Using a US SIM card query

[Fantasia Sam]

In the past for my iPhone 3G I have used a company who have sent me a US SIM card which I have just inserted into my iphone 3G and started using the US SIM card with no problem.

I have recently got my latest iPhone 4S unlocked by O2 and have received the message:

"Your iPhone can now be unlocked. To use a non-O2 SIM card in your Iphone swap it with your existing O2 SIM connect to iTunes and sync as usual"

This message makes me think 1) my iphone isn't actually unlocked as yet and 2) I won't be able top use any other SIM card unless I hook it up to my iTunes

However I won't be travelling with my laptop only my iPad so I won't be able to hook up to iTunes

I'm just concerned because I never had to hook up to iTunes to use my last 2 AT&T SIM cards on my iPhone 3G... any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Elise79]

I'll ask DH & let you know for certain however I think you have to put another simcard in and sync to comeplete.

Have you or Cinderfella got another simcard other than O2 that you could pop in temporarily? If so, put that in and sync to iTunes.

We have AT&T sims that I keep active to keep our numbers the same they were full size sims but we just used a micro sim cutter to use in the iPhones with no problems. I had 4G on iPhone 4S and it was sooo fast (outside the parks - not so great inside)

 

[Elise79]

Checked with DH - you do need to put another sim card in and sync to complete the unlock. Once complete you can switch sims at will

PS if you don't have another sim shout as we probably have...

 

[DisFanJen]

I unlocked my 3GS for exactly the same reason ans I had to put in another SIM and sync before it finished the process.

I just spent £5 at T-Mobile as they will let you get a SIM card for that much and the rest are £10 to my knowledge and it was done.

It doesn't matter what SIM you use as long as it's not another O2 one and you only have to do it the once.

I use a T-Mobile SIM in the states too. It doesn't get a 3\4G signal only GPRS but it's good enough for text based tweets and the main thing I want them for, SMS and phone calls.

Oh and it's pretty darn cheep to keep running. $10 every 90 days and we're good to go.

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Thanks ever so - OK so it must be different now than when I first did it with my 3G phone back in 2010.

Thank you Ladies for the tips and Elise79 has totally hooked me up with a free micro SIM from Vodaphone so I've ordered that from their website.

Elise79 - what SIM do you use and where did you get it?

DisFanJen - I would have gone for that BUT I am a data junkie so GPRS isn't fast enough for my speed needs but thank you for the tip I'm sure others though would be interested to know where you got your TMobile US SIM card from?

Thanks again

 

[Elise79]

We got our AT&T SIMs from Ebay however we have had these ones 2 years plus however until last year they were standard SIMs now they have been cut down to micro SIMs for our iPhones!

 

[disneyholic family]

so in the end we did buy DD and DSIL sim cards for their iphones..

turns out that while the local mobile company offers unlimited calls from the US back here to Israel, they charge $5/min for a local call inside the US!!

so we bought them sim cards and will follow the instructions today as to what to do with them - one good thing, we already know their iphones are unlocked, so that won't be a problem..

these sim cards have a UK phone number of all things on them...
but we bought a phone number in the US for $6 that can be forwarded to the cell phone, so that they can use it when they have to give their phone number to someone..

all very convoluted, but relatively cheap....hopefully it will all work!!

 

[Snow8882]

Sorry to jump on to your thread Sam but I'm confused

Here's the deal:-
I have an iPhone 3GS
My monthly contract is with O2
The handset is unlocked

I think I need a Tmobile or AT&T sim but had planned on getting this there and buying a data package.

I have an ordinary sim not a micro one.

Do I need to get a sim before I go because I won't be taking the laptop to sync?

If so, where do I buy one? The ones I've seen on ebay say "this doesn't work in an iPhone"

My head is totally fried thinking about this and the thought of not having my phone (for apps) is stressing me out

 

[Snow8882]

Here's the deal:-
I have an iPhone 3GS
My monthly contract is with O2
The handset is unlocked :

Or at least I think is (reading all sorts that the phone auto-locks to whatever Sim card is put in it?! ***?!!)

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Jump away.

You can check if your phone is unlocked by going to www.iphoneadmin.com I believe and if you like their facebook page from there then you can enter the IME number I think it is and find out if your phone is unlocked.

