Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

Cell phones forum: A few questions about unlocked phones

by: Jumbosize3 December 15, 2012 12:03 PM PST

Like this

0 people like this thread

Staff pick

Resolved question

A few questions about unlocked phones

by Jumbosize3 - 12/15/12 12:03 PM

I want to just start off by apologizing if this either incredibly obvious or if this is the wrong place to post this, but I cannot for the life of my find answers to these questions.

Hello! I'm considering buying an unlocked cell-phone and I have a few questions about them.

1) I currently have at&t and I have a locked galaxy s2 with a sim card. can I use that sim card on an unlocked phone, even though it came from a locked phone?

2) Can an unlocked cell-phone be used without a sim card? From what I have heard, they can be used without the sim card, you just can't do anything that uses 3g/calling/texting/etc...

3) I'm wanting to get an xperia Play unlocked phone, and as far as I can tell they don't have a locked version for at&t. will this have any affect on whether or not the unlocked one will work with at&t?



If anybody has any answers to these questions, I would be grateful if you helped me. Thanks in advance!

Jumbosize3 has chosen the best answer to his/her question.
Click here to view the answer that was selected.


Jumbosize3 has chosen the best answer to his/her question!
Click here to view the answer that was selected.

Answer This
Ask for clarification
Report offensive post
Email to friend
Answers
Answer Best answer as chosen by user Jumbosize3

Don't be afraid to ask....

by birdmantd Moderator - 12/15/12 1:27 PM

In Reply to: A few questions about unlocked phones by Jumbosize3

1. You can swap your SIM card between compatible devices and keep the same phone number.
2. You cannot use a GSM phone without an active SIM card for anything but 911 calls.
3. As long as the device operates w/ the 850 and 1900 mhz frequencies and is unlocked, it should work with At&t.

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Thanks!

by Jumbosize3 - 12/15/12 1:47 PM

In Reply to: Don't be afraid to ask.... by birdmantd Moderator

Thank you very much, I really appreciate your help. However, I do have a question about your answer to the second question. On my current phone, (At&t Samsung Galaxy S2) I can take out the SIM card and use it just fine as long as I don't try to make calls or anything. If I'm not mistaken this is a GSM phone, right?

So are you sure this would be the case? Again, I know very little about this topic so I could easily be wrong...


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Answer

by birdmantd Moderator - 12/15/12 4:09 PM

In Reply to: Thanks! by Jumbosize3

You cannot make calls or access cellular data without a SIM card installed in the phone (with the exception of 911). There is absolutely no question about that.

You could use wifi on the phone without a SIM but that is because the phone has the hardware built in and does not involve the cellular carrier. You can use the built in features/applications in the phone without a SIM that do not require a cellular connection.

If you are using an At&t phone, it is definitely GSM technology.


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Thanks again

by Jumbosize3 - 12/15/12 4:25 PM

In Reply to: Answer by birdmantd Moderator

Ahh, that clears things up. I was under the impression that you were saying literally the only thing you could do with the phone was dial 911. I appreciate your help.


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Forum Icon Legend

  • UnreadUnread
  • ReadRead
  • Locked threadLocked thread
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  • ModeratorModerator
  • CNET StaffCNET Staff
  • Samsung StaffSamsung Staff
  • Norton Authorized Support TeamNorton Authorized Support Team
  • AVG StaffAVG Staff
  • avast! Staffavast! Staff
  • Webroot Support TeamWebroot Support Team
  • Acer Customer Experience TeamAcer Customer Experience Team
  • Windows Outreach TeamWindows Outreach Team
  • DISH staffDISH staff
  • Dell StaffDell Staff
  • Intel StaffIntel Staff
  • QuestionQuestion
  • Resolved questionResolved question
  • General discussionGeneral discussion
  • TipTip
  • Alert or warningAlert or warning
  • PraisePraise
  • RantRant

You are e-mailing the following post: Post Subject

Your e-mail address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the e-mail and in case of transmission error. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose.

Sorry, there was a problem emailing this post. Please try again.

Submit Email Cancel

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

You are reporting the following post: Post Subject

If you believe this post is offensive or violates the CNET Forums' Usage policies, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the post). Once reported, our moderators will be notified and the post will be reviewed.

Offensive: Sexually explicit or offensive language

Spam: Advertisements or commercial links

Disruptive posting: Flaming or offending other users

Illegal activities: Promote cracked software, or other illegal content

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Submit Report Cancel

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

You are posting a reply to: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Duplicate posts are not allowed in the forums. Please edit your post and submit again.

Submit Reply Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close

You are requesting a clarification of the question: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Submit Clarification Request Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close

You are posting an answer to the question: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Submit Answer Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close
close

Click here to be notified via e-mail when someone submits an answer.

Would you like to resolve this question? close

Based on your response, it looks like this question has been answered.



Sorry, there was a problem resolving this question. Please try again.

Resolve Leave unresolved