1 phone.....2 sims?

[itsme6485]

I have an att account, if i purchase a gophone, can i use the sim in my current phone? Then switch back? in other words, have 1 phone with 2 "identities and numbers" by switching sims back and forth?

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

If your current SIM card is a GoPhone SIM, you can place it in the new GoPhone and use it as a prepaid phone. If you have a postpaid SIM, you could also use it on postpaid. You would need one prepaid and one postpaid SIM card.

But that doesn't really make sense - having two accounts with one phone? (If you are an existing postpaid customer, you would have to establish a new prepaid account). Not to mention two different phone numbers...

[dmapr ACE - Champion]

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itsme6485 wrote:

I have an att account, if i purchase a gophone, can i use the sim in my current phone? Then switch back? in other words, have 1 phone with 2 "identities and numbers" by switching sims back and forth?

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Yes, you can. That's the beauty of GSM -- you can use one device and have as many SIM cards as you need. When I travel outside US it's not uncommon for me to flip between 2-3 SIM cards at different times.

[WilliamRM]

There are a number of reasons in addition to those mentioned by dmapr.

For example, I use a similar arrangement as that asked about by the OP. I do so in order to have a “throw away” phone number when I must give a valid one to a merchant or other whom I do not want to have my main number. This arrangement serves the same purpose as the disposable gmail/hotmail/yahoo accounts many use to protect their primary e-mail address from spammers.

I have also used a pre-paid account from another carrier to compare that carrier’s coverage to ATT’s in areas where I normally use a cell phone and found ATT’s coverage less than adequate.  Flopping the SIMs between the same unlocked phone gave an apple to apple comparison in that I did not have to be concerned over using two phones and worrying whether one was more sensitive than the other.

There are undoubtedly other situations. For example, one might be that the post-paid account is employer provided and the employee for privacy reasons wishes to make occasional calls which don’t appear on the company accounting.

Finally, while not applicable to me (and I certainly am not suggesting it is to the OP) I can envisage some relationships which have a darker side wherein one party wishes to have a number the other is unaware of.

[dmapr ACE - Champion]

William,

as always, an excellent post! It's great to see you here again!

[WilliamRM]

Dmitry,

Thank you.  It is nice to see you again as well. While the character and membership of the board appears to have significantly changed it is good to know that you and a couple of the other old timers are still working hard to help others.

[dmapr ACE - Champion]

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WilliamRM wrote:

Dmitry,

Thank you.  It is nice to see you again as well. While the character and membership of the board appears to have significantly changed it is good to know that you and a couple of the other old timers are still working hard to help others.

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Appreciate the kind words — means a lot coming from you.