smart phone question

[elchivito]

Is it possible to have SIM cards for two different carriers and switch them in and out on the same phone?

I'm not nuts about the signal I'm getting on my iPhone with TMobile prepaid and am thinking about switching to Straight Talk. It'd be worth double paying for a month to fool around in various locations and see if there's a difference.

[Stretch]

It is possible if the handset does not have a SIM lock. If you "bought" a handset with the most common deals then it probably has a SIM lock which is meant to stop you from using other providers.

If you bought a SIM lock free handset then you can swap SIM cards in and out to your heart's content. This is a pain in the arse though and you might damage the handset or the SIM cards if you are not careful. You can buy a handset that has more than one SIM slot though...

...you can also "unlock" a SIM locked handset but that can be a bit dodgy - from what I can gather it is just a firmware flush and re-install though. (Google => unlock SIM)

[elchivito]

The phone is a properly unlocked originally ATT unit. Further reading indicates I'd have to reset the carrier settings each time I swapped. They don't make it easy, do they?

[Stretch]

Yeah I think most phones will ask for dates and times and make a bit of a fuss.

I've seen dual SIM acer sets for not much dosh over here - I guess they'd be cheaper where you are (electronics are one of the many things I consider buying when I visit the US of A)

[tjts1]

Make sure the straight talk Sim is GSM, not CDMA. Tmo is GSM and incompatible with a CDMA Sim card. The OpenSignal app might save you the trouble.

[cmac2012]

I don't have any good info on this but let me recommend Howard Forums. com.

Buncha cell phone geeks. I've gotten excellent advice a few times and nothing other times so it can be hit and miss.

HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource - HowardForums Home

[elchivito]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Make sure the straight talk Sim is GSM, not CDMA. Tmo is GSM and incompatible with a CDMA Sim card. The OpenSignal app might save you the trouble.

The straight talk website lists both SIMS. I input my IMEI and it recognized the phone as compatible. There's no 4g nearby so that's really not an issue. I'd just like to have more than 2 bars outside. Inside is hopeless without an expensive signal booster so it's not an issue. I did with Tracfone and since ST is tracfone in WalMart clothing I figure it's using the same networks.

[TwitchKitty]

One of the reps in Walmart told me how to look at the packaging and tell which phones used which carriers. I don't remember what she said but if you ask the right rep they can tell you. Might tell you which carrier would work best with your phone and your area.

I bought cheap phones on different carriers to find which ones worked best in our new location. Some phones are only $5, cheap test. I talked to the reps at the company stores to decide which ones were worth testing. They have very detailed coverage maps.