Can I buy a new cell phone from anywhere and use the chip from my old phone or do I need to buy one specifically from my service provider? I was thinking of buying one off eBay. Thanks in advance!
Here is some useful information for you. You can see what the phone would require to have and what type of network the carriers use. Personally as long as the phone has the right bands for the provider, I have had no problems on the phone side. Trying to do data or internet over the cell can be a little more tricky as there are specific settings for the provider. The information just a search away though. http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3504_7-6556727-1.html http://equippedmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=39
Nextel uses SIM cards and if you buy phones within the Sprint/Nextel line, you can switch out the SIMS. I would doubt from carrier to carrier.
Not really. The SIM cards from the newer Sprint/Nextel hybrid phones are not compatible with the older one's nor are the SIMS from the last generation to the previous. When Nextel first came out with the SIM based phones (i60, i90, i85, etc) they were a 32bit SIM card. The next generation moved to a 64bit and then to a 128bit. The newer hybrid "combo" phones use a totaly different SIM and cannot be crossed over.
Depends if the phone is unlocked or not and if the phone is compatible with your carrier. You can buy a Nextel off of ebay but MAKE SURE the IMEI number is clear. What I mean by that is you need to get the IMEI number from the seller and call Nextel to make sure it is not still connected to an account or reported stolen. Many times people will try to sell their phones and they will owe money on the account and the provider will not release the serial number to be reactivated. Same if it has been reported stolen. Most of the time this is not the case with SIM based phones but you need to be careful in any case. If your service provider is AT&T/Cingular, T-Mobile or SunCom, you can buy (almost) any SIM based GSM phone unlocked or have it unlocked. My RAZR and Blackberry are both Cingular-branded phones but I had them unlocked and use them on the SunCom network without any problem. There is a great website/service for this. www.unlockmyphonenow.com. This site does charge you for unlocking your phone and I have used them at least a dozen times for customers, friends and myself and they have been great. If the code they send you does not work, they will have you send them the phone and they will eat the shipping cost to send it back to you. If your service is Alltel, Verizon or Sprint, you will have to go to your provider to get a new phone or make sure you buy one that works with your service provider. Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions. I wil glad to help you out any way I can.
Exactly. Unless you can reset the browser or data settings, you should be OK. Some do not allow that to be done except by the provider or the manufacturer. Another great resource is www.phonescoop.com
