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azurecrimsonrose's profile

Mentor

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91 Messages

Friday, January 25th, 2013 9:35 PM

Is it true they are doing away with SIM cards you insert into GSM cell phones?

I was talking with a techology buff friend of mine and he was telling me how they are starting to do away with the SIM card you insert into a GSM phone and now just having them come installed in the device instead, like what Verizon Wireless and Sprint are doing with their "global" devices.  Is AT&T going to do this as well?  

New Member

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25.7K Messages

11 years ago

Never going to happen. SIm cards are a Key to make the device active. For Verizon & Sprint, if the phones do not work in Europe, you can rent a phone for use in those countries.

Mentor

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91 Messages

11 years ago

Well, I just heard about this somewhere and was wondering it hat was going to happen or not.  I am glad to hear that it's not becuase I prefer the GSM phones over CDMA.  

Professor

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1.5K Messages

11 years ago


@gregzoll_1 wrote:
Never going to happen. SIm cards are a Key to make the device active. For Verizon & Sprint, if the phones do not work in Europe, you can rent a phone for use in those countries.

Not too sure about the "never" part, as Apple filed a patent for virtual SIM tech either last year or late in 2011. That said, with current phones being able to operate fully in a WiFi environment (even providing simultaneous voice and data transmission) thus bypassing the SIM on top of how everything from system settings and downloaded app lists to contact and wallet info can now be stored on a cloud, I don't see why we couldn't so SIM free with our GSMs sometime in the future.

Scholar

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154 Messages

11 years ago

That is very interesting.  I wonder if this is going to happen in the future with the way cell phones are nowadays.

Tutor

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8 Messages

11 years ago

I heard this rumor also, but SIM cards are provisional & security fundamental... Without it, one could go back to "cloning" phones like in the 80's and 90's...

Mentor

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59 Messages

11 years ago

AT&T employees are actually not allowed to discuss or comment on rumors, so you wont ever know until it actually happens. 😛

Scholar

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154 Messages

11 years ago

"Cloning" a phone?  I have never heard of this.  What is it?

Mentor

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67 Messages

11 years ago

My issue is sim cards die, so you build it in, your phone dies.

Scholar

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154 Messages

11 years ago

Hmmmm...  I have never had a problem with a SIM card "dying".  

Professor

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1.5K Messages

11 years ago


@christopher_britt wrote:
I heard this rumor also, but SIM cards are provisional & security fundamental... Without it, one could go back to "cloning" phones like in the 80's and 90's..

Cloning phones is still very much possible now, and not just a thing of the "80s and 90s" like you say. Just a heads up.

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