Dual SIM Usage - ZTE Axon 7 Mini Questions & Answers

I purchased (what I think) a US dual-SIM version of this phone for a senior from a local vendor, Canada Computers.
I'd like to have this phone set-up with one of the SIMs for calling-only from one carrier and the other SIM for internet Data-only from another carrier as this is the most cost-effective means given this persons overall phone usage and the plans that are available to them.
I have however come across a few references that the second SIM isn't a "true" SIM slot and that this phone can't be set-up in this manner,
Can anyone confirm that the above set-up should work? I haven't opened the box yet and might return it if it isn't possible.
:fingers-crossed:

bobor9 said:
I purchased (what I think) a US dual-SIM version of this phone for a senior from a local vendor, Canada Computers.
I'd like to have this phone set-up with one of the SIMs for calling-only from one carrier and the other SIM for internet Data-only from another carrier as this is the most cost-effective means given this persons overall phone usage and the plans that are available to them.
I have however come across a few references that the second SIM isn't a "true" SIM slot and that this phone can't be set-up in this manner,
Can anyone confirm that the above set-up should work? I haven't opened the box yet and might return it if it isn't possible.
:fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems that Canada Computers has acquired a large stock of these phones and is selling them for CDN $139. The question is: Where did they come from?
There is a version of this phone that was customized for the Bell network and sold by PC Mobile and Lucky Mobile. On that version the second slot works only with a microSD card; the SIM function is disabled.
PC Mobile and Lucky Mobile have discontinued selling that phone and perhaps Canada Computers has bought their remaining stock.
If you post a picture of the label on the back of the box (or maybe the UPC is enough) maybe someone on this forum can tell you if you have that version.

Thanks qzjxk - wasn't aware that Bell had dual SIM versions blocked. I'll post a pic when I get home.
Noticed the description on Canada Computers website itself is quite vague:
Not one but two
With two SIM card slots, the Axon 7 Mini travels with you to wherever the world wants to take you. Capture your entire journey with the 128GB MicroSD card slot, providing expandable memory whenever you need it.

Related

Will a 6 in 1 supersim work in Wizard?

