Can I use a 4g phone without a SIM card?

[zanza]

From what I have heard, the new Verizon 4g phones run SIM cards, can I use the phone without the SIM? I don't expect to get 4g data, but can I do calls/text/3G data without the 4G sim? (think, like it was before they introduced the SIM card0

 

[Yeahha]

I do not think so. If I remove my SIM when I power on it says "Please insert SIM"

You may be able to make emergency calls i.e. 911 without a SIM but not use the other services.

If you get a 4G phone you can just take it to VZW and they will give you a SIM

 

[zanza]

I do not think so. If I remove my SIM when I power on it says "Please insert SIM"

You may be able to make emergency calls i.e. 911 without a SIM but not use the other services.

If you get a 4G phone you can just take it to VZW and they will give you a SIM

ahh, ok thanks, question answered!

 

[Scur]

There are also custom SIM cards that can be bought that open your phone to certain functions, coverage, etc. While I'm sure that some probably cross the line into piracy, I know there are quite a few that are perfectly legit.

 

[Yeahha]

There are also custom SIM cards that can be bought that open your phone to certain functions, coverage, etc. While I'm sure that some probably cross the line into piracy, I know there are quite a few that are perfectly legit.

Really? I haven't heard of this, of course VZW hasn't had that may SIM enabled phones

 

[Scur]

Really? I haven't heard of this, of course VZW hasn't had that may SIM enabled phones

I'm not up on the whole SIM thing either. I do see them for sale everywhere, though. Carriers, eBay, manufacturers, etc...

 

[zanza]

any links? tried on bay and local craigslist couldn't find anything

 

[Scur]

Google sim card ebay
Sim Card - Get great deals for Sim Card on eBay!

 

[Scur]

And I would stay away from Craigslist for something like sim cards. You'll have no buyer protection, and the odds of getting bad, stolen, or otherwise illegal cards is going to be really high.

 

[Yeahha]

I don't think any SIM other than a VZW LTE SIM would work in a VZW 4G phone. In looking at the SIM cards on ebay some look like scams (4G iPhone SIMs) others look like prepaid but IIRC non-world phones on VZW are locked to VZW, you can get phones like the inc 2 unlocked to use other SIM cards but they would only accept SIM cards from out of the USA so you couldn't get an AT&T SIM working on a VZW phone. I don't think there are any LTE world phones being offered currently

 

[Scur]

I don't think any SIM other than a VZW LTE SIM would work in a VZW 4G phone. In looking at the SIM cards on ebay some look like scams (4G iPhone SIMs) others look like prepaid but IIRC non-world phones on VZW are locked to VZW, you can get phones like the inc 2 unlocked to use other SIM cards but they would only accept SIM cards from out of the USA so you couldn't get an AT&T SIM working on a VZW phone. I don't think there are any LTE world phones being offered currently

So any alternative sim cards that you actually can use for any particular phone are more than likely to contain TOS breaking stuff on it, if not downright illegal stuff, probably? I know I've seen sim cards that go to the same phone that have different things on there here and there, but I've never given them more than the briefest glances, only noting they had different things on them. I guess I could start looking at them more closely where I find them since I'm about to grab my first sim card phone. Sometime when my daughter isn't bugging me to get her new mp3 player straight.

 

[Yeahha]

I don't think it would ToS breaking thing or anything illegal. It is just the VZW LTE phones require a VZW LTE SIM to work. So putting in a AT&T SIM wouldn't do anything other than say it is invalid. GSM phones must be unlocked to get them to run off a network that is not the parent network and usually require that they are purchased outright or the contract must be complete before they can be unlocked. Because the phones are locked to VZW without an option to unlock you would have to flash the phone to another network that uses the same CDMA and LTE technology for it to work.

Also with the 4G SIMs from VZW like I said earlier VZW will give you one at no charge if you need it. Part of this is due to the fact if you have a 4G phone on your account then disconnect it for any reason you have to get a new SIM before you can reactivate the 4G phone. Of course If you have a 4G phone and get another 4G phone you just have to pop out the SIM in the old one and put it in the new one for you to have it working which is a plus I guess.