3 datacard SIM in phone.. does it work?

eko

Hmm.. I rang the 3 Store on Grafton Street regarding the datacard, and asked if the SIM can be used in a phone. The guy point blank said no, that the SIM was locked to the IMEI number of the datacard itself.

I've seen a few threads here about this, and that it is indeed possible to use this SIM in a phone for calls and for data. I wonder if this is change in policy, or simply a mistake on his part?

Cheers!

GUIGuy

Funny that... I remember asking and was told flat out that it CAN be used in the 3 store on grafton street.

Yesterday I went into the vodafone store on the Trinity end of Grafton street and asked the same and was told no... but then asked if they are locked to the device how can they work in Dell laptops. I just got a blank stare.

It's bad to say it but the level of technical training/awareness in phone shops is pathetic. I even smiled when a guy in same vodafone shop told me that the previous version of the Palm Treo ran Windows 98 but that it wasn't great so they are using Windows mobile 5 now.

I smile in derision & despair!

eko

LOL

It does seem like some of these sales people are not fully informed about their products. Nothing new there I guess.

Since there have been so many peeps on this board saying that it does indeed work (3 datacard SIM in phone), I wonder if this guy was right and they've just changed their policy.. hmm..

Shredneck

Data SIMs do or rather "should" work for voice calls unless the network has disabled these features from your account.

If you are on a Data Only tarrif Voice calls may be very expensive

JNive

The Vodafone SIM i got with my Dell PCExpress HSDPA Card ( Novatel XU870 ) when i got my Dell Laptop, does work in a normal phone for full voice&text usage, no idea what the cost or tariff is on that though lol.

When used on the laptop for broadband however, you can still use the Vodafone Connect software to send/receive text messages via the card also, which is handy

culabula

eko wrote:

Hmm.. I rang the 3 Store on Grafton Street regarding the datacard, and asked if the SIM can be used in a phone. The guy point blank said no, that the SIM was locked to the IMEI number of the datacard itself.

I've seen a few threads here about this, and that it is indeed possible to use this SIM in a phone for calls and for data. I wonder if this is change in policy, or simply a mistake on his part?

Cheers!

Here's the deal (as I have often posted): the SIM as supplied with the datacard works perfectly well for voice and SMS. Its functions are described in the T&Cs and it costs 30c a minute to make calls. The phone you put it in, if a modern one, can then be used as a modem.

The datacard itself is locked to 3.

BUT the NEW SIM coming with the new USB modem and tariff with be data ONLY: you will not be able to use it for voice and/or SMS (strangely enough). It will ONLY do data, ONLY roam on 3 networks abroad and should offer 10GBs for 19euro a month.

The existing datacard SIM will continue to exist.

eko

Thanks culabula, I guess that clears it up. The guy was probably referring to the upcoming USB 3DataModem, as you've described, which doesn't allow voice calls.

Cheers!