longbough

Simple question:

I have a Motorola RAZR phone with a Cingular account ... but I now have my eye on a Nokia 6170 (not offered by Cingular). Can I just purchase the Nokia and swap the SIM? Or is it more complicated than that?

Thx.

Cynthetiq

if a particular 9170 is not locked or bound to a carrier meaning UNLOCKED, then you can use it with any carrier. it depends on each individual phone

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

longbough

OK. So if I purchased an UNLOCKED Nokia 9170 I can just put in my SIM from my Motorola RAZR, right?

healer

My limited experience with cellphones and service providers says yes.

I don't think it's possible for a SIM to be bound to any one phone - it just wouldn't make sense. Just make sure the new phone is open for all networks then you'll be fine.

__________________

Silvy

Just one word of caution: depending on your setup you might not be able to transfer your contacts, pictures, messages, etc. between the two phones.

I mean, it will likely be possible, but not necessarily easy....

Other than that: SIMS cannot be locked to a certain phone or brand. Phones on the other hand can be locked to a certain provider, as others have pointed out.

__________________
"Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not steal. These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace. "
- Murphy MacManus (Boondock Saints)

Daniel_

In the UK, most highstreets have a store somewhere offering "Phone Unblocking" (telling the phone it's allowed to talk to any network), and many do "Phone Unlocking" (telling the phone to ignore the fact that you've made the wrong guess on your PIN too many times.

Taken together of course they allow anyone to reidentify a stolen handset...

Costs about £5

__________________

╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝

krwlz

In theory you should be able to. Though when I bought my last phone, they had to do a verification thing... I'm assuming thats so that if a crate of new phones falls off the back of a truck, anyone can't just pop the sim in and go.

soccerchamp76

Just make sure that all your phone numbers, etc are saved into the SIM card and not into your phone's internal memory.

And what are you planning on doing with your unused RAZR? PM and let me know

__________________
Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department.
Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

DeySot

You get the Nokia and put the cingular card in it with no trouble.
It amkes no difference if you have your card on motorola or nokia or whatever.
the sim card is what matters for cell phone companies.

__________________
An Idea Ahead