Hi,
Was looking at the twin sim option but seem the same seller on ebay is offering this:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Universal-6-N...836681504QQcategoryZ67966QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Universal 6 Number in 1 Sim Card for GSM Mobile Phone
Looks like it could stop having the bulge on rear of phone that the twin sim causes.
Any comments on whether it may work?
Scott
That looks neat - however, I have been told that this sort of thing won't work on UK SIMS due to the encryption standard we use (or something like that - sorry to be vague)
I've emailed the seller to ask him if it'll work with UK sims, and will let you know. If it does, I'll try one in the T-Mobile Vario (Wizard).
It is a UK seller so I guess it will work on UK SIMs.
Just got an email from the seller saying:-
The software is only standard STK menu
So - I doubt there is software for Windows Mobile device but I would loved to be proved wrong
Scott
yes, you'd think so wouldn't you...
From googling around, it appears that all supersims have a restriction that they only work with V1 and V1+ SIM cards. Not V2...
...and apparently all recent UK sims are "V2". I'm afraid I'm just passing on info from this forum, and have no way of checking what sims are v1 or v2. If someone will let me know how to check, I will do for o2 and t-mobile sims that I have
slewis1972: be very careful. As indicated, 6in1 are sim copiers, that require cracking the encryption on the sim before they can host the copy.
If this cracking doesn't work, it's destructive AFAIK. So, you'll be left without a sim. They work only on older Cellnet era sims (in the UK) and ok in some foreign countries.
I've posted on a £4 sim cut dual sim from ebay. Works well on Magician.
Hope that helps.
V
STK menu means SIM Toolkit. STK is a way for SIM cards to have their own menu with special functions on mobile phones.
This is not used much by UK operators, but it is very used elsewhere. You simply get an additional menu in your mobile phone.
This is also supported by Jams and Wizards of course, as it is a standard feature of SIM cards. One of my SIM cards have a STK menu, and it appears perfectly on the Wizard (and previously on Jam).
The problem is whether the PC software will be able to copy the data residing in our SIM cards, whether UK or non-UK. In theory, if our mobile phone can read this data, then why shouldn't this kit be able to do it.
We need more answers from the vendor. It might actually work.
A bit more research: there's no current sim copiers that can "crack" the encryption on a V2 SIM, although sim max are apparently working on it.
Every card in the last 2 years - possibly longer - has been a v2 card.
again, I'd love to be wrong as I'd love this to work, but I think it's sorta doomed
Thanks for your research.
I am waiting for an answer from the vendor, but I have also sent emails to one of his previous customers. There are also guys in the UK among his previous customers.
In any case, I do not get the argument related to encryption. Any mobile phone can read the data on any SIM, as long as you give it the correct PIN number. The encryption might be an issue if someone tries to crack the SIM without knowing the PIN code, but in this case, we all know the PIN codes of our SIMs, so why shouldn't this device be able to read the content of our SIM cards...
Anyway, let's see what the vendor will reply. He is got excellent eBay feedback by the way, and many have bought this 6 in 1 super SIM...
Sirox, I suggest you do some detailed reading on this before you risk a SIM on it. There's a great difference between getting the sim PIN and this procedure. This requires you to crack the encryption of the SIM itself and clone it, and then emulate it back from the clone card.
This is not something most Operators like (although some operators will provide you with a second sim to use simultaneously if you ask).
v1 cards had a weak encryption.
v2 cards (current) are hard, if not impossible to crack, AFAIK.
http://www.gsm-talk.com/t227735p1-please-help-cloning-uk-sim.htm
From http://ucables.com/ref/SIM-SCAN
some cards can be destroyed using this function!!! especially prepaid cards!!! because they have limited running of a38 from 10000 to 65536 times and after that a38 do not work anymore!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
V
Hi Vijay,
Thanks for your info.
The vendor has replied to me saying that this product supports V1 and some V2 type SIM cards, about 98% of SIM cards around. And you have to note that UK GSM providers have never been particularly up for high technology, compared for example to Italian GSM providers who use much more advanced SIM cards, with lots of menus, and 128K, etc.
What I have done, I have written messages to 6 UK-based people who have bought this stuff on eBay (all with positive feedback), asking them to report back how it works and which GSM providers they use. I believe this is the best way of solving the issue.
In any case, I am not at all interested in cloning my SIM card per se, as this would be easily done by asking the operator for a duplicate for car usage. I am only interested in having my 2-3 SIM cards (of different countries) in one, without needing to swap them.
I will report here when I receive answers from those previous customers.
Maybe this can help you ...
Explain how to distinguish V1 from V2 SIM card ...
http://www.nowgsm.com/supersim.htm
16 in 1 SIM
Take care about the NOTE : Work near 100% on V1 card but incompatible with V2 ...
Regards
Asmo
Thanks for the info and the link!
The product mentioned in your link seems to have different specs from the one that originated this thread, as this one declares that it can read some V2 cards too.
By the way, the indication in the note might be useful. It says that if the SIM supports more than 250 numbers it may not be compatible. As a matter of fact, my Vodafone UK (contract) SIM card has only 200 slots, so it might be COMP128V1, therefore compatible.
As I said earlier, UK operators do not tend to use latest technology. In Italy for example, GSM operators made big marketing campaigns a couple of year ago for the new 64K SIM cards. Now they are doing it with the 128K SIM cards, while in the UK I think they are all still 16K or 32K. And they do not use the SIM Toolkit features.
By the way, a couple of eBay customers have already replied that they haven't received the stuff yet, but will let me know when they receive it.

