Get new Cell phone but keep same number/service?

[karling07]

I know lots of new cell phones now have these cards in the back near the battery that you can just put into a new phone to have your old phone #/service and stuff, and my cell phone has a slot for that card, but does not have the card.

Is it possible for my to buy a new cell phone and still keep my number and service if i dont have the chip?

Thanks

 

[Kage]

I thought every movile phone had a SIM card in it...

The Sim card is what you need to keep the same service and number, plus stores some data too, like your numbers.

 

[TRDCorolla1]

I think so, but I'm not sure. You need to contact your cell phone provider. They will be the most helpful. I have Verizon Wireless myself (getting an upgrade in July). I'm looking at the Slivers or even the Razor phones. I remember someone telling me that you should be able to use the same phone number no matter what phone you use or what service you have. I don't have a SIM card in mine (it's probably integrated, but I can't take it out) and I was able to use the same phone number on 3 different phones, but same service though. You'll have to double check with them to see if they can transfer your phone number to another network.

 

[Kage]

Weird. I never knew a SIM card could be built in, haha. That really sucks.

 

[TRDCorolla1]

I can't even open up my phone like some other models can. I do have one because every phone has the SIM info. Mine probably have a card in it, but it's most likely attached to the circuitboard inside the phone or something (like the chipsets on the motherboard of a PC). They have their ways of retrieveing that info by hooking the phone up to this little device and download all the info onto it (including contacts, and all other settings and info). I saw them do it before and it's pretty neat. Phones were never like that before. It's an old model phone, that desparatly need to be upgraded.

 

[J03]

I think so, but I'm not sure. You need to contact your cell phone provider. They will be the most helpful. I have Verizon Wireless myself (getting an upgrade in July). I'm looking at the Slivers or even the Razor phones. I remember someone telling me that you should be able to use the same phone number no matter what phone you use or what service you have. I don't have a SIM card in mine (it's probably integrated, but I can't take it out) and I was able to use the same phone number on 3 different phones, but same service though. You'll have to double check with them to see if they can transfer your phone number to another network.

What phone do you have? That megga sucksssss!

 

[G35x]

Ok, well im preety good with phone so let me break it down for you. Cingular & Tmobile have sim cards. Sprint/Nextel and Verizon have built in sims. Now if you have Tmobile, you can buy a phone online (ebay) and then just take the sim card out and pop it into the phone. But here is the weird part, not all phones work togother. For example, tmobile phones will only work with tmobile. And cingular phones will only work with cingular phones. But here is the best part, you can unlock a phone, almost every phone off of ebay comes unlocked meaning you can use either tmobile or cingular...Hope that helps...

 

[dude_se]

im also quite advanced with mobile phones. are you saying you want to get a new phone and keep the same number and buy a chip or what ever you called it with that number on? if you already had a number then you must have had a chip or sim card as its actually called. if you had an inbuilt one (v unlikely) then just buy a new sim and phone up your operator and they should switch the number. if you do actually have a sim and just want a new one with the same number then you can also call the operator and they will sort it out for you.
this is a very confusing thread

 

[Freak4Dell]

Sorry for digging up a really old thread, but I wanted to clarify some stuff.

Sprint and Verizon use CDMA technology, while Cingular and T-Mobile use GSM technology. CDMA does not use SIM cards. All the info is on the phone's memory, not on any cards. The phone stores the information that it needs to access the network, and for the network to recognize it. The phone also stores all your contacts. GSM, on the other hand, uses SIM cards, which are used to do the same things.

Nextel also uses SIM cards, but a different type of card. They use iDEN technology, so the cards are the type that support that.

Cingular and T-Mobile phones can be used on each other's networks, but only if you unlock the phone. Unlocking can be done very easily and for very cheap. Some phones even come unlocked.

Sprint and Verizon phones cannot be carried over to another network. They are locked to their own network, and neither network will allow the activation of non-network phones.

You can always buy a new phone and keep the same number and service, unless you buy a phone that cannot be used on the network. With GSM networks, you can use just about any GSM phone ever sold in the U.S. With CDMA, you can only use phones sold by that particular carrier.

You might be required to change your plan and renew your contract based on what conditions you bought the phone under, but as long as it's a compatible phone, they will never say that you can't keep the same number and service provider.