Tello Plans to Convert to GSM

idanth wrote: 1. Old CDMA phones (even those supporting LTE) do not have SIM card slot.

Really? LTE handset without SIM card? Are you sure you are not referring to certain WiMax handsets?

idanth wrote: 3. Some CDMA/LTE phones have GSM radio but it is locked forever and can not be used.

Can you given an example?

st3fx wrote:

idanth wrote: 1. Old CDMA phones (even those supporting LTE) do not have SIM card slot.

Really? LTE handset without SIM card? Are you sure you are not referring to certain WiMax handsets?

idanth wrote: 3. Some CDMA/LTE phones have GSM radio but it is locked forever and can not be used.

Can you given an example?

re: 1 : Some of the first-generation Sprint LTE phones used embedded SIMs: They had a SIM chip but you couldn't remove it or change it. The LG Mach was such a model.

3. The semantics get tricky on this one. A number of phones had software locks on GSM radios-- including the LG Tribute HD, which was designed as a 'world' phone but had bands crippled by Sprint.. Many times (usually? always?) the software block could be removed via 3rd party vendors, but would never be unlocked by Sprint. The Verizon Moto E 2nd generation was a similar situation, although there was a do-it-yourself solution for at least the early OS version. I'm not sure whether the GSM radios got unlocked when Verizon provided unlocking. (The question was always whether there was enough demand for someone to develop a workaround to enable the radios.)

KentE wrote:

st3fx wrote:

idanth wrote: 1. Old CDMA phones (even those supporting LTE) do not have SIM card slot.

Really? LTE handset without SIM card? Are you sure you are not referring to certain WiMax handsets?

idanth wrote: 3. Some CDMA/LTE phones have GSM radio but it is locked forever and can not be used.

Can you given an example?

re: 1 : Some of the first-generation Sprint LTE phones used embedded SIMs: They had a SIM chip but you couldn't remove it or change it. The LG Mach was such a model.

3. The semantics get tricky on this one. A number of phones had software locks on GSM radios-- including the LG Tribute HD, which was designed as a 'world' phone but had bands crippled by Sprint.. Many times (usually? always?) the software block could be removed via 3rd party vendors, but would never be unlocked by Sprint. The Verizon Moto E 2nd generation was a similar situation, although there was a do-it-yourself solution for at least the early OS version. I'm not sure whether the GSM radios got unlocked when Verizon provided unlocking. (The question was always whether there was enough demand for someone to develop a workaround to enable the radios.)

Thank you very much, @KentE and @idanth.

I have much to learn!

Three other models off the top of my head that had LTE and no SIM on Sprint:

- HTC Evo LTE
- Samsung Galaxy S3 (L710)
- Samsung Galaxy S4 (L720) (I think)

I know the S4 had a re-release as a tri-band model (L720T) that did have a SIM slot, and the S3 for some reason had a limited run of the L710T (a tri-band S3) that has a SIM slot as well.

LG Viper has LTE on Sprint & no removable SIM.

ZTE Jasper has LTE on Sprint & no removable SIM too.

Tello will soon activate new customers on T-Mobile only.

"Tello Mobile has provided further details about its planned transition over to the T-Mobile network. The transition is now planned for the week of November 22nd. Upon completion of that transition, all new customers will be activated on the T-Mobile network. Activations on Sprint will no longer be an option. Tello's current rate plans will remain in place."

bestmvno.com/tello/beginning-next-week-tello-mobile-will-start-activating-new-customers-on-t-mobiles-network/

Isamorph wrote: Tello will soon activate new customers on T-Mobile only.

Activations on Sprint will no longer be an option.

That is a blow to my emergency backup plan of activating my Sprint phone(s) on Tello's $8/mo unlimited T&T plan. The advantage was that I wouldn't have to wait for a SIM to be shipped out to me.

From what I gather, TMobile SIMs have expiration dates and need to be activated within 45 days of purchase - which means I can't just buy a SIM today and put it in the drawer to be used in an emergency.

Anyone have any ideas on a low-cost provider whose SIM I can buy and put in a drawer for emergency use?

Phoniac wrote:

Isamorph wrote: Tello will soon activate new customers on T-Mobile only.

Activations on Sprint will no longer be an option.

That is a blow to my emergency backup plan of activating my Sprint phone(s) on Tello's $8/mo unlimited T&T plan. The advantage was that I wouldn't have to wait for a SIM to be shipped out to me.

From what I gather, TMobile SIMs have expiration dates and need to be activated within 45 days of purchase - which means I can't just buy a SIM today and put it in the drawer to be used in an emergency.

Anyone have any ideas on a low-cost provider whose SIM I can buy and put in a drawer for emergency use?

Are you familiar with the "Truphone" $30 with $15 credit sim on the AT&T network. I've had one for several years and one need only to make a call every six months (I make a call once a month to be sure)or so to keep it active, so one can keep it in a drawer. It's Paygo.

www.truphone.com/us/consumer/sim/

myaccount.truphone.com/en-US/Product/CustomizeProduct

And with Truphone ALL incoming calls and texts are FREE. Outgoing are 9 cents a min/text P.S. Outgoing can be as low as 1 cent a min with a cleaver workaround.