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Question about SIM cards and phones.

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  • 04-08-2015 9:52pm
    #1
    osarusan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,639 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    At the moment I have one of these babies with a vodafone SIM on prepay.

    I'm thinking about getting a smartphone, but had a few questions I was hoping I could get help with.

    Firstly, I've got home broadband and an ipad, so the phone won't be used all that much - I'll use a laptop and ipad for email and other stuff like social media.

    My sister has a Galaxy Trend Plus which looks like it meets my basic needs and it seems like I could go to Tesco right now and come back with one for 60 euros. Not a contract, just the phone.

    My question, though, is about SIM compatability. Can I simply stick my vodafone SIM into the Galaxy Trend Plus and just carry on? Or, if that SIM is too old, can I just get it upgraded to something compatible with the new phone and carry on?

    If I decide to switch from prepay to a SIM only contract in the future, will I need to get a new SIM from whatever provider (emobile, tesco, whoever - I guess I wouldn't need to change if I got a contract with vodafone)? How easy is it to do that? Can I keep my current number if I switch to a new provider?

    If I get my new SIM card for my SIM only contract and later want to change provider/stop the contract, is the phone now 'locked' in with the earlier provider?

    Forgive the newbie questions.


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    #2
    danjo-xx
    Registered Users Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭danjo-xx


    A VF sim won't work in a tesco phone, unless you get the phone unlocked which is complicated and not always possible.


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    #3
    osarusan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,639 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    danjo-xx wrote: »
    A VF sim won't work in a tesco phone, unless you get the phone unlocked which is complicated and not always possible.
    So any phone bought in Tesco is already locked, even if a person just buys the phone and not a contract?

    What if I buy the phone in carphone warehouse?


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    #4
    danjo-xx
    Registered Users Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭danjo-xx


    .
    osarusan wrote: »
    So any phone bought in Tesco is already locked, even if a person just buys the phone and not a contract?

    What if I buy the phone in carphone warehouse?


    Wont matter it will still be locked to a network. You can buy 'unlocked' phones on ebay or amazon but they will be a bit dearer than the ones in the phone shops. But you can use any network sim with them then.

    Or you could look for a phone that suits you from VF if your happy with them.


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    #5
    gingernut79
    Registered Users Posts: 961 ✭✭✭gingernut79


    ARgos sell a middling range of SIM free phones some you might need a different sized sim for though, but you should be able to get this for free in any vodafone shop.


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