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[Q] Can I use a data-only SIM in my phone?

Hello,
I have a Samsung Galaxy S without a data-connection, I really need a data-connection becouse I think the phone really needs a data-connection.
So here's my question:
Is it possible to get a subscription of a data-only SIM (the subscriptions they use for tablets etc.)
It is possible to use that kind of SIM/subscription in a phone?
Since I don't really make calls or send text's I really need that but I still want to be able to call and send text's.
Does anyone got a answer?

I think it would be helpful if you told us where you're from. I'm pretty sure the conditions for data-only plans differ from country to country.

I'm from The Netherlands.

Data only sim should work fine. Curious to know, why you need data only sim on a phone. It kills the purpose of having a phone.

I tried some time ago in HTC Desire and it didn't work, still don't know why. (it works with PC + USB Huawei modem on both Windows and Linux, i have E1752 model)
And as an answer for qustion "why do you need it?" for example in Poland there is company which for the government licence for some frequences is obligated to offer free internet for 3 years. Don't think its lika a fairytale - internet disconnects after one hour and the speed is limited, but still can be very usefull when you are tight on budget or just need to check something quickly.
PS. maybe i should add that in this case voice service is disabled on the sim card level (tele service (ts11)) what seems to be a reason for some devices not to work.
edit: finally it appears to work. Dosen't display signal strength but websites (slowly) load.

Jus' checkin' - None of the Samsung tablets have phone capability...

As I understand it, no Samsung tablet has an actual phone; you would need to use a VOIP app like Skype to make calls, correct? I was kinda hopin' to ditch my smartphone and go tab only...
G.B. Says
And remember, talking dogs are liars.

I am using Tab 7 plus for my phone replacement. However, you have to make sure you buy the right model. It is because Samsung also sell the wifi only for those models, so if you got the wifi only model, you won't be able to make phone call.
I don't know where you from, and which model of tabs Samsung selling in your country. GT-P6200(7+) / GT-P6800(7.7) can be used to make phone calls like the normal phones.
Sent from my GT-P6200 using XDA

If you have WIFI only model, you could port your number to google voice and use grooveip. Of course you'd always need to be within range of wifi, but it works

Hi there,
I have a Galaxy Tab 7+ (GT-P6200), and I can use it perfectly as a phone: I can make calls and send texts (SMS). It has full phone functionality. Check for a SIM card slot if you're not sure about WIFI or 3G models. If you can insert a SIM card then surely you can use it to make cell calls.

I currently have a WiFi only 7+ tablet. Just to clarify, T-Mobile was offering the 7+ for $99.00 USD with a two year agreement. (ending 05-08-2012) Their version is 4G with a sim slot. All well and good, except they are only offering data plans with it - no voice.
I net chatted with a T-Mobile rep as well as called one up to double confirm, that the 7+ they are offering does not have phone capabilities. This leads me to believe this is a U.S. only issue as I have seen reviews on YouTube demonstrating the phone feature by tabbers outside the U.S.
As for VOIP, I'm currently using Skype, though I plan to check out Grove IP and Google voice. I was really close to going for this deal. The price was excellent, but without a dedicated phone capability, I couldn't justify it.
G.B. Says
And remember, talking dogs are liars.

With the T-Mobile version you will use the T-mobile sim card to connect to the internet only , and then use skype , GV , or any other VOIP app to use the tablet as a phone. Unfortunately to this T-MO tab you cannot flash a ROM that has built in phone capabilities ( like you can do to the old ATT or T-MO Galaxy Tab ) because the T-MO radio is different from the P6200 model.
P_