If it is not unlocked I think it depends on your network how you get it unlocked, O2 do this free of charge if you are on a pay monthly I think there is a fee if you are PAYG

Once unlocked get another SIM card here in the UK (you can get free ones from Vodaphone) and just put that in your iphone and then hook up to ITunes to complete the unlocking process.

For SIM cards - I have seen some on Ebay that will work but I have used www.mrsimcard.com for the past 2 years no problemo.

I know others have bought their SIM cards from BestBuy maybe once they get to America? I can't do that because I need the number working from when I land and the last thing my DH wants me to do is to make us drive to a BestBuy on landing. This is why I like to have my US SIM card before I fly

 

[Snow8882]

Thanks Sam, I can't get the iphone admin site to work - I've liked on FB and even registered and it still won't let me put in the number

 

[Snow8882]

Sorry to keep going on about this but has anyone used this website for a SIM?

http://www.gosim.com/

I'm not sure how I would top it up if I wanted more data? Just going online presumably?

 

[disneyholic family]

DD arrived in the USA today and the sim card we bought for her is working fine.

we bought her the World8 sim cards. I don't know how much they are in the UK. They were pretty reasonable here and they have coverage in alaska (i hope) which is good!

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Usually Snow8882 you just top up online like you say - that's what I do with MrSimCard.com

Did you get the iphoneadmin site to work in the end?

Beth - glad to hear she arrived safely and her phone works, yayyy!

I got my SIM card from Vodaphone yesterday and after I finally managed to get my Disney iphone cover off without breaking it - I put new SIM card and hooked it up to the ITunes and I then got the confirmation message that my phone was unlocked, yayyy!

Now to choose what SIM to get!

 

[Snow8882]

Hi Sam,

Nope, still couldn't get it work! 'Liked' in Facebook and even registered with the site and still nothing! Nevermind, I'll soon find out whether this locked to O2. I ordered one from those Go Sim people so we'll see how it goes. No doubt they're some dodgy mob currently trying to skim my card lol!!

Snow X

 

[dazzling]

deleted

 

[UKDEB]

I'm bookmarking this thread because I know I'll have forgotten all this by the time I need to do it!

 

[GirlDreamer]

I tried to google it, as I want to be able to use data traffic for the Disney apps and so on while I'm there, and this seems like an alright one: http://www.simcardguru.co.uk/produc...obile-usa-pay-as-you-go-mobile-phone-sim-card

 

[Cyrano]

Following this with interest

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Hi Sam,

Hope you don't mind me butting in, but I found the MrSimcard site when I did a google search for US sims, but was a bit a bit wary as I tried to call them but the UK number is unavailable & no-one ever answers the US phone number. I did also email them but didn't get a reply, so I got nervous that they might be a scam site, so I disregarded them.

But now reading that you've used them before I think maybe I just got the wrong end of the stick & have just been unlucky.

Have you bought the unlimited data sim they offer? Are they simple to set up? I only ask as I found another one advertised that the set up once you reached the States was way too complicated for me to understand!!

Any help/advice welcomed, thanks.

I actually had no idea Eddie had a UK number. Please know that I do not work for this company, I do see that there are some sites that offer cards cheaper but I like MrSimcard because he goes the extra mile... the first time I got one and I tried to get logged on it didn't work and I was stressed in a Starbucks in NYC - Eddie (who I believe is MrSimcard himself) talked me down and got me all sorted and I've been happy to give him my business continuously since then. I had a question the other day and I just emailed him but I also have left message on his live chat and he's very good on Twitter also

I have always got the AT&T cards but not unlimited data I tend to get 500MB ones and that has lasted me about 10-13 days - I use check-in on Facebook ALOT when I am away and Foursquare... and I suspect this year I'll doing more Instagram too sooooo not sure how long it will last me this time. It was really easy to top up though I did it online.

Keep telling MrSimcard that you are a Technophobe... ha-ha I did I kept telling him I wanted step by step instructions and he did give me those I just didn't follow them properly hence I got stressed the first time but then all subsequent trips I've just put the card in and it worked! Of course this trip I have my new iphone so we'll see how that goes.

Ohhh and another thing I love is that I usually get the SIM card in the mail within a few days and it always goes out the same day - he'll also get it delivered to your hotel.