SIM Card in BlackBerry phones?

To anyone reading this post, PLEASE be informed that I have no further concern with switching SIMs in a blackberry, simply because I've been informed that what i had in mind wouldn't work, thank you & have a nice day!

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If you're asking this thinking you can switch your sim card to a sprint phone that has a sim card, I have some bad news - sprint phones don't use sim cards the same way virgin mobile does. You can't simply switch it over.

Originally Posted by tavenger5

If you're asking this thinking you can switch your sim card to a sprint phone that has a sim card, I have some bad news - sprint phones don't use sim cards the same way virgin mobile does. You can't simply switch it over.

No, what i was thinking of was to get the basic messaging plan with one of the free phones from sprint. Then I would go out & buy a better phone & just switch the SIM cards. A Friend of mine bought a motorola I580 through ebay & just switched the SIM card with the crap phone that she had.

I was just wondering if this was possible to do with a blackberry. I do NOT plan on keeping virgin mobile simply due to their horrible network quality. I'm switching to sprint some time after christmas, I'm just planning things out and trying to find a way to get a nicer phone on a cheaper plan.

[this post is to meant to reach the 5 post quota so i am able to post a visitor message and ask an admin this question myself...]

RIM makes 2 different versions of Blackberry's. SIM based (AT&T, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile), and CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, Alltel).
If you get a SIM based Blackberry, say from AT&T, and want to switch it to Sprint, which is CDMA, you can't.
Two totally different technologies. Sprint doesn't use SIM cards, so it's a no-go.
SIM is for SIM, CDMA is for CDMA, you can't switch them.

Only exception to that rule is a World Phone Blackberry, which offers CDMA and SIM, but those are extremely expensive, and still may not work for what you are trying to do.

If you want more information on SIM and CDMA, check this article.
GSM or CDMA?

Are you sure sprint doesn't use SIM cards? I decided to try something else & look at the manual on the sprint website. [way to many mixed answers here] Right in the manual It DOES say it has a SIM card...

Originally Posted by Bionut1192

Are you sure sprint doesn't use SIM cards? I decided to try something else & look at the manual on the sprint website. [way to many mixed answers here] Right in the manual It DOES say it has a SIM card...

I just bought a Tour yesterday and it has a sim card. I did get the new every 2 discount but it was only 99 bucks. im waiting for it to come in the mail. I decided to get the tour because I go to Vietnam sometimes and it will be nice to pick up a sim card for VN and pop it in.

but its a from Verizon wireless. you need to buy a world phone i think, if you want to have a sim card.

Again, ONLY world capable phones on Verizon and Sprint use SIM cards. Period. If you want to swap sims you need ATT, or T Mobile

Bionut1192
What exact Sprint model BB are you looking at?

Originally Posted by cellphonesgb

Bionut1192
What exact Sprint model BB are you looking at?

The exact model is the BB Curve 8330. Sorry if I'm being an annoyance, I'm just a bit slow at this sadly haha.

It has both a world model and a domestic model.

World models have SIM Cards and can work around the world.

Domestic models are limited to only 40 countries and do not have SIMs.

It depends on which 8330 you get.

Originally Posted by Bionut1192

The exact model is the BB Curve 8330. Sorry if I'm being an annoyance, I'm just a bit slow at this sadly haha.

The post from Nick above is correct.

But, maybe this will help clear this up. If you walk into Sprint tomorrow, and ask for a BB Curve 8330, 99.9999% of the time, you are going to get a non world, non sim phone.

World phones usually have to be ordered, most stores don't stock them. To high of cost, and little interest for a World Phone from the average consumer.

So, hopefully this will close this topic. If you go to Sprint and get a BB, you are getting a non world, non sim BB.
If you want a SIM, then AT&T, T-Mobile, Bell Mobility, etc is where you want to go.

Thanks for all the help, I get it now. I might try and find a world version somewhere online. I want to get a messaging plan since i know i wouldn't be using the internet on it anyways.

You guys know of any good websites where I can get one [unlocked or locked] that will work with a sprint SIM card. If i have to i'll just unlock it myself. I know the general idea about how to do so.

Originally Posted by Bionut1192

Thanks for all the help, I get it now. I might try and find a world version somewhere online. I want to get a messaging plan since i know i wouldn't be using the internet on it anyways.

You guys know of any good websites where I can get one [unlocked or locked] that will work with a sprint SIM card. If i have to i'll just unlock it myself. I know the general idea about how to do so.

It's not going to do you any good. Sprint knows what phones are BB by their ESN, the second you try to activate it, whether sim or cdma, they are going to see it's a BB and charge you for BIS.
You can try it if you want, but what you are trying to do and what Sprint does, world phone or not, sim locked or unlocked, you're going to get nailed for BIS with Sprint.
I would just either get away from Sprint, or just drop the idea of trying to use the world phone or BB.
It's not going to be worth the trouble, just to get a QWERTY keyboard.

Originally Posted by cellphonesgb

It's not going to do you any good. Sprint knows what phones are BB by their ESN, the second you try to activate it, whether sim or cdma, they are going to see it's a BB and charge you for BIS.
You can try it if you want, but what you are trying to do and what Sprint does, world phone or not, sim locked or unlocked, you're going to get nailed for BIS with Sprint.
I would just either get away from Sprint, or just drop the idea of trying to use the world phone or BB.
It's not going to be worth the trouble, just to get a QWERTY keyboard.

Yes, that is true, but If i swap SIMs and don't even bother regestering the phone with sprint, they won't know its a blackberry, is that a correct assumption?