Anyone have semi-technical knowledge on cell phones?

[Becoming]

So my phone got "washed" this weekend...

The phone seems to be definitely busted, although the battery and "smart card" seem to work okay...

So I took out the smart card and put it in my friends phone (who conveniently has the same model nokia 3120 or something)

After switching cards, I could dial my number and get calls to me on "his" phone...

So here is the question - Instead of going to douchebag cingular, can I just get a phone off ebay or something?

Does it have to be a nokia 3120? Does it have to be a Nokia at all? Can I get anything I want?

Thanks.

 

[Becoming]

karma for info!

 

[drrman]

yes, you can just buy a phone off of ebay and switch the sim cards if your sim card worked fine in your buddy's phone, my nextel is like that, all the info for the phone and the account is on the sim card, so i can just put it in another nextel and it would work as my phone

 

[drrman]

as for getting any phone you want, don't know about that bro, i know a nextel you can put that sim in any of their phones and it works, you may want to call cingular and ask them about that one, i don't see why you couldn't, probably just have to buy another nokia, thats all

 

[gotmilk]

yeah...but if you ever need support, you better keep your old one around just in case.

 

[drrman]

yeah...but if you ever need support, you better keep your old one around just in case.

good tip there

 

[dawookie]

You will need a phone that is GSM compatible for it to work with Cingular or Tmobile. It doesnt need to be the same type phone but it must work with the Cingular network (which i think is 850/1900 mhz spectrum) sprint and verizon are pcs.

 

[blut wump]

If you can get a phone that is unlocked or has never been locked to a network or is locked to your service provider then you'll be fine. If the phone you get is locked to another network than the one you're using then it won't work. The model doesn't matter at all just whether the phone is locked to another network/provider.

There is a slight complication: ensure you get a phone that works at US frequencies. If a phone is labelled 'tri-band' then it'll be ok on that front otherwise check that it'll work where you want it to.

 

[Becoming]

thanks fellas. karma coming your way as soon as I recharge.