What??

Hello,

So me and my dad went to our local Cingular store to trade in my old phone for a new one. They pointed out the ones that would work with our plan on the phone. So me and my dad went to the store and went to buy it and the lady said who is your service provider? we said AT&T. She then said that we had to switch our plan over to Cingular to get this phone So then I started to think about this and I remembered that they joined up!! but what is going on? so we have no clue what to do any ideas/help?

oh and one more thing, If we already have a AT&T plan and all we want to do is swap out the phones for a new phone but keep the same plan/phone number/cost is this possible or not and if so how is this done??

thanks in advance
Nick

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They want you on a new Cingular plan not an old AT&T plans (Cingular Blue).

This is the same with Verizon Wireless if you are on a Airtouch, Primeco PCS, GTE or any other prediessor plan you can get a discount on a new phone until you get a Verizon Wireless plan. Seldom do I here this today since VZW started April 4, 2000.

So if you want a new phone with a discount you will need to get a Cingular plan. You may want let anyone you know that has AT&T wireless if they want to get a new phone with a discount they will now have to have a new Cingular plan.

If you buy the phone at full price I can't see why you can't keep your old plan. Remember full price on phone will be $200-$500 depending on a phone.

hes right, also, since you have an att SIM card, it wouldnt work with a new cingular phones since they only accept cingular SIM cards, you would have to get a new plan, new SIM cards, and new phones, while also signing a new agreement and paying $18 fees on each phone you bring over from ATT

You can also get any gsm phone if its unlocked and insert your ATT SIM and it would work, only thing is unlocked phones are expensive since they are at full price

So wait if I was to get a GSM phone and if I was to going to insert a Sim card( by the way what is a sim card?) but how do i do it?
and one more thing If i was to get a new phone, then i was to switch my old phones sim card with my new one would I have to pay a new bill and other stuff??

thanks in advance

Nick

SIM cards are for GSM
R-UIM cards are for CDMA

They are cards that are usally behind the batter of your phone. The hold infomation about your phone the provider and other things as well. will also contain your phonebook as well.

In North America CDMA providers don't do R-UIM.

Clink, about 2 years ago, AT&T started with a new system called GSM, it's real big in Europe. If your current AT&T phone is less than 2 years old, it COULD be GSM. If it is, it will have a removable chip in it called a SIM card. Open you phone's case and see if it has a little removable chip in it. It will be behind the battery.

IF IT DOESN'T HAVE A SIM CARD:
you have the old technology and you'll have to "migrate" to cingular to get any new equipment. By "migrating" you esentially cancel your at&t account and sign a new cingular contract. You can keep your number, and the early termination fee is waived if you are still under contract with AT&T.

IF IT DOES HAVE A SIM CARD:
If you want, you can trade in your old phone, sign a new Cingular contract, and get the new phone you want, just like you would if your phone didn't have the SIM card. (This is RECCOMENDED).

However, Cingular does things a little differently, for example, the charge for INCOMING text messages too! that really sucks. that's why this next option might work for you.

Option two: if you have a SIM and really like your AT&T rate plan and everything, you can just buy an UNLOCKED GSM phone on ebay and stick your AT&T sim in it. As soon as you turn it on it will work and you don't have to call up to activate it. I did this and it worked fine. Again, ONLY DO THIS IS YOU REALLY LIKE YOUR CURRENT RATE PLAN

I use a AT&T SIM card in the Motorola V550 from Cingular

Originally Posted by ShakariX

I use a AT&T SIM card in the Motorola V550 from Cingular

That means that the phone from Cingular that you have is probably unlocked, otherwise once you insert the ATT SIM and powered the phone on, it would ask for a subsidy password.