Stark wrote:Do you Americans really have such a wierd model? Here most people go for contracts, pay their $50 (or whatever) and get a phone for nothing. I buy mine (cause I like expensive ones and I can get them wholesale) but I'm an exception. It sounds like you guys don't have SIM card based phone identities; how does it work?
Well, I went with T-Mobile (I have never had good experiences with Verizon, whether for regular telco, broadband service, or wireless). T-Mobile uses GSM, and since they're international that means that I can use my phone most anywhere. As for SIM cards, they're specific to the model of phone you get. I don't think a SIM card from a Nokia will fit a Motorola, but I could be wrong...
A SIM is quite standardized.
I have no problems switching my SIM between different phone types. I had a Nokia, now I have an SOny Ericsson, both with the same SIM.
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Dahak wrote:
A SIM is quite standardized.
I have no problems switching my SIM between different phone types. I had a Nokia, now I have an SOny Ericsson, both with the same SIM.
The same SIM that works in a Siemens will work in a Nokia and a Motorola, from my experiance.
For example, suppose I wrote a book that within 30 years of the moon landing millions of people could be duped by bad science and endless hectoring into believing that it didn't happen... nah, can't do that, too unbelievable for a fantasy novel, right?--Terry Pratchett, The new Discworld Companion
Joe wrote:Well, if we're going to lag behind in something, might as well be "annoying people who yell into their cellphones in public."
A-fucking-men to that! As if we need more cell phone toting douchebags.
Did you hear the one about the Yuppie who was talking on his cell when it rang
Via money Europe could become political in five years" "... the current communities should be completed by a Finance Common Market which would lead us to European economic unity. Only then would ... the mutual commitments make it fairly easy to produce the political union which is the goal"
Stark wrote:Do you Americans really have such a wierd model? Here most people go for contracts, pay their $50 (or whatever) and get a phone for nothing. I buy mine (cause I like expensive ones and I can get them wholesale) but I'm an exception. It sounds like you guys don't have SIM card based phone identities; how does it work?
Well, I went with T-Mobile (I have never had good experiences with Verizon, whether for regular telco, broadband service, or wireless). T-Mobile uses GSM, and since they're international that means that I can use my phone most anywhere. As for SIM cards, they're specific to the model of phone you get. I don't think a SIM card from a Nokia will fit a Motorola, but I could be wrong...
Ye be wrong! SIM cards for GSM phones will fit any GSM phone. My current SIM card has been through an Ericsson, a Sony, a couple of Sharps, various Sony Ericssons, siemens, a multitude of alcatels, motorolas and one metric shitload of various nokias.
Before anyone asks, no I don't change my phone with the phases of the moon (one of the guys I work with does though) part of my job involves working with cell phones.
Back to SIM cards; They'll pretty much fit anything designed to take them. Makes changing phones and extremely simple procedure. SIM card comes out of old phone, goes into new phone, new phone is now yours and even has your personal phone book loaded into it.
Older Sim cards were different however, I'm on Orange in the UK, and my Mum's phone, an ancient Phillips ph301 has a Sim card about the size of a credit card. My Nokia uses the same Sim card which was in my Ericsson, which is a tiny rectangular thing.
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The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.
Jade Falcon wrote:Older Sim cards were different however, I'm on Orange in the UK, and my Mum's phone, an ancient Phillips ph301 has a Sim card about the size of a credit card. My Nokia uses the same Sim card which was in my Ericsson, which is a tiny rectangular thing.
ancient ones, yes. However, when you get one of the newer ones they come attached to a larger bit the size of a credit card which you can use in an older phone, you just have to snap it out.
Jade Falcon wrote:Older Sim cards were different however, I'm on Orange in the UK, and my Mum's phone, an ancient Phillips ph301 has a Sim card about the size of a credit card. My Nokia uses the same Sim card which was in my Ericsson, which is a tiny rectangular thing.
ancient ones, yes. However, when you get one of the newer ones they come attached to a larger bit the size of a credit card which you can use in an older phone, you just have to snap it out...
Aye Spyder, that's exactly the same one I have. I think the Sim cards are more or less standardised now, at least here in the UK, I obviously can't speak for the USA.
Don't Move you're surrounded by Armed Bastards - Gene Hunt's attempt at Diplomacy
I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own - Number 6
The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.
What's the deal with SMS and 'pay as you go' in the states? No where near as wide spread as here?
EVERYONE has a pay as you go phone here these days, you just buy top up vouchers to credit your account, you have something similar but not as popular?
and SMS- I hate text messages, they are the bane of a good night in the pub. I was angered t'other night when I was talking to someone, in deep pub-type conversation (probably about tits) and their phone beeped, they got it out and started replying to the fecking text, while in the middle of conversation! Have they no idea! How I BANGED my fist down on the table and made clear he was not to do that ever again! Ahem.
I have one of those shitty 3G Video mobiles, it is fun to watch football highlights while I'm sat on the bus, though.
Pay as you go is not very popular in the US -- most people here subscribe to some service. As for going around the US, I haven't had any problems with my service as most companies have rather extensive networks now (currently using T-Mobile via family plan).
The market is also fairly saturated, as the article notes, and as prices on service fall the amount of money available for new infrastructure will also fall.
SMS is fairly widespread but not used as much as overseas.
To give you an idea of how widespread SMS is over here; Telecom was offering people an unlimited number of text messages for NZ $10 per month, this then overloaded their network so they had to set a limit at 500 messages per month. This caused an uproar among young teenage girls.
I have one cell phone and 3 numbers; my German and Greek one (prepaid) and my Aussie one; Vodafone no plans (pay as you use kinda thing), which is great for me, since I have it so others can contact me, and I don't generally make a lot of calls from it.
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I use my mobile primarily for emergency contact (since I have epilepsy) and for occasional calls, so the Orange PAYG is ideal for me especially since you can buy £5 top ups that have no expiry date.
I can see where a contract might be cheaper for someone who uses their phone very frequently with so many free texts and extremely cheap calls but it's not worth it for me.
Don't Move you're surrounded by Armed Bastards - Gene Hunt's attempt at Diplomacy
I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own - Number 6
The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.
Crayz9000 wrote: As for SIM cards, they're specific to the model of phone you get. I don't think a SIM card from a Nokia will fit a Motorola, but I could be wrong...
It'll work. I was curious about that one day so me and a guy I know swapped the cards from his AT&T Nokia and my Cingular Motorola (this was before the AT&T/Cinqular merger too) and suddenly my phone had all of his stored numberes and even received calls to his number and vice versa with his phone.
