***Official GSM/World Phone/Sim Card Discussion Thread***

[senorsol]

Using a Motorola Sprint Photon in Colombia on 3G GSM Movistar network. APN is set up and data is enabled. Voice data and messaging work fine. However, the phone continues to return to certain default settings each time it is restarted.

Settings->Wireless networks->Mobile Networks
After restart I:
Must always change Network mode back to ANY GSM/UMTS
Must always select network
Must always select operator
Must always mark "Allow GSM Data"

I am a novice when it comes to these things but am somewhat computer literate.

Is there a work around so that I don't have to do these things EVERY time I restart the phone?

Another user referenced XDA Developers forum, but that forum seems very technical. Any suggestions or assistance are greatly appreciated.


Thank you

 

[Phoghat]

I'm an American Ex-Pat living ( mostly ) in Mexico. I also travel to the US frequently and do some world traveling also.
I'm sort of a N00B regarding Android, have a few generic Chinese tablets for reading, music, Skype, etc., and I'd like to buy an unlocked phone. The phones available in Mexico are all low-end and I want something better that won't cost a gazillion dollars.
Lots of phones available from China, but most have low end CPUs and I don't want that. Besides, paying ~ $100 for a tablet is one thing, and paying > $600 on eBay for an unlocked phone, is quite another.
If I'm going to spend that much, I want the best bang for the bucks I can get.
Suggestions are most welcome.

 

[KOLIO]

WELCOME TO ANDROID FORUMS, PHOGHAT!

The best advice I've gotten from this forum is choose the service provider that will work best for you, then, select a phone.

Since you spend time in both USA & MEXICO, It's hard for myself to suggest which phone will work best for you.

Hopefully someone who's traveled outside of the US w/the PHOTON in tow will weigh in w/their experiences.

 

[wubbie075]

I am going to Italy for work in a couple of weeks and they rented some cell phones for us to use over there. Am I correct that I should be able to take the SIM card from that phone, pop it into my photon, and I'll be good to go?

 

[RhinoDoc]

I have a question about Italy, also. I will be there in a month, and figured I would get the Vodaphone sim card at the airport. I have never done this before. How does it work? Will I have a new phone number? If someone from the US calls my regular number, will my phone ring? If my brother is across town in Venice, will he call my usual number or a special sim card number? If I have a different number, can someone in the US call that number and get me?

 

[drexappeal]

I am going to Italy for work in a couple of weeks and they rented some cell phones for us to use over there. Am I correct that I should be able to take the SIM card from that phone, pop it into my photon, and I'll be good to go?

Are they phones rented from ATT or some other provider over there?

 

[wubbie075]

Are they phones rented from ATT or some other provider over there?

Rentals are from Piccell Wireless (an italian or other european company). I don't know the details of the service as I was not involved in arranging the rentals.

It would be nice to use the worldphone capabilities of this phone once before I get the LTEVO in August lol.

 

[drexappeal]

Rentals are from Piccell Wireless (an italian or other european company). I don't know the details of the service as I was not involved in arranging the rentals.

It would be nice to use the worldphone capabilities of this phone once before I get the LTEVO in August lol.

I'd imagine it should work, if you swap the SIM card from the rental phone into the Photon, but I'm just not sure if that particular provider has been confirmed or not. Tried to google search to see if any reports had come up, but couldn't find any.

I can't see any reason why it would hurt to try, once you're there. If it doesn't work, then just move the SIM back into the rental.

 

[twospirits]

^ This is true.

 

[ksrao801]

I have a question on which prepaid phone to purchase here in the US to use in European 3G networks. There is an AT&T Avail, which is a prepaid phone with the specs.
GSM:
850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS:
850, 1900, 2100 MHz
Data:
HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE

This is Andoid 2.3 phone and has a hotspot capability. My question is : Will it work on European 3G networks?

Thank you in advance for help.

 

[travlear]

Rentals are from Piccell Wireless (an italian or other european company). I don't know the details of the service as I was not involved in arranging the rentals.

It would be nice to use the worldphone capabilities of this phone once before I get the LTEVO in August lol.

Just some quick info. I'm in Turkey right now, and after some frustration I was able to get my MoPho working on Turkcell (voice and data) using a local sim card. First thing I found out after a few hours of frustration and finally an online chat with the Sprint International team is to put the local sim card in, change the network to any GSM/UMTS and then power cycle the phone. I had done everything except powering the phone off then on and nothing would work. Just wanted to save someone the couple hours of frustration I had in trying to get on the local GSM network. That was for voice. For data I had to download the Turkcell APN app from the Google Play store. It was free, and as soon as I installed it I was up and running on 3G data. (There are several apps that let you set the APN's, just do a search on the Play store).It took me a solid day to get all this sorted out, so hopefully I can save someone else the trouble. Good luck, and enjoy some Penne Arribiata for me!

 

[djbreakit]

Try APN Manager Pro or Tweakker from Google Play store.

Using a Motorola Sprint Photon in Colombia on 3G GSM Movistar network. APN is set up and data is enabled. Voice data and messaging work fine. However, the phone continues to return to certain default settings each time it is restarted.

Settings->Wireless networks->Mobile Networks
After restart I:
Must always change Network mode back to ANY GSM/UMTS
Must always select network
Must always select operator
Must always mark "Allow GSM Data"

I am a novice when it comes to these things but am somewhat computer literate.

Is there a work around so that I don't have to do these things EVERY time I restart the phone?

Another user referenced XDA Developers forum, but that forum seems very technical. Any suggestions or assistance are greatly appreciated.


Thank you

 

[twospirits]

Try APN Manager Pro or Tweakker from Google Play store.

I concur. Tweakker is a very good app. But sometimes you have to fight with the company to put it back on the play store, since it has a habit of not supporting the photon when it actually does. A short reply on their forums usually get it back in the market.

TS

 

[kba]

Has anybody gotten the Photon to recognize overseas SIM cards while you're in the U.S.? When I travel with my Samsung Intrepid, I'm able to put in a European SIM card before I leave the U.S., and the phone will recognize the card and allow me to enter the APN settings. I even can make a call on the Intrepid from the U.S. with the European card (roaming from the European carrier to T-Mobile or AT&T), although it's at a very expensive overseas roaming rate.

With the Photon, though, I've tried both an O2 SIM card and a one from Simyo, a German carrier. The Photon doesn't even recognize them. Is this normal behavior for the Photon? Does the phone not recognize the card until I've overseas and out of domestic T-Mobile/AT&T territory?

Thanks.

 

[GroomerGirl]

So to bore everyone with my life story.

I have a Motorola Photon on the Sprint network. As far as I know the phone has a clean ESN. I was on my stepdads family plan but he lost his job and is losing his home and couldn't pay his HUGE part of the bill anymore. It is now disconnected. I am trying to find a way to unlock, flash, or jailbreak the phone so that I can activate it on Metro PCS, Straight Talk, Boost Mobile, Net 10, or Tracfone. Is this at all possible in any way? I don't really care if it's "frowned upon" or anything else. After being a loyal Sprint customer and paying on time for 8 years they decided to trump up false charges and stick my stepdad with an extra $400 on his bill. They can kiss my butt. I just want to keep my phone.

 

[drexappeal]

I'll be back on the Photon, temporarily, until the Note 3 is released. Can anybody that still has the phone confirm if the Phone had some sort of SIM card in the phone, out of the box? I just purchased a used one that doesn't have a SIM and part of me remembers pop-up prompts coming up, when using the phone without a SIM inserted.

TIA - Drex