3 questions about cellphones

[erwin1978]

If I buy a new cellphone without service will it come with a SIM card or will the service provider send one once I sign up?

I have a TMobile SIM card from 5 years ago and haven't had a cellphone service since then. Will I be albe to use that? Will I be able to reuse the phone number I had?

Can I use the cellphone with a prepaid service?

 

[QueBert]

1. if you're talking a phone from a carrier it will come with the SIM card, you can always buy an unlocked phone off Ebay that will work on either AT&T or Tmobile. AT&T gives out SIM cards for free, I think Tmobile charges like $5-10 bucks.

2. the sim card might still work, probably a 2G one and most new phones are 3G, but some still aren't, the number is gone you won't get it back.

3. yes, AT&T will let you use any phone of theirs, or any unlocked phone you have on their Pay-As-You Go service. T-Mobile is a better bet if they have good coverage in your area. They're pre-paid is cheaper, with the exception of no text message add-on (which AT&T offers) that is. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but T-Mobiles site doesn't say anything about pre-paid text bundles in their pre-paid. AT&T is expensive, I have it and am about to go over to T-Mobile, for the same price I'll get Nights & Weekends added on, AT&T wants $20 extra a month to add 3000 N&W mins. T-Mobile includes them in the buck a day service (plus .10 a minute for day time calls)

Quite a few phones can be unlocked if you know what you're doing. AT&T's offical selection for their Pay As You Go phones isn't the greatest, but you can use a Blackberry, iPhone or whatever phone you wish.

 

[erwin1978]

Awesome. Will my TMobile SIM card work with ATT?

 

[QueBert]

no you'll need a new SIM card but AT&T will give you one free if you sign a contract or buy a $25 pay as you go card to get your account started.

 

[erwin1978]

I'm a bit confused again. I can get refills for $10 for 30 minutes and there's also a 10¢/ minutes? Does that mean if I talk 30 minutes it will cost me an additional $3?

 

[QueBert]

AT&T pre-paid has 2 options, .25 a minute, or $1 a day with .10 a minute, only on days you use it. So if you talked 10 minutes today on the $1 plan it would be $2 bucks, if you didn't talk for a week $0, T-Mobile depends on the card you have, but they offer a $1 a day with .10, you can also get .10 a minute with no charge on a $100 card. If you only talk a few minutes here and there the .25 cent option makes more sense. $1 a day + .10 a minute add's up, but is still cheaper if you talk a lot.Both T-Mobile & AT&T offer pre-paid plans where you can get like 400 minutes for a decent rate but still have no contract.

 

[erwin1978]

What's confusing me is why they mention 10¢/ minute when they should say 1 minute talk 1 minute deduction.

 

[QueBert]

well if they're charing .10 a minute they should tell you. If they put "1 minute talk time, 1 minute deduction" doesn't tell you crap about how much it'll cost I can't speak for T-Mobile on AT&T I get charged .10 if the person I'm call doesn't answer but I let it ring 5 or more times, I hate that lol.