, it will most likely be SIM-locked to the "orange" network and she won't be able to use it unless you have it unlocked.
posted by helios at 1:28 PM on December 10, 2005
AT&T/Cingular's prepay is definitely GSM. I know, because I used to use it.
posted by cellphone at 2:08 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by cellphone at 2:08 PM on December 10, 2005
Provided you determine that she has a SIM (and you really should check 'cause I believe AT&T did have prepaid TDMA handsets) you can get a phone for relatively cheap on EBay as mentioned. No sense in spending big bucks when it sounds like she's a light user.
Look for an unlocked or AT&T Nokia 3595--I bet you can score one for $20. These were heavily promoted handsets and there are a couple million used ones floating around.
posted by donovan at 3:34 PM on December 10, 2005
Look for an unlocked or AT&T Nokia 3595--I bet you can score one for $20. These were heavily promoted handsets and there are a couple million used ones floating around.
posted by donovan at 3:34 PM on December 10, 2005
Former AT&T Wireless employee here. (Ok, it's been a few years, but...)
They will *NOT* activate any TDMA phones. Nor will they activate any older AT&T issued GSM phones that do not have the Cingular logo/SOC-Locked (System Operator Code) to Cingular. We were informed of that fact when the big GSM migration started.
You might have luck with an unlocked phone, but maybe it. It really does depend on who you get ahold of. Sometimes an 'authorized reseller' store will do the unlocking for you, or will do slightly-unauthorized activations for you. You might have to shop around.
If you're buying a phone without a service plan, expect to spend more. Check the small print on the price tag and look for the highest price. That's what they'll nail you for.
posted by drstein at 3:57 PM on December 10, 2005
They will *NOT* activate any TDMA phones. Nor will they activate any older AT&T issued GSM phones that do not have the Cingular logo/SOC-Locked (System Operator Code) to Cingular. We were informed of that fact when the big GSM migration started.
You might have luck with an unlocked phone, but maybe it. It really does depend on who you get ahold of. Sometimes an 'authorized reseller' store will do the unlocking for you, or will do slightly-unauthorized activations for you. You might have to shop around.
If you're buying a phone without a service plan, expect to spend more. Check the small print on the price tag and look for the highest price. That's what they'll nail you for.
posted by drstein at 3:57 PM on December 10, 2005
Response by poster: She has an AT&T Go phone, and she's only had it for about 1 and a quarter years, so I really doubt it's TDMA (IIRC this was after Cingular bought AT&T, but before they changed all the branding around).
And if I remember correctly she bought the phone online originally, so it should just be an issue of swapping SIM cards. I hope.
Alright, anyway provided she has a phone with a SIM card, is it always possible to use the card with a new phone, or are there cases where they won't let you use a particular handset even with their own SIM card?
I'm planning on moving to GSM myself once my contract with US Cellular expires.
posted by delmoi at 4:19 PM on December 10, 2005
And if I remember correctly she bought the phone online originally, so it should just be an issue of swapping SIM cards. I hope.
Alright, anyway provided she has a phone with a SIM card, is it always possible to use the card with a new phone, or are there cases where they won't let you use a particular handset even with their own SIM card?
I'm planning on moving to GSM myself once my contract with US Cellular expires.
posted by delmoi at 4:19 PM on December 10, 2005
Best answer: As long as the handset is locked and you just stick an activated SIM in, I'm not sure they can even tell what kind of handset you have. (Well, it'd be pretty stupid if the GSM system didn't have that capability, so they probably can tell if they care enough, but in reality the worst that'll probably happen is that they'll not be able to help you with your phone if you have questions about it.) I switched a SIM from a VisorPhone to my current Ericsson R520m and never told T-Mobile about it, I can't imagine Cingular would care either.
posted by kindall at 4:43 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by kindall at 4:43 PM on December 10, 2005
Response by poster: Wow, amazon is selling unlocked black RAZR phones for $259. Nice.
