Using the phone tmobile question.

[jms_209]

Must I activate the phone before using?

I have galaxy exhibit 2 4G with a sim already in it.
The only thing is that I have not had service in over a year.
I can still use the phone normally.

So can I just put my old sim in the phone and that would let me use it,atleast until I can start prepaid again?

 

[speedtouch]

I'm confused. You have a SIM that has no service, yet you can use your Exhibit 2's phone normally? How?

 

[jms_209]

I'm confused. You have a SIM that has no service, yet you can use your Exhibit 2's phone normally? How?

Now I am confused.....

I used the phone as wifi device now that I stopped paying for monthly prepaid service.
Once the prepaid month was over it still let me use the phone as an "ipod touch" android mp3.
The sim is still in the phone.

 

[Dustin Hodges]

If you are trying to ask if you can use the 521 w/o service, than yes. You dont even need a sim card (just dont insert one) and most if not all smartphones work like that, since the phone is more of a feature these days. However, w/o service, Wifi calling from Tmo will not work (there is always skype though), and the phone and messaging hub are practically useless

 

[jms_209]

If you are trying to ask if you can use the 521 w/o service, than yes. You dont even need a sim card (just dont insert one) and most if not all smartphones work like that, since the phone is more of a feature these days. However, w/o service, Wifi calling from Tmo will not work (there is always skype though), and the phone and messaging hub are practically useless

Okay thank you for that clarification.
I remember some old android lg phone on verizon that would not let me use it,unless it was activated.
Guessing it's the same now for all phones

Only thing I will miss is google voice since i use that to text,while I don't have service.
Any equivalent to google voice on WP8 store?

 

[Dustin Hodges]

Okay thank you for that clarification.
I remember some old android lg phone on verizon that would not let me use it,unless it was activated.
Guessing it's the same now for all phones

Only thing I will miss is google voice since i use that to text,while I don't have service.
Any equivalent to google voice on WP8 store?

There is actually some google voice clients from third parties in the Windows Store, as a matter of fact, each with their own features and level of google voice integration, coming in free and paid varieties.

 

[pankaj981]

Only thing I will miss is google voice since i use that to text,while I don't have service.
Any equivalent to google voice on WP8 store?

Metro Talk
http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=174de0ad-66ef-493b-a440-ed016ba40870

 

[jms_209]

There is actually some google voice clients from third parties in the Windows Store, as a matter of fact, each with their own features and level of google voice integration, coming in free and paid varieties.

As long as I can text I am okay with the app.
The only app that would be missing for me, is Bleacher Report.
Seems a bit odd,but that seems to be one of the 2-3 apps I need not on WP8 :shocked:

Never tried to see if they have a mobile site.
Can I make internet shortcuts,I think I vaguely remember hearing something about that.

 

[tgp]

Okay thank you for that clarification.
I remember some old android lg phone on verizon that would not let me use it,unless it was activated.
Guessing it's the same now for all phones

Activating doesn't have anything to do with the kind of phone it is, as in WP, Android, iPhone, new, old... It's the carrier. In the US, Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular use CDMA technology. They don't have SIM cards (unless they have LTE) and the phones must be activated by the carrier. AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM, which uses SIM cards. The phone doesn't actually get activated; it's the SIM card that gets activated. You can take an active SIM card and put it in any GSM phone and you'll have service, unless it's SIM locked to another carrier.

 

[Dustin Hodges]

Activating doesn't have anything to do with the kind of phone it is, as in WP, Android, iPhone, new, old... It's the carrier. In the US, Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular use CDMA technology. They don't have SIM cards (unless they have LTE) and the phones must be activated by the carrier. AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM, which uses SIM cards. The phone doesn't actually get activated; it's the SIM card that gets activated. You can take an active SIM card and put it in any GSM phone and you'll have service, unless it's SIM locked to another carrier.

Mostly true. Even if it doesnt have lte, smartphones from what ive seen use a sim in general (i can be mistaken at times though)

And the lg phone may of had some kind of bypassable or non-bypassable "insert sim" screen, as some non smartphone verizon devices had at one time.

 

[mogelijk]

Sprint phones, at least that I've seen, don't have a SIM card. In the case of LTE phones, which need a SIM (LTE is part of the GSM standard), the ones I've seen build the SIM into the phone (it is not user replaceable). The CDMA standard does not use SIM cards, though I believe Verizon built SIM slots into some of their CDMA phones.