Mini-SD possible future 'SIM' Card?

One VERY nice feature about the GSM phones are their usage
with a tiny SIM card.
The SIM card contains the user's activated account - AND -
Contacts Listing/Phonebook info!
This SIM card allows effortless, no-hassle, "instant
activation" from your account from one GSM Phone to another
by merely moving it from one GSM phone to another - AND -
transfers your Contact List/Phone book into the other phone.
If the GSM phone is also UNlocked, you can also move that
SIM card between GSM phones from different GSM carriers such
as T-Mobile, Cingular, ATT, etc.
Indeed you can have a so-called Work Phone and a Weekend
Phone if you wish, activated at will by merely transferring
that SIM card between phones as you desire.

My Question is based upon that many of the latest CDMA
phones from Sprint now also contain removable Mini-SD memory
cards.
Is it possible that in the near future the CDMA phones
equipped with removable Mini-SD cards will someday be able
to function as the GSM phones' SIM cards do today?

Thanks for any comments. ---Juan

---

› See More: Mini-SD possible future 'SIM' Card?

At 19 Apr 2007 14:46:47 +0000 Juan Pablo wrote:
> One VERY nice feature about the GSM phones are their usage
> with a tiny SIM card.
>
> My Question is based upon that many of the latest CDMA
> phones from Sprint now also contain removable Mini-SD memory
> cards.
> Is it possible that in the near future the CDMA phones
> equipped with removable Mini-SD cards will someday be able
> to function as the GSM phones' SIM cards do today?

Probably not. The fact that (American) CDMA phones do not use SIMs is
not because ofany technology limitation- GSM and SIMs were around before
CDMA, but because CDMA providers like Verizon and Sprint want to maintain
control of who uses what device on their networks. Using a replacable
SIM removes that power from them and gives it to you, and they don't want
that.

IIRC, some Asian CDMA operators use SIMs on their CDMA phones, for example,
but American CDMA providers never have, and likely never will.

However, Verizon (and perhaps Sprint as well) has automated systems (via
telephone or webpage) that let you switch the phone used on your account
by typing in the new phone's ESN, giving you the option of having the
weekday/weekend phone you desire, without a removable SIM. Keep in mind
that there are restrictions- Sprint and Verizon don't allow other
carrier's phones on their network, even though they're compatible (i.e.
you can't activate a Sprint phone on Verizon or vice-versa) and older
phones can't be activated (they only allow E911-compliant phones), etc.
This is why they'd never go for a "SIM-type" activation system.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Every time you change phones on your sprint number it resets the time for a
rebate allowance. I purchased a new phone about 6 months ago because my
phone was damaged... I transfered the number to it and now I went in to the
sprint store to look at new phones and they said that because I switched
phones they would not give me any credit towards a new phone... If I had not
switched phones I would be elgible for a 150 credit... so I am being
punished because I purchased a phone myself... This is just one reason I
will be switching away from Sprint.

Gary

Verizon seems to have the best coverage in the Phoenix area.
Gary
"Notan" <notan@ddressthatcanbespammed> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Gary wrote:
>> Every time you change phones on your sprint number it resets the time for
>> a rebate allowance. I purchased a new phone about 6 months ago because
>> my phone was damaged... I transfered the number to it and now I went in
>> to the sprint store to look at new phones and they said that because I
>> switched phones they would not give me any credit towards a new phone...
>> If I had not switched phones I would be elgible for a 150 credit... so I
>> am being punished because I purchased a phone myself... This is just one
>> reason I will be switching away from Sprint.
>
> Just out of curiosity, where are you going that's better?
>
> --
> Notan

Gary wrote:
> Verizon seems to have the best coverage in the Phoenix area.

<snip>

Coverage should *always* be your priority.

Once you've established that, I think you'll find that all
providers have varying degrees of after-the-sale support.

Good Luck!

--
Notan

At 20 Apr 2007 12:11:42 -0600 Notan wrote:

> Coverage should *always* be your priority.

Given that parameter, everyone of us should ditch every cellular provider
we use and switch to a satellite phone!

Realistically, coverage, while important, is still only one of the
factors to consider.
In my case, value was far more important than ubiquitous coverage. I use
T-Mobile- arguably the carrier with the worst coverage nationwide.
However, it works virtually everywhere I live, work and play, and costs
me easily $40 less than Cingular and $60 or more less than Verizon per
month (I have a two-line family plan with unlimited data on both lines
for $72/month plus tax. Plus, ironically, neither Verizon nor Cingular
work reliably in the Denver suburb I live in, but Sprint, T-Mo and Nextel
all do!)