posted by delmoi at 6:33 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by delmoi at 6:33 PM on December 10, 2005
Response by poster: By the way, if anyone is still reading, if I got her an unlocked phone, could I use it with T-moble? They have some cheaper monthly plans then cingular's Go Phone service.
posted by delmoi at 6:37 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by delmoi at 6:37 PM on December 10, 2005
delmoi, yes you could use the unlocked phone with T-Mobile, provided that you had an activated T-Mobile SIM card. Goto MyWorldPhone for some decent deals on unlocked, "cool" phones.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 10:32 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by SeizeTheDay at 10:32 PM on December 10, 2005
My link, BTW, is selling Black RAZRs for $225, and the reason they're so cheap is that the next generation RAZR will be released any day now. For that reason if I were you, I would steer clear of RAZRS.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 10:33 PM on December 10, 2005
posted by SeizeTheDay at 10:33 PM on December 10, 2005
Or, as an alternative, buy a fisher-price toy, write a note that says "This is better than your current one, but lets get you something even nicer", and wrap it up...
bring her to a store and shop there, she'll get exactly the phone she wants.
posted by hatsix at 12:49 AM on December 11, 2005
bring her to a store and shop there, she'll get exactly the phone she wants.
posted by hatsix at 12:49 AM on December 11, 2005
Hatsix has the best idea. She may be looking forward to replacing her phone with a certain type of new phone, and while she will likely appreciate your kindness, she may be a little bummed that she didn't get to pick out the phone herself.
I must admit though that I am probably projecting as my husband and I just went through a similar situation last week. We hemmed and hawed over getting phones, and when I finally decided that I wanted one, and had picked the phone I wanted, I came home and said "Husband, I want *this* phone, lets go and get it". He then pulled a bag out of the closet containing phones for each of us - mine was to be a Christmas present. I looked at them, and the first thing I said was "But I wanted a PINK phone!" However, after some research and discussion, we decided to keep the phones he bought and I went on ebay looking for pink faceplates. I felt like a jerk reacting that way and apologized - it was very thoughtful, and after some thought, he definitely made the right decision - we quite like the phones.
I guess the moral of this story is to be very sure you know what your friend wants before you drop serious money.
(And the moral for me was to not just pick phones by colour alone - even though the pink one I wanted was pretty cool outside of its colour.)
posted by melissa at 12:47 PM on December 11, 2005
I must admit though that I am probably projecting as my husband and I just went through a similar situation last week. We hemmed and hawed over getting phones, and when I finally decided that I wanted one, and had picked the phone I wanted, I came home and said "Husband, I want *this* phone, lets go and get it". He then pulled a bag out of the closet containing phones for each of us - mine was to be a Christmas present. I looked at them, and the first thing I said was "But I wanted a PINK phone!" However, after some research and discussion, we decided to keep the phones he bought and I went on ebay looking for pink faceplates. I felt like a jerk reacting that way and apologized - it was very thoughtful, and after some thought, he definitely made the right decision - we quite like the phones.
I guess the moral of this story is to be very sure you know what your friend wants before you drop serious money.
(And the moral for me was to not just pick phones by colour alone - even though the pink one I wanted was pretty cool outside of its colour.)
posted by melissa at 12:47 PM on December 11, 2005
You *CAN'T* just slap the SIM into a new phone. That's what sucks about American carriers - the SOC lock. In my hands, I have a GSM Ericsson T68 from AT&T. I also have a Cingular phone from my employer. If I take the SIM out and put it into the t68, it does not work. If I take the SIM out and put it into some other random Nokia phone I have from Cingular, it works. The SOC lock in action. Annoying as hell, but pretty common here in "Screw the customer in the ass" corporate America.
posted by drstein at 8:38 PM on December 12, 2005
posted by drstein at 8:38 PM on December 12, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by delmoi at 12:14 PM on December 10, 2005