[Novalug] [OT] Smartphones

[David A. Cafaro]

Service is tied to the SIM card number.  You can put the SIM card in  
any compatible GSM phone and your phone number and plan will follow.   
If you have a data plan as well it will also follow.  I've done this  
same thing, I purchased a data plan on a regular motorola phone and  
moved the sim card to two different treo's everything worked fine.

Now, they can also Identify what kind of phone you are using with the  
sim card (that IMEI number).  If they decide to be annoying about it,  
they may notice that you are using a phone that doesn't match with  
what your data plan is.  They may require you to change your data  
plan or stop using that phone.  That's the catch.

I don't use that much data, so apparently my use of the unlimited  
cellphone data plan with my treo isn't an issue for them.  If I was a  
very heavy user then they might contact me and require that I change  
to the $40/month smartphone data plan vs the $20/month (including  
200txt) cellphone plan I currently use.

Of course, that's when I'd start looking at changing carriers :-).

-David


On Apr 2, 2008, at 7:51 AM, Rich Goodwin wrote:
> The IMEI is the unique identifier for the phone physically
> (International Mobile Equipment Identity) -
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMEI.  The SIM card has a unique serial
> number as well - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Serial_Number.
>
> This is why I was trying to find out what the carriers tied the data
> plan to.  They try to track the IMEI - or AT&T makes the appearance  
> they
> do.  I found this out when we swapped in unlocked GSM phones and it
> caused them confusion (which made me happy!).
>
> Rich
>
> On Wed, 2008-04-02 at 06:37 -0400, greg pryzby wrote:
>> My experience is all information is tied to the IEMI (?) on the SIM.
>> Including being able to store the phonebook
>>
>> /me is waiting for the Exchange support on the iPhone and my curve
>> will be for sale :)
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 6:33 AM, Rich Goodwin <rich.goodwin at cox.net>
>> wrote:
>>         This is what I would have expected but wanted some empirical
>>         evidence to
>>         back it up.  I haven't asked AT&T since I am looking at
>>         renewing my
>>         service.
>>
>>         Rich
>>
>>
>>         On Tue, 2008-04-01 at 19:11 -0400, Pete Nuwayser wrote:
>>> I don't know the answer to this, but I'm also on AT&T and
>>         did
>>> something kind of similar.
>>>
>>> First, I had this:
>>>
>>> AT&T - BlackBerry 8300c - 900 minute plan with BB Unltd Data
>>         option
>>>
>>> Then I switched phones.  I got a motorazr v3xx, but I kept
>>         my phone
>>> number.  They gave me a new phone, a new SIM card, the same
>>         phone
>>> number and a different minutes plan, but I never cancelled
>>         the BB
>>> Unltd Data Plan, and hey presto I have unltd data on my
>>         motorazr
>>> (which is great for watching youtube or using as a modem).
>>>
>>> What did AT&T say about it?
>>>
>>> Pete
>>>
>>> On Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 7:02 PM, Rich Goodwin
>>         <rich.goodwin at cox.net> wrote:
>>>> Very off topic but I'm figuring someone will be able to
>>         answer.
>>>>
>>>>  If I have two GSM SmartPhones - one with a data plan and
>>         one without, is
>>>>  the data plan tied to the SIM card or the phone?  Can I
>>         swap the SIM
>>>>  cards and continue on??  My expectations  is, with GSM, I
>>         should be able
>>>>  to swap the SIMS but just want to be sure.  The carrier
>>         would be AT&T if
>>>>  it matters.
>>>>
>>>>  Rich
>>
>>
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David A. Cafaro <dac at cafaro.net>
Cafaro's Ramblings:  www.cafaro.net