The closest I could come to matching T-Mo's price was a Sprint SERO plan,
but it would've required me to shell out over $400 for phones and
activation fees (we both use Windows Mobile phones, so I'd have needed a
6700 and a Q to replace our MDA and Dash) but in return we'd have better
coverage (and faster data.)

In the last two years I've only been one place without any T-Mobile (or
roaming) coverage (Grand Lake, CO), that had coverage with other
carriers. (I've been in a few places, however, mostly National parks,
where no carriers had service, at least according to my trusty ancient
Nokia 5120 TDMA/analog handheld with manual A/B system selection I
carried for emergencies)

And, I've certainly been in many places with lackluster/spotty coverage
on T-Mo where other people seemed to have no trouble using their phones.

However, given that mankind has spent 99.999999% of his existence without
cellphones, I hardly think having coverage in every single hotel room or
tourist trap I vacation in is worth that much more a month to me. I used
to use Beyond Wireless TDMA/analog prepaid service (on the aforementioned
Nokia 5120) to fill in the gaps in T-Mo coverage, but since T-Mo added
850MHz roaming, I found I only used a couple of minutes on Beyond in all
of 2006. Maybe, if I find myself without T-Mo coverage again soon I'll
add a Page Plus (CDMA) phone to the repertoire but suspect I'll manage
fine without one!

Todd Allcock wrote:
> At 20 Apr 2007 12:11:42 -0600 Notan wrote:
>
>> Coverage should *always* be your priority.
>
> Given that parameter, everyone of us should ditch every cellular provider
> we use and switch to a satellite phone!
>
> Realistically, coverage, while important, is still only one of the
> factors to consider.
> In my case, value was far more important than ubiquitous coverage. I use
> T-Mobile- arguably the carrier with the worst coverage nationwide.
> However, it works virtually everywhere I live, work and play, and costs
> me easily $40 less than Cingular and $60 or more less than Verizon per
> month (I have a two-line family plan with unlimited data on both lines
> for $72/month plus tax. Plus, ironically, neither Verizon nor Cingular
> work reliably in the Denver suburb I live in, but Sprint, T-Mo and Nextel
> all do!)
>
> The closest I could come to matching T-Mo's price was a Sprint SERO plan,
> but it would've required me to shell out over $400 for phones and
> activation fees (we both use Windows Mobile phones, so I'd have needed a
> 6700 and a Q to replace our MDA and Dash) but in return we'd have better
> coverage (and faster data.)
>
> In the last two years I've only been one place without any T-Mobile (or
> roaming) coverage (Grand Lake, CO), that had coverage with other
> carriers. (I've been in a few places, however, mostly National parks,
> where no carriers had service, at least according to my trusty ancient
> Nokia 5120 TDMA/analog handheld with manual A/B system selection I
> carried for emergencies)
>
> And, I've certainly been in many places with lackluster/spotty coverage
> on T-Mo where other people seemed to have no trouble using their phones.
>
> However, given that mankind has spent 99.999999% of his existence without
> cellphones, I hardly think having coverage in every single hotel room or
> tourist trap I vacation in is worth that much more a month to me. I used
> to use Beyond Wireless TDMA/analog prepaid service (on the aforementioned
> Nokia 5120) to fill in the gaps in T-Mo coverage, but since T-Mo added
> 850MHz roaming, I found I only used a couple of minutes on Beyond in all
> of 2006. Maybe, if I find myself without T-Mo coverage again soon I'll
> add a Page Plus (CDMA) phone to the repertoire but suspect I'll manage
> fine without one!

I said "priority," not "your only deciding factor."

Without coverage, everything else is moot.

--
Notan

On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 10:17:36 -0600, Todd Allcock
<[email protected]> wrote:

>At 19 Apr 2007 14:46:47 +0000 Juan Pablo wrote:
>> One VERY nice feature about the GSM phones are their usage
>> with a tiny SIM card.
>>
>> My Question is based upon that many of the latest CDMA
>> phones from Sprint now also contain removable Mini-SD memory
>> cards.
>> Is it possible that in the near future the CDMA phones
>> equipped with removable Mini-SD cards will someday be able
>> to function as the GSM phones' SIM cards do today?
>
>Probably not. The fact that (American) CDMA phones do not use SIMs is
>not because ofany technology limitation- GSM and SIMs were around before
>CDMA, but because CDMA providers like Verizon and Sprint want to maintain
>control of who uses what device on their networks. Using a replacable
>SIM removes that power from them and gives it to you, and they don't want
>that.
>
>IIRC, some Asian CDMA operators use SIMs on their CDMA phones, for example,
>but American CDMA providers never have, and likely never will.
>
>However, Verizon (and perhaps Sprint as well) has automated systems (via
>telephone or webpage) that let you switch the phone used on your account
>by typing in the new phone's ESN, giving you the option of having the
>weekday/weekend phone you desire, without a removable SIM. Keep in mind
>that there are restrictions- Sprint and Verizon don't allow other
>carrier's phones on their network, even though they're compatible (i.e.
>you can't activate a Sprint phone on Verizon or vice-versa) and older
>phones can't be activated (they only allow E911-compliant phones), etc.
>This is why they'd never go for a "SIM-type" activation system.
>
Thanks for that updated info.
This is not a deal-breaker for my wife and I.
We have been with Sprint PCS for many low -complaints years
and - so far - will stay with them.

Anytime we hear or read about fellow Sprint customers
*****ing about "this", "that, and "whatever, we gently
remind them to jog on over to the OTHER newsgroups that
cater to the OTHER cell phone carriers.
Guess what? In overall general terms -- there's no
difference - than those overall complaints about Sprint !!

Sprint actually had online ESN switching for several years,
at several years ago, but they charged your account an
additional 36 bucks for each episode.
If you bought a Sprint PCS phone from them, then the online
ESN switch-over was free one-time for that particular phone.
Several years ago Sprint abandoned their online ESN swapping
for some unknown reason.

If some future reason(s) Sprint PCS does tee-us-off royally,
then I have made up my mind that we will go with Cingular.
Or, are they back to ATT again! Whatever!

So far, as of now, Sprint PCS is still the ONLY USA cell
phone carrier that allows FULL SERVICE with ALL their
features with ALL phones on a "family plan", ANYWHERE there
is Sprint PCS service within the USA.
(Yes, their EVDO is still in limited service areas, but IS
being expanded as we speak)

---Juan

On 4/20/2007 1:03 PM, Gary wrote:
> Verizon seems to have the best coverage in the Phoenix area.
> Gary
> "Notan" <notan@ddressthatcanbespammed> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Gary wrote:
>>> Every time you change phones on your sprint number it resets the time for
>>> a rebate allowance. I purchased a new phone about 6 months ago because
>>> my phone was damaged... I transfered the number to it and now I went in
>>> to the sprint store to look at new phones and they said that because I
>>> switched phones they would not give me any credit towards a new phone...
>>> If I had not switched phones I would be elgible for a 150 credit... so I
>>> am being punished because I purchased a phone myself... This is just one
>>> reason I will be switching away from Sprint.
>> Just out of curiosity, where are you going that's better?
>>
>> --
>> Notan
>
>
In the aftermath of hurricane Rita my POS8910 got lost. Verizon was
kind enough to *give* me a basic Kyo. Insurance was not involved. The
Beaumont store said anyone during the evac or after the storm that lost
a phone was given a basic phone gratis. I was ten months into a 2 year
contract. It didn't affect the NewEvery2 VX8600 I got this January.
For $29.

--
Ted
I wasn't born in Texas but
I got back here as soon as I could
(Don't forget to take out the trash)

Luck can't last a lifetime unless you die young.

On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:11:42 -0600, Notan
<notan@ddressthatcanbespammed> wrote:

>Gary wrote:
>> Verizon seems to have the best coverage in the Phoenix area.
>
><snip>
>
>Coverage should *always* be your priority.
>
>Once you've established that, I think you'll find that all
>providers have varying degrees of after-the-sale support.
>
>Good Luck!
>____
>Notan

!Amen, amigo! That's EXACTLY what it's all about !
---Juan

SMS wrote:
> Notan wrote:
>> Gary wrote:
>>> Verizon seems to have the best coverage in the Phoenix area.
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> Coverage should *always* be your priority.
>>
>> Once you've established that, I think you'll find that all
>> providers have varying degrees of after-the-sale support.
>
> If coverage was everyone's priority then Verizon would have 95% market
> share.
>
> In fact, there are other priorities that some people have. Some people
> want a single phone that can roam in much of Europe and Asia, and are
> willing to give up some U.S. coverage and use a GSM carrier. some people
> are willing to give up coverage in return for a lower price. Some people
> are willing to give up voice coverage in return for better data coverage
> (which helps Sprint at the expense of Cingular).

With the exception of your one statement, "... for a lower price," you made
my argument for "coverage."

Thanks! <g>

--
Notan