Keeping my existing number

I'm currently on sprint and the new phone is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I planned on trying out T-Mobile $30 prepaid plan and I want to port my number to it. The question I have though is what if hat service doesn't work out for me. And then I need to go to att or sprint or whatever other network this phone will work on. Do I just keep porting my number?
I would port the number to Google voice since it is currently integrated with sprint but the main reason I do not is then I will no longer receive MMS messages to my main number.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Any input on this? Or how GV is integrating SMS and MMS into hangouts.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Google Voice does not integrate into Hangouts at all right now.
If you port your number to Google Voice, keep in mind you will need a new number issued to your phone, and any service you currently have on the phone will be cancelled (since carriers assume porting a number = cancelling service). I would seriously consider not using Google Voice right now, especially since T-Mobile offers unlimited text messaging anyway. If you need to use it, I recommend getting a new number for Google Voice, not porting your current number to it. Don't lock yourself into Google Voice, it's a mess right now and its future is murky.

i would highly recommend against pulling the trigger and porting your number right away. since you still have a working sprint line keep it. throw the tmobile sim card and activate. carry around the 2 phones for a month and see if tmobile is the way u want to go. If so, at the end of the month then contact tmobile and ask them to port your number over to the SIM you've been using if they can do it. if not, grab a new sim card and then port your number

[Q] Multiple Networks at Once

Hey all! Long time lurker, first time poster. Is anyone working on running the Nexus 5 on multiple networks? Specifically, Sprint and Tmobile?
I don't see why this wouldn't work right off the bat. In my head, the radios are present and sprint uses the imei number instead of a Sim card. So shouldn't it work similar to a dual Sim phone?
My hope is to keep my $30 T-Mobile plan and add FreedomPop as my source for free minutes when in a sprint area.
I'd love to hear from everyone, my searching couldn't find anything but if your googlefu is better than mine please help!
Thanks,
Matt

TerkyTime said:
Hey all! Long time lurker, first time poster. Is anyone working on running the Nexus 5 on multiple networks? Specifically, Sprint and Tmobile?
I don't see why this wouldn't work right off the bat. In my head, the radios are present and sprint uses the imei number instead of a Sim card. So shouldn't it work similar to a dual Sim phone?
My hope is to keep my $30 T-Mobile plan and add FreedomPop as my source for free minutes when in a sprint area.
I'd love to hear from everyone, my searching couldn't find anything but if your googlefu is better than mine please help!
Thanks,
Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never thought about this before but now that you mention it, it could be pretty cool to have access to two LTE networks if one of them is being slow. Sprint want a ICC security SIM card in the phone though, not sure if you could bypass this or use the phone without it anyway.

You need a sim card for spring LTE and voice/data on T-Mobile, and there is only one sim slot.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the quick replies guys! I'm still very interested in it, perhaps you are right that the security Sim could be bypassed. I'd love this to gain some traction, this would be an incredibly unique feature to boast!

The phone doesn't have dual radios to even accommodate this anyway. So even if you were somehow able to activate it with a TMO SIM and on Sprint (which alone would take a ton of ROM hacking), you still physically couldn't talk to both networks. The radio would need to pick one or the other. It can't just flip flop at will, it has to set up the connection with the tower and maintain it.

I disagree. If you were to activate it on sprint, you could use it without the sprint Sim... You just would not get LTE. So technically you could activate it on Sprint (as you don't activate the phone on T-Mobile just the sim).
It would be cool if we could bypass the sprint Sim necessity.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

This won't work because when connected to LTE on Sprint it uses eCSFB to fall back to 1x to accept the call. This happens over the LTE connection. If you're connected to tmobile LTE, there's no way for it to tell you you have a call incoming from Sprint's network.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

afazel said:
This won't work because when connected to LTE on Sprint it uses eCSFB to fall back to 1x to accept the call. This happens over the LTE connection. If you're connected to tmobile LTE, there's no way for it to tell you you have a call incoming from Sprint's network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do you think it could feasibly work as a simple menu option choice, or a widget to switch networks? I personally use Google Voice so receiving calls would happen in whichever network happens to be connected

TerkyTime said:
So do you think it could feasibly work as a simple menu option choice, or a widget to switch networks? I personally use Google Voice so receiving calls would happen in whichever network happens to be connected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you actually have to switch the SIM. Once it's registered to Sprint with a SIM, then swapping that SIM for another carrier's SIM completely switches it over. Then, when you want to use Sprint again, you put your Sprint SIM back.

