I have iPhone 4. Just got new 4S in the mail.
Am I supposed to take my sim card out of the 4 and put it into the 4S? Or what? Because right now it just won't activate. It says it's going to e-mail me, but I am on a family plan and I don't know if it's going to use the account holder's e-mail address or my e-mail address when it activates. I don't even understand why this is necessary... why can't I just swap sim cards?
Thanks.
You can't just swap the cards 'cause the card is your identity on the network, which your carrier use to let you use voice and data, to identify you and most importantly, to bill you...
Therefore, each SIM card is associated to a specific phone and you can't just swap them; your carrier needs to activate it on his network, so he can track what's your usage and bill you accordingly.
Pleasure.
When I got a replacement iPhone 4 (my first one was defective), they just swapped the sim card and it just worked.
So why can't you just take out the sim card from the 4 and put it into 4S and it just works?
I guess I don't understand why.
BTW -- I am not changing carriers. My previous phone is AT&T and so is the new one.
When you say "they just swapped the sim card", it's because they DID INDEED activate it, but you DID NOT see them doing so.
It's not that you don't understand; it's that nobody told you about it, so you couldn't know; big difference Pal !
SIM cards have (are) Unique identification number, named IEMI on GSM networks, and MEID on CDMA networks.
It makes no difference if you change carrier or not; the fact that each card has a unique identification number, which again is used by your carrier to track your usage and bill you accordingly, means that this number has to be registered with a phone, has to be linked, activated with it so your carrier knows who to bill under what plan at what rate. If you'd just swap the cards, AT&T wouldn't know who to bill...
Note that activiting an iPhone takes about 30 seconds with iTunes on a computer connected to the net...
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An exchange under warranty is different from a new iPhone out of the retail sales box. With an exchange under warranty it is possible to just insert your existing activated SIM card in the exchange under warranty without doing anything special. Apple does it this way on purpose so someone leaving an Apple store with an exchange under warranty can use the iPhone right away.
A new iPhone out of the box must be activated before any functions work except for being able to place an emergency 911 call. Your existing SIM card would need to be activated with the new iPhone the same as the new SIM card included does. If this is not working with the new SIM card, more than likely it will be the same trying to use the SIM card from your other iPhone.
Any SIM card HAS TO be paired with a phone so the carrier knows who to bill, for what amount, at what rate and under what plan.
This is done by the Unique Identification Number of the SIM card.
So, brand new, or old used, exchanging a SIM card (or putting a new one) must be followed by the activation process, which again is simply pairing, linking the SIM card to a specific phone (by the serial number). This process takes less than 30 seconds with iTunes connected to the net.
As a matter of fact, if you go to an Apple Store and get a replacement unit, they WILL plug the new unit (with the SIM card inside) to a computer with iTunes opened on it, should you see them doing so or not, it HAS TO be done, so your carrier can bill you. No escape. It's just that this is done in a snap, so most people don't even notice.
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My iPhone 3G was exchanged under warranty. AppleCare shipped the replacement 3G to my office which didn't include a SIM card. I transferred the active SIM card from the 3G that was being returned in the replacement 3G. Powered it on and without having to connect the replacement iPhone to iTunes, I had cellular service.
I fully understand your point.
Now...
Tell me...
When you called Apple Care on the phone, you agreed to get a replacement unit under the express service, meaning, they first ship you a phone, then you take out the SIM card from your old one and put it in the new phone, and you return the old phone with no SIM card; right ?
Now, try to remember carefully, 'cause this is the key point:
When you called Apple Care, didn't they ask you for
the last 4 digits of the IEMI number of your SIM card ?
As a matter of fact, THEY INDEED DID, and therefore, they registered the new phone with the old SIM card upfront, and this is why you did not have to do anything on your side.
Again, the SIM card is a number, which your carrier uses to identify you, to track your usage and bill you accordingly; to be able to do that, they must be able to identify you, which is exactly what the SIM card number allows them to do.
It's no rocket science, but it's a must know to know...
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When you called Apple Care, didn't they ask you for the last 4 digits of the IEMI number of your SIM card ?
No. They may have asked me for it but as a matter of fact, I GAVE THEM NO SUCH INFO. I believe they confirmed the iPhone's IMEI number, which is unique to every cell phone. Not sure how they would expect someone with poor vision to provide any digits off the SIM card. They probably have access to required info based on the iPhone's IMEI number and the SIM card that is activated with it.
Where did my reply went ?
I do not understand how this forum works...
I reply to you, then I get an email notification with your own reply, and if click the link in my email, I can see your reply but I'm signed out.
As soon as I sign in again, I don't see your reply anymore !!!
What the heck ?
Now, the funny thing is that I see my last reply after I posted the one just above.... ???????????????
You might NOT have give them the last 4 digits of your IMEI number, but they should have asked you for it.
But YES, they do indeed have it in file; it's just a matter of confirmation, not information...
An as an FYI, you can see this number never mind a poor vision in your phone:
Settings → General → About → IMEI...
It's just a matter of common sense: any SIM card (ie: IMEI number) HAS TO be paired with a phone (by the serial number) for the carrier to be able to identify you, track your usage on his network and bill you accordingly; I don't know how I could be clearer than that.
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An as an FYI, you can see this number never mind a poor vision in your phone:
Settings → General → About → IMEI...
That is for the iPhone's IMEI number which is unique to each phone. If I get a new SIM card, my iPhone's IMEI number does not change.
It's just a matter of common sense: any SIM card (ie: IMEI number) HAS TO be paired with a phone (by the serial number) for the carrier to be able to identify you, track your usage on his network and bill you accordingly; I don't know how I could be clearer than that.
FO with your patronizing tone buddy boy.
Well, sorry if I hurted you, this was not what I meant...
It's just that you don't seem to take the time to understand what I say...
I said:
An as an FYI, you can see this number never mind a poor vision in your phone:
Settings → General → About → IMEI...
To what you replied:
That is for the iPhone's IMEI number which is unique to each phone.
If I get a new SIM card, my iPhone's IMEI number does not change.
The phone's IMEI number simply matches the one on the SIM card, and that's the exact reason why this number must be registered with the phone, and that's the exact reason why the IMEI number in your phone won't change if you put another SIM card inside, WITHOUT REGISTERING IT, WITHOUT ACTIVATING IT with iTunes to your carrier's network.
If you get a new SIM card and register it with your carrier, the IMEI number in your phone will reflect the one on the new SIM card;
If you do not register (activate) it, the IMEI number in your phone won't reflect the one on the SIM card, but you won't be able then to make any call, except the 911 one.
Serial Number = Phone's identity.
IMEI = SIM card identity
