Can I use the Nexus S with a prepaid SIM?

[Jedakiah]

I am interested in leaving Verizon and my Moto DROID behind and purchasing a full price Nexus S. Since the Nexus S is carrier unlocked I should have no problem running it through a voice + text T-Mobile prepaid SIM right right? Obviously I will need to turn the data antennae off and be restricted to Wi-Fi.

Has anyone done this or something similar before? Since GSM is new to our area I know very little about SIM cards. Seeing as how everyone complains about data packages being required on phones I keep thinking I'm missing something.

 

[srockgibson]

Can't speak for T-Mobile prepaid, but AT&T prepaid (gophone) works great with Nexus S. I just moved the SIM card from my old AT&T gophone to the Nexus S.

As far as data goes, you're exactly right, you can shutoff the mobile data capabilities and just use WiFi. Another alternative is to buy the puny AT&T 100mb gophone data package ($19.95), so that you can selectively turn on mobile data if you're in a pinch. As long as I stick with the "mobile websites" that much data lasts me 3-4 months*. You can check you email and facebook from the mobile sites and it hardly uses any data. I just don't stream any media when I'm on mobile (save that for when WiFi is available).

* the GoPhone data packages expire one month from purchase date, but unused data rolls over if you purchase any package; so monthly you have to buy the 1mb $4.95 package just for the purpose of rolling over your unused data.

Also, when you're on mobile with AT&T prepaid, they throttle back the data speed (it's EDGE not 3G), but since you aren't using much mobile data that's not a problem.

I'd be the TMobile prepaid would also work . . . but can't say for sure