Swapping SIM cards. What are the chances it'll work?

[Notre]

Hello,

Based on another question about adding a old phone to the public mobile network:

Solved: Re: Will my old phone work on public mobile? - Community

I finally went out and bought a new SIM. As noted in the earlier post, the phone is a super old Nokia 610, which is unlocked and takes a micro sized SIM.  I inserted the new SIM into the Nokia 610 phone. When I started it up, it says:

The SIM car is missing or invalid. You can still make emergency calls if your mobile operators supports it.

Now, I have not yet activated the SIM nor gone through the process of swapping the SIM. (My plan was to swap the SIM out of an another phone that is failing). I've been a little hesitant to try it as, in past I took another old nano SIM, put it in a an adapter, and inserted that into the Nokia 610.  Things did not go well -- it seemed to be jammed although I eventually got it out.

My concern is that the phone's pins or sim tray or something may be damaged.  I'm not sure if the above error message is to be expected before the SIM is activated. Any thoughts?

[HALIMACS]

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@BlueB wrote:

@Notre 

Sorry to hear that your Nokia 610 phone is a goner!  For what it's worth, I recently retired a phone a couple weeks ago that was from 2001... 20 years!  Now on to bigger and better things.

Thanks for updating us!  😄

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That's impressive, @BlueB .    Below was my 'lost love' from several years back.

Best ever talk quality, virtually indestructible, and battery life to boot!!!

They don't make em like they used to...

[BlueB]

@Notre 

Sorry to hear that your Nokia 610 phone is a goner!  For what it's worth, I recently retired a phone a couple weeks ago that was from 2001... 20 years!  Now on to bigger and better things.

Thanks for updating us!  😄

[HALIMACS]

Hey, you gave it a shot.

Good on you for trying, and letting us know the outcome.

Thanks @Notre 

[Anonymous]

 @Notre : Thanks for the update. I fiddled a nano into a micro slot when I did that recent test in this thread. It worked. But I wasn't keeping it there.

[Notre]

I contacted the moderator, and swapped the SIMs.  Unfortunately, it does not work in the Lumia 610.  I think the fault was that other nano-SIM with the adapter that got jammed inside the 610 in the past.  I put the new SIM in my other old phone (Nokia Lumia 1020, which has a faulty charging port) that also takes a micro SIM, and it worked fine.  So, it's not the SIM.  It's the Nokia Lumia 610 phone that's a goner.

Thanks everyone for the help!

[BlueB]

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@Notre wrote:

My concern is that the phone's pins or sim tray or something may be damaged.  I'm not sure if the above error message is to be expected before the SIM is activated. Any thoughts?

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I'm going to take a different approach to answering this.  🙂  The other posts are correct - unregistered SIM will likely just leave your phone on but not connected to a network or show No Service or something similar.  Missing/Invalid SIM is likely a missing or bad SIM card.

To answer your question about phone's pins / SIM tray being damaged... it wouldn't be because of a new "incompatible" SIM card.  The original full-size SIM cards could theoretically "fit" and "work" okay if cut down to proper size.  Sometimes the rough edges/etc get caught or stuck.

If you're able to try it, you won't be doing any harm if you're careful.  The Nokia Lumia 610 does appear to be compatible up to 3G according to:

https://willmyphonework.net/

Goodluck!  🙂

[computergeek541]

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@darlicious wrote:

@Notre 

Thats a normal message. Unless the sim card has been activated or swapped ( in your account)for the current sim card with active service you might as well have a piece of plastic in the sim card slot.

That's not quite the case. If an inactive SIM card is inserted in a phone, the device still knows that it's there. This would not result in a mesasge such as "no SIM card".   Some phones will display a mesage such as "unregisted SIM card"   However, many phones wouldn't give you any on-screen indication that the SIM card isn't active and just won't show a connection to the network (which could still happen with an active SIM card but with there being a network issue).

[HALIMACS]

Hi @Notre 

Follow the link below to activate a new service.   If you're looking to port in another number, be sure to have the account particulars of that service during the activation process.

Also, make sure to get a referral code from an existing Public Mobile customer to save $10 on your 2nd month of service, or someone here can send you one if needed.

Activate Your SIM Card Online | Public Mobile

[Anonymous]

 @Notre : When I insert a new unactivated SIM into my year younger BB Z30 I get "The SIM card hasn't been provisioned for service." I can scan for networks and it sees a few and I select PM but it just keeps fruitlessly trying...bless its heart. 🙂 Eventually it times out and says Emergency Use Only.

[Notre]

@Anonymous , the purpose of this phone is for a replacement for my landline.  It's rarely used.  You're right that I could get another phone, but I'd rather avoid adding to the landfill, if I can repurpose the old phone.  It may not be possible, but we'll see...

[Notre]

@will13am , yeah, I agree re: more troubleshooting.  I've got another old phone that takes a micro sim.  I'll try resurrect it to see what happens.  (This second old phone has more issues, that makes it less viable than the 610).

[Anonymous]

 @Notre : Right. Because it's not activated. Try that new unactivated SIM in another phone and see what you get.

[HALIMACS]

OK, @Notre , the new SIM card needs to be associated with the service account by contacting the moderators.

Do that here (if you HAVE service)

SIM card change

Or here if you need to first Activate:

Activate Your SIM Card Online | Public Mobile

[Notre]

@HALIMACS , sorry that was probably confusing.  I had an old SIM card which already in the nano size. I used an adapter to theoretically make it the micro size.  That may have caused damage (it was certainly hard to get out). Then, it sat in a drawer for years. 

I just purchased a new prepaid SIM, and punched it out to the micro size.  So, it should be correct. I did insert that inside the phone, and it gave the error message about an invalid or missing SIM card.

[Anonymous]

 @Notre : Just get another more modern phone. I once wrecked a SIM slot. By that same method. The frame bits got caught up and extracting it wrecked the slot.

But other than cost, you could just try the other working SIM in the phone and see if it works. If it does good. If not then hopefully you can extract it. If not then just get another SIM and recycle the phone after wiping your data off it. The SIM is much more expendable than the phone.

[will13am]

@Notre , I would imagine invalid SIM means one that is not activated.  Missing SIM is exactly that, there is no SIM card in the try or the reader is not picking up a SIM card in the try.  Of all the phones that I have used, the notification shows a missing SIM.  I don't know if the Nokia does that or not.  That might help to differentiate the two very different messages.  With respect to SIM reader functionality, the problems you have had in the past with extracting a stuck SIM card could very well have damaged it.  Lots of unknowns here.  More troubleshooting is needed to zero in on the problem.  

[HALIMACS]

@Notre 

I'm pretty sure the SIM card is invalid means there is a SIM card which is not activated.

Now, whether you risk trying it in your Nokia phone which has given you problems before is a chance you'll have to take.

Does the SIM card tray easily insert and eject WITHOUT a SIM card in it?   If so, it may be that the adapter is a tad too big in a certain dimension and a slight trim of it in that dimension may alleviate the problem.   

The good thing about attempting a trim, is that these adapters to make a SIM a smaller nano to the micro sizing are basically throw-away items at many mobile shops and if you happen to trim the existing one too small, just get another.

[darlicious]

@Notre 

Thats a normal message. Unless the sim card has been activated or swapped ( in your account)for the current sim card with active service you might as well have a piece of plastic in the sim card slot.

Note: Only moderators can swap your sim card. If you want it done tonight you have about 4 minutes to submit a support ticket.