Expert: DebiN - 11/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: Can you use a SIM chip from a working normal contract cell phone company and it work with a pre-paid go-phone out of the box from a store?

Is there anyting that needs to happen for it to work right then and there? Do you need to activate it? Billing? Phone Number? Contract agreement? Contact the phone company?

Is a Trac phone any different?


ANSWER: If you have a post-paid AT&T SIM card, you can buy a prepaid AT&T phone and put your SIM into it and it will work. Not for accessing the internet or MMS messaging, but for voice and text only. Same with a T-Mobile post-paid SIM and prepaid phone. It does not work the other way around. You can't put a prepaid SIM in a post-paid phone. And Tracfone will only work with Tracfone SIMs and Tracfone only has prepaid. There's nothing you need to do regarding AT&T and T-Mobile as mentioned above. Just put the SIM in and it works. Thanks. DebiN

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Are Prepaid Phones worse in performance than contract phones or are they the same quality? Range, reception, durability, performance etc.?

Answer
There shouldn't be much of a difference in performance or range etc. The phones are typically lower end phones, but they are not made any differently. The carriers have just determined to make these particular phones prepaid. Most people who want prepaid, don't want to pay a lot for the phone, so the phones are typically lower end devices. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN