Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a Cingular LG 2000 with wall charger and manual. Thinking about using it as a T-Mobile Prepaid phone, to be used rarely. Is this a GSM 2G phone?
Signup for an account at T-Mobile, buy a T-Mobile sim card for ~$7.
When card arrives, insert in phone sim slot. It should say 'restricted' something.
Go to EBay and buy an unlock code for ~$10
Buy a T-Mobile $10 Prepaid Minutes. If I never use the phone I'll need to buy this same $10 Prepaid within 90 days, or I lose my assigned number.
So in the first 90 days, I've spent a total of ~$27 + tax for an emergency phone.
Next: once the phone is unlocked, then I can buy a sim card from any carrier, take my T-Mobile sim and use it in any phone or even borrow one from another active phone? These sim cards are interchangeable?
update: Apparently this sub forum not flowing with information on this topic.
Have received the Unlock code ($3.88)
T-Mobile sim w/activation & 10 minutes on order ($6.99)
Once assembled, I'll have a new emergency phone for <$11 and good for 90 days.
Once you unlock the handset itself, you should be able to put any SIM you want in it. I did my research and bought my phone over the internet, just to avoid the whole "lock" fiasco...
From that point I went with a T-Mobile pre-paid account, but my minutes are good for 1 year (they used to be 60 or 90 days). You might want to doublecheck and see if it's something like for the first year they are only good for x-months... but then they are valid longer... I don't use the phone much at all Stateside, but $10 per year lets me keep the number (I travel a lot, so I just buy a prepaid SIM whereever I am and avoid the whole roaming charge when I'm not in the States.) I then just pop the T-Mobile SIM back in once I get home...
update: I canceled the T-Mobile order, went with O2 Wireless. Prepaid SIM $4.99 included $7 in prepaid use. Cost $1/day only on days phone is used. Text/SMS free/unlimited $0.14/minute calls during weekday -nights weekends free/unlimited. Minimum $10/90 days
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.