afazel said:
No, you actually have to switch the SIM. Once it's registered to Sprint with a SIM, then swapping that SIM for another carrier's SIM completely switches it over. Then, when you want to use Sprint again, you put your Sprint SIM back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TerkyTime said:
So do you think it could feasibly work as a simple menu option choice, or a widget to switch networks? I personally use Google Voice so receiving calls would happen in whichever network happens to be connected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess what terky meant is he will forward calls to two numbers in Google voice settings ( let's say T-Mobile and freedompop) and then whichever network will be active will receive the call. So you will still be receiving the call.
Sounds logical but it has to be tried.
I see freedompop's website now accepts meid numbers. But my concern is; will activating the nexus 5's meid number on freedompop block using the gsm functionality of the phone??
If not, it would be just terrific!!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

h20wakebum said:
I disagree. If you were to activate it on sprint, you could use it without the sprint Sim... You just would not get LTE. So technically you could activate it on Sprint (as you don't activate the phone on T-Mobile just the sim).
It would be cool if we could bypass the sprint Sim necessity.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
afazel said:
This won't work because when connected to LTE on Sprint it uses eCSFB to fall back to 1x to accept the call. This happens over the LTE connection. If you're connected to tmobile LTE, there's no way for it to tell you you have a call incoming from Sprint's network.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vincent Law said:
The phone doesn't have dual radios to even accommodate this anyway. So even if you were somehow able to activate it with a TMO SIM and on Sprint (which alone would take a ton of ROM hacking), you still physically couldn't talk to both networks. The radio would need to pick one or the other. It can't just flip flop at will, it has to set up the connection with the tower and maintain it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TerkyTime said:
So do you think it could feasibly work as a simple menu option choice, or a widget to switch networks? I personally use Google Voice so receiving calls would happen in whichever network happens to be connected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So with the new Android 5.1 update, which now supports dual sim, (I know guys N5 only has one sim card slot) do you think it would be easier to do this?
My idea is to get a freedompop service with the imei number, just registering the phone online and you dont physically need a sim card from them. And lets say we use another sim card ( Att, tmob, etc) to use. So basically we would have two service providers.
And from my point of view; i wouldnt need both of their services at the same time. Lets say i want to use freedompop first, and whenever it expires, I can switch to my other carrier manually.
Any thoughts on this?
Brainstorming?!?!?!

Testing out T-Mobile

I just got my SIM today and am ready to give T-Mobile a try. I still have my contract with Sprint so I'm a little unsure how to get this set up so that I can really try the network. I assume since my Sprint account is active I cannot port my number to T-Mobile. So how exactly would I go about testing the network for the phone side of things. Data I can test myself anytime. I don't want to have everyone I know change their contact info for me for it only to last a month or less if I don't like T-Mobile. I have Google Voice and have the Google Voice number as my current number. Will I get texts/voicemails through the app for my Sprint number? Can I port the number later if I want or do I have to get another SIM to do that?

When I was testing out T Mobile I set my sprint number as my Google Voice number. Sprint is the only carrier that I know that allows my mobile number to be my Google Voice number. You could test it out this way and then switch back. The only downside that I had was mms. Your sprint phone will be able to handle it but the T Mobile one won't.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Activate the t-mobile sim with a new # and use your sprint # as your Google voice number, like the guy above said . When someone calls or texts your sprint # you can have it ring to the t-mobile #. Then if you want to keep t-mobile you can port your # over at any time, just make sure the Sprint line is still active when you port
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

Okay so I got the SIM in, went online and set up an account, put money on the plan,.... got no signal???? Can't reach anyone through their chat either and this is the only phone in the house :crying:
Edit: Contacted T-Mobile with the Sprint SIM and had them refresh everything on the T-Mobile SIM. Everything works after that.