Cloning the O2 sim for use in another phone

A little off topic, I know, but has anybody been able to use something like this --> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9104458427&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:UK:1&rd=1 to make a copy of their Exec's O2 sim for us in another phone for situations where the exec isn't appropriate?
It would be handy to have a second phone for use when I don't want to take the Exec without having to keep swapping the sim.
Cheers,
Steve.
these wont work for the exec, because you will receive a 3g card from o2. this package looks like it will only take standard gsm sims ie 2 and 2.5g. also, i think the new sims in general are not "crackable" at this point.
Doesn't O2 offer this as a LEGAL service?
The SIM in your phone is probably legally defined as O2 property, and they've probably not agreed to copying of their product.
If you read all of the fine print, you'll probably see some stuff about this.
But, yes: It's nice..
2 sims - one number
They're working on it.
The ebay item doesn't claim to be able to actually clone a SIM card though, just backup up or consolidate if you have multiple SIMs.
Re: 2 sims - one number
davebo said:
They're working on it.
The ebay item doesn't claim to be able to actually clone a SIM card though, just backup up or consolidate if you have multiple SIMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but if you can select between 16 numbers to use, then surely, it's like copying 16 sims into 1? Even if I were to only copy 1 sim, if it could act as if it were that sim in another phone, then that would do the job.
Cheers,
Steve.
There is a slight problem in all of this. You cannot have to sims logged on using the same MISDN . So all that would happen is the operator would be alerted to the fact that 2 sims were trying to usre the same MISDN and you would be put into the fraud management system and the phone might be disconnected.
When people scan and clone phones they do not use the phone on standby for long periods of time they simply make a few calls and switch off. Unless they time it when the real user is logged on and tries to make a call it is unlikely to be picked up.
Also it will vconfuse the HLR in the gsm network .
So all in all onot a good idea.
Charlie
Hm? Back home in the Netherlands we used to be able to get two SIMs with the same number from our providers... The idea was, you had one in your built-in car phone, and one in your portable handset; when you got out of the car, switch that phone off, and the other one on, and it'll register the other SIM, and hey presto! You could not use both SIMs at the same time, ofcourse.
I bought one, THEN read up on the facts (doh!)
There is no de-cryption algorithm for any SIM cards supplied in the UK over the last 2-4 years. True, the old SIMs could be copied, but the v.2 system cannot.
Still, it is a nice piece of kit for reading your SIM contacts over USB, and didn't cost a fortune.
I'm actually quite pleased that SIMs are this secure, 'cos I wouldn't want them easily copyable by the bad guys.
I bought one, THEN read up on the facts (doh!)
There is no de-cryption algorithm for any SIM cards supplied in the UK over the last 2-4 years. True, the old SIMs could be copied, but the v.2 system cannot.
Still, it is a nice piece of kit for reading your SIM contacts over USB, and didn't cost a fortune.
I'm actually quite pleased that SIMs are this secure, 'cos I wouldn't want them easily copyable by the bad guys.
In the Nehterlands I know that KPN and t-Mobile offer dual sims, the problem is as mentioned here already that you can not use them both at the same time. Also if you have 3G sim the second sim you get is not 3G. those are the rules by KPN.
I used to live in Israel and there Orange gives out dua sims where you can keep both phones on. On the incoming call both phones ring at the same time and you can decide which to pick up. The SMS trafic thought goes to the phone which was turned on first. The way they are doing this is by giving both sims an extra GHOST number which used to start with a Zero. then what they did was simply forward the calls between two sims. They had a huge blunder though: Forwarding officially costs money but in this case it has to be free, so they by mistake on their first couple of bill specifications posted the forwarding calls with Zero as charge, thus I was able to know what are the ghost numbers and call between the phones completely for free. It did mean that the you could call the the ghost numbers only from those 2 phones and not any other phone, kind of internal cirquit. So we enjoyed it very much since my wife and me just used those two phones and comunications between these two was free of charge.
So as you see technicaly it is possible to make both phones ring at the same time....

