Seeking advice

[jcboget]

My wife has an old flip phone (a Motorola Entice). Is there a model of Android phone I can pick up used where I can simply take the SIM card out of her old flip phone and put in to the Android and still use it as a regular phone? We just want to use it primarily as a regular phone (we can't afford data for a second phone) and then use any/all data functionality over wi-fi.

I don't really care how old the phone make/model is and/or whether it can be upgraded to ICS, just that it can be used primarily as a regular phone using my wife's current SIM. I know I can't do this with my old OG1 (it doesn't use a SIM card, right?) but I don't know if it can be done with other makes/models. Is this possible? Is there such a phone?

thnx,
Christoph

 

[dezymond]

3g model android phones don't use SIM card, on Verizon at least. Newer 4g models use LTE SIM cards.

If she's worried about her contacts not being saved, Verizon has a machine you can use to transfer numbers over. When I started with Verizon they transferred all my contacts from my AT&T phone to my new OG Droid when it first came out.

 

[tcrews]

Not possible. To activate a smartphone it will require adding a data plan.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

 

[jcboget]

3g model android phones don't use SIM card, on Verizon at least. Newer 4g models use LTE SIM cards.

Is this the same kind of SIM that the Entice uses?

If she's worried about her contacts not being saved, Verizon has a machine you can use to transfer numbers over. When I started with Verizon they transferred all my contacts from my AT&T phone to my new OG Droid when it first came out.

But if I do this through Verizon, won't they require me to get a new plan for the new phone?

thnx,
Christoph

 

[jcboget]

Not possible. To activate a smartphone it will require adding a data plan.

I thought all that was really necessary was the SIM card. If I take the SIM card out of her Entice and put it in to a different dumb phone, wouldn't any calls be directed to the new dumb phone? Or would Verizon have to "activate" the new dumb phone to allow it to receive calls for her phone number?

thnx,
Christoph

 

[tcrews]

Verizon only uses LTE sims which requires a data package. The Entice or whatever does not have an LTE sim card. The smartphone no matter what type would need a data plan to be added to the account to activate it on the network.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

 

[dezymond]

If you get a smartphone, even if you buy it second hand, once you activate they will automatically charge you a data plan. If you have a smartphone, you'll have a data plan, no way around it. Well there is, she can get one and not have it activated

 

[jcboget]

So what does it mean to hav an "unlocked" phone? Just that it'll work with any carrier? And if that is the definition, then if that any carrier is Verizon, it needs an LTE SIM card?

As far as charging for data, I know there is a setting in Android where you can turn mobile data completely off. As long as it's off, whatever charge would be $0, correct? And then she could just connect over our wi-fi while she was home.

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Your answers have been helpful and informative. I'm trying to clear up my (mis)understanding.

thnx,
Christoph

 

[tcrews]

You'll have to add the minimum data plan for smartphones just to activate the phone. There is no such thing as "un-locked" phones on Verizon. Those discussions are about GSM devices. Even AT&T LTE devices use SIM cards......though those devices do not work on Verizon nor do Verizon devices work on AT&T.

To add....even an "un-locked" phone requires a data plan to be activated.

You can turn on airplane mode and not use the data of the data plan (using your WiFi) but you'll still have to pay for the data plan each month.

You can buy a used Android phone and not activate it and your wife can carry it around and use the apps and such on WiFi...but she'll have to continue carrying around her dumb phone to make calls and text. All smart phones activated will require a data plan (iPhone, Android, WinM 7, Blackberry).

There is no secret way around it, a smart phone requires a data plan.

 

[chigo17]

Yes there is a way around the data plan, but not on Verizon

If you want to use Droid on AT&T, then it is possible to eliminate the data plan.dancedroid

 

[tcrews]

The Droid is CDMA based and will not work on a GSM (AT&T) network.