Newer Phones Don't Need A SIM Card

Mike

Mike

Well-known Member
Location
London
I got a new Pixel phone about a month ago and noticed
a curious message scrolling across the top of the screen,
"Emergency Calls Only", yet when I unlocked the phone,
I could make calls normally, so I didn't bother too much
about the message, until a friend sent me a message on
WhatsApp, asking me, why my phone was switched off,
my phone is never off!

So I started the investigation, inside the connections area
there were 2 SIMs listed, #1 had 2345000000, or something
similar, #2 had 23456789, or something similar, while it was
unlocked, it received calls and made calls, but when it was
locked, it didn't, after an hour or so, I got some text under
#1 SIM, "Remove SIM Card", so I did and everything is now
normal, the phone is fully functional, without a SIM Card.

Somebody senior, in a phone shop, couldn't understand why,
the problem arose in the first place, or why the phone worked
without a card, the decided that the 5G system, had changed
to an ESIM, electronic SIM, which is the newest upgrade in the
phone world!!!!!

I thought that I should tell you, to save you having the same
conundrum that I went through.

Mike.
 

To the article:
I don't like SIM cards too. Have even ruined a new card while trying to get it into the slot.
 

This is good and bad. But no sim card might make buying an unlocked phone harder being forced to go to a provider to program it which good lead to fees.

A better/easier sim card could be a new way to go.
 
My phone takes a SIM card and/or an ESIM. Best of both worlds?


BTW I always buy unlocked phones though actually they have never been locked in the first place. Why would you buy a phone that could only access one network?
 
Wombat said:
My phone takes a SIM card and/or an ESIM. Best of both worlds?


BTW I always buy unlocked phones though actually they have never been locked in the first place. Why would you buy a phone that could only access one network?
Click to expand...
People who get a contract with a Phone Company, like EE, or 3,
or Talk-Talk, are supplied with a handset that is locked to their
system and that phone will not work on another system, I used
to know how to unlock a phone, but I have forgotten that now.

They still offer unlocked phones today, but as you say, the new
Smartphones are probably not locked, unless a company adds
something to the software.

Mike.
 
Aren't most contracts month to month? If a better deal comes up then you can swap providers.

I don't know about other countries but here we "own" our phone number and it can be transferred to the new provider in a matter of an hour or so.

Having said that I actually pay a year in advance because I get a much better deal but there is no contract as such, in theory I could change providers anytime but it would make no sense to do so.

https://boost.com.au/prepaid-plans#12m
 
Moving to an electronic solution from a physical one increases security concerns.

All of us are way more vulnerable to hacking than was ever possible decades ago, and the risks are just increasing.

People just accept technology pushing us to a less secure world in the name of progress and so called convenience :(
 
Wombat said:
Aren't most contracts month to month? If a better deal comes up then you can swap providers.

I don't know about other countries but here we "own" our phone number and it can be transferred to the new provider in a matter of an hour or so.

Having said that I actually pay a year in advance because I get a much better deal but there is no contract as such, in theory I could change providers anytime but it would make no sense to do so.

https://boost.com.au/prepaid-plans#12m
Click to expand...
Contracts here are normally for 2 years, that is the time
it takes to pay for the phone, to get out early you will
have a balance to pay, or a penalty, I don't know as I
have bought my phone separately from the system and
I only have a SIM contract, which costs a lot less than a
full contract that supplies a handset, we also keep our
numbers, forever, unless you want to change it.

Mike.
 

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