Usim in m700 -UK

I thinking of purchasing this handset. but would like to know if the 3 network sim would work in this 3g handset.
Has anyone tried or could try it, if have you have access to a 3 network sim.
You will have to have mske sure your handset is sim unlocked. ??lokiwiz worked for my m600
sorry cant send you a sim to try!
thanks
abu yahya
SIM's from the 3 network still don't work in 'non 3' devices despite them now being the same physical size as other networks SIMs
One of our members on my other forum had the same query, and tested it to no avail earlier this year
thanks for the info
abuyahya
usim -3 network
will a 3 network sim work in any 3 branded phone are are they EMEI locked to that specific phone?
We might have to start unlocking sim cards too?!
Abu Yahya
I think you are on safer ground there!
Older 3 phones won't accept current 3 SIMs because the original 3 phones used a different sized SIM card, but later ones should be OK.
I can't imagine they would lock a SIM to a handset- they had so many device failures in the early years that it would have been a nightmare to manage all the IMEI locking!
Only the recent X-Series of 3 phones are capable of some of the more advanced connectivity services.
Three UK SIMs have an application running on the SIM that looks for a partner application on the handset. If you put it in a non three handset (Which doesn't have the partner application) then the SIM won't work.
HOWEVER!!!, Three UK use two types of SIMs. One type is an Axalto model, and you will see something similar to AX7021 in small letters on one side of the SIM.
The other is a Gemplus Model, which usually has GP7017 on it instead. (The AX and the GP being the critical part, although the above number seem to be the latest incarnations of them)
The Axalto SIM's have the application on it, and the Gemplus ones do not.
Therefore....the Gemplus SIMs will work in a non Three handset.
Persuading Three to send you a Gemplus SIM is the difficult part however, cos the idiots they employ in their Indian call centres wouldn't know what you are talking about, and in general the Gemplus SIMs are only for datacards, which by their nature cannot carry the application. They will usually refuse to send a Gemplus SIM to anyone without a datacard, and they also usually refuse to provision a Gemplus SIM for anything other than Data only tarriffs, even if you can get them to send you one.
Hope that explains things a bit better.
Excellent information- thanks. Explains a lot!
the phone partner application, any ideas if we could extract it and thus install it on phones such as the trinity and thereby getting the Ax7020 sim to work.
no idea i'm afraid. If someone could get hold of a 3UK Qtek 9000 we might stand a chance...

Question for people who got their Venue Pro from the Microsoft Store

Hey,
So we heard reports that the 8GB DVP models sold in the Microsoft Store on launch day appeared to work with AT&T SIM cards, meaning that they were SIM unlocked. Can anyone confirm that? It raises a number of questions:
1. Are the replacement units that fixed the wifi/SIM issues still unlocked?
2. Do these unlocked units support Auto Device Config (ADC)? That is, what does the Cellular settings screen look like - can you see the APN? Does it automatically change when you put in a different SIM? Can you see the hard-coded T-Mobile default APN?
I've got a 16GB locked DVP from Dell, but would consider swapping it for an 8GB from a brick-and-mortar Microsoft Store if they are indeed SIM unlocked. (Anybody in southern california interested in swapping with me?)
The first phone (Engineering Sample) was SIM unlocked. I couldn't try it on the second phone because after the first reset it gave the invalid SIM error.
Now the third phone is locked (I'm so pissed, bought it @ full price)
Ok if I can remember, when I put in the ATT sim and switched off the 3G it didn't show any "configure" screen but EDGE was working
Hope this helps
I tried to put an att sim in there but the card would not fit since the reader is on the other side of the card from tmobile.
eyan15 said:
The first phone (Engineering Sample) was SIM unlocked. I couldn't try it on the second phone because after the first reset it gave the invalid SIM error.
Now the third phone is locked (I'm so pissed, bought it @ full price)
Ok if I can remember, when I put in the ATT sim and switched off the 3G it didn't show any "configure" screen but EDGE was working
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - this makes me feel oddly better, like I haven't missed out on the chance to buy an unlocked, working device. Bummer for people who bought original units from the MS Store and then got replacements that were locked though.
enders4you said:
I tried to put an att sim in there but the card would not fit since the reader is on the other side of the card from tmobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I think you're mistaken. All SIM cards are the same shape, unless you're talking about Micro SIMs. I have tried an AT&T SIM in my Venue Pro.
Thats strange . . . my sims are different . . . size is the same but the shape are at different sides . . .

What is that "UICC Unlock" menu item?

It is in the software update are? What does it relate to in S4?
General info in UICC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UICC
It deals with the GSM SIM card.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
cellfreak said:
It deals with the GSM SIM card.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you be more specific?
sim card
Sprint rep said you can lock your sim. So it cant be used by someone else.
---------- Post added at 12:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 AM ----------
The UICC are Sprint cards they are not like the AT&T SIM cards. But they both can have PIN locks put on them to keep your data on them a little safer.
cellfreak said:
Sprint rep said you can lock your sim. So it cant be used by someone else.
---------- Post added at 12:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 AM ----------
The UICC are Sprint cards they are not like the AT&T SIM cards. But they both can have PIN locks put on them to keep your data on them a little safer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for info
any info on how to lock it??
alexd51 said:
any info on how to lock it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
the menu item is to unlock the uicc slot for international sims OTA... thats how we originally unlocked the S4, by using an meid that was unlocked already, hitting that menu option, and going back to our meid.......
Almost Not Quite
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a Galaxy Note 3 which did not have any SIM card, I simply went into the local sprint store and they gave me a UICC SIM free of charge. Then after a little time with tech support on the line figuring out that they had incorrectly linked my new SIM to the old account and correctly linking it to the proper account for the Note 3 my LTE was up and running. Although I have heard as well that some locations they do run short on the SIM cards but keep calling some local stores and one can definitely be found at least from my prior experience.
On a less contradictory note, excellent explanation of the UICC SIM card usage in regards to accessing LTE
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really inaccurate. You can switch the UICC SIM buddy. Even when you're doing the swap yourself over sprint.com you'll get a pop up alerting you the device uses a sim and if you want to use the original one that came with device or use another. Hope no one bought a sim less device on ebay and read this, you probably gave them a heart attack..
Also when the Note 4 and Note Edge where having signal problems many service centers were swapping out the SIM cards. I don't know why your brother was giving such runaround, a new sim would had his device up and running with lte. Sounds like your sprint store is ran by reps who know nothing.
Sent from my SM-N915P using XDA Free mobile app
AndroiBoi420 said:
I bought a Galaxy Note 3 which did not have any SIM card, I simply went into the local sprint store and they gave me a UICC SIM free of charge. Then after a little time with tech support on the line figuring out that they had incorrectly linked my new SIM to the old account and correctly linking it to the proper account for the Note 3 my LTE was up and running. Although I have heard as well that some locations they do run short on the SIM cards but keep calling some local stores and one can definitely be found at least from my prior experience.
On a less contradictory note, excellent explanation of the UICC SIM card usage in regards to accessing LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RayTrue04 said:
This is really inaccurate. You can switch the UICC SIM buddy. Even when you're doing the swap yourself over sprint.com you'll get a pop up alerting you the device uses a sim and if you want to use the original one that came with device or use another. Hope no one bought a sim less device on ebay and read this, you probably gave them a heart attack..
Also when the Note 4 and Note Edge where having signal problems many service centers were swapping out the SIM cards. I don't know why your brother was giving such runaround, a new sim would had his device up and running with lte. Sounds like your sprint store is ran by reps who know nothing.
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AndroiBoi420 Now-a-days it depends on the device. If the carrier has a blank SIM, most phones 'now' will allow you to put it in. My brother's cases were back when LTE for sprint was just then becoming a 'thing'.
As for RayTrue04... I'm sorry, but that's completely accurate... you CAN NOT take the SIM card out of, say, a Galaxy S6 and put it into a Galaxy Note 5... It WILL, NOT, WORK. I've tried it, plenty of other people have tried it. IT. DOES. NOT. WORK. The SIMs are LOCKED to ONE device and ONLY that device. You CAN however, go off and get a BLANK SIM card and shove them in and they will work.
But in any case, my posting was about why locking the SIM card does absolutely nothing, because nothing personally identifiable is stored on them. So, if you sold the phone on eBay, and left the SIM in it, you're 100% fine, because the only thing that SIM card has on it, is the HEX key that allows the device to be identified by the network. But taking that SIM card out with hopes of just shoving it into your 'next device' will not work, and will just leave you frustrated and upset when you try everything you can to get it working. Every device that uses this type of SIM, has to have its OWN card, NOT some other device's card. Replacing it with a blank one is perfectly viable. But it just depends on your device, and if they have any around in stock to just throw at you anyway. Most sales/service reps are generally nice and will just give you the card if that's the case. But I do know of some who do everything 'by the book' and will charge you for the SIM AND its activation because that is what they are technically 'supposed to do'.
HikariNoKitsune said:
As for RayTrue04... I'm sorry, but that's completely accurate... you CAN NOT take the SIM card out of, say, a Galaxy S6 and put it into a Galaxy Note 5... It WILL, NOT, WORK. I've tried it, plenty of other people have tried it. IT. DOES. NOT. WORK. The SIMs are LOCKED to ONE device and ONLY that device. You CAN however, go off and get a BLANK SIM card and shove them in and they will work.
But in any case, my posting was about why locking the SIM card does absolutely nothing, because nothing personally identifiable is stored on them. So, if you sold the phone on eBay, and left the SIM in it, you're 100% fine, because the only thing that SIM card has on it, is the HEX key that allows the device to be identified by the network. But taking that SIM card out with hopes of just shoving it into your 'next device' will not work, and will just leave you frustrated and upset when you try everything you can to get it working. Every device that uses this type of SIM, has to have its OWN card, NOT some other device's card. Replacing it with a blank one is perfectly viable. But it just depends on your device, and if they have any around in stock to just throw at you anyway. Most sales/service reps are generally nice and will just give you the card if that's the case. But I do know of some who do everything 'by the book' and will charge you for the SIM AND its activation because that is what they are technically 'supposed to do'.
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2937387
I've also successfully activated an LG G2's SIM on my Note Edge. They're not locked to one device. It just needs to be a Sprint registered SIM and deactivated at the moment of activating whatever device you plan on using. One thing is though, not all SIM cards are interchangeable with certain devices.
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HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
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So after reading all the answers, best thing to do is ask Sprint b4 buying one off ebay
Thank you!!! This was most helpful & very well stated/Explained!!! Good job?
Just a bit more info on sim swapping, some sim swaps are compatable and some are not...if you swap a sim just call in to tech support for your provider and have your IMEI(essentially vin number of your phone) updated in there systems to avoid any confusion in provisioning or features, a common issue is inibility to access data on your device.
Sim cards are free of charge to replace through some providers such as AT&T.
Just a tid bit of info from your friendly neighborhood tier 3 tech support agent.
Uicc unlock??
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
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So i asked sprint for an unlock. They said they granted the unlock for iphone6 an galaxy gs6. Gs6 says uicc now able to accept international sim, but when said sim put in nothing happens.
Thank you for the DETAILED answer to help those of us who do not understand a lot of the technological terms that most products come with nowadays and makes it difficult for regular people without a college degree to comprehend and even some like me who have an extensive college degree (but just wasn't my thing)! (A lot of regular people THINK they are knowledgable that really are not and then they get mad when the language isn't down to their level because it then becomes even MORE difficult for them to understand the technical product they want all their friends to think that they "know all about".)
For all the tl;dr out there...
UICC Sim Unlock is an option provided to unlock the sim slot for use outside of the US and is only prevalent on Sprint devices (and its prepaid subsidiaries) to provide LTE service while using a Sprint account.
Older UICC Sim Cards are only tied to the device they are activated with and are not usually to be swapped between phones. They carry only your access to the LTE network and do not hold any account or phone information. Newer UICC cards can be passed across devices for the same purpose if the new device is linked to the same account the sim was activated on from the original device. In most cases the sim is actually blank and only calls to the tower to allow LTE service because its more convenient than activating/reactivating a sim.
Selecting UICC Unlock sends a request to Sprint to unlock the sim slot for use with GSM carriers outside of the US, providing you have properly closed the associated account and paid off the phone (or else your still SOL) and cannot be used to grant access to US based GSM carriers because Sprint locked the sim slot and the phones capabilities out of the US GSM band spectrum. That is unless you search hard enough on XDA on how to do it properly, which since LP is hit or miss and nobody seems to have simple enough answers like "yes" or "no" to the questions about Baseband version (in the latest GSM unlock attempts anyway).
Still tl;dr for you? Basically its an almost useless security feature to stop you from jumping ship from Sprint service to their competitors. Unless your moving outside of North America or sending your (ELIGIBLE!) device across seas, don't worry about it because it is of no use to you
Yet you can take your sim out and use it on a Nexus 6
This is illegal, companies are no longer allowed to lock the sim to their own devices. Thus the unlock messages everyone is getting on their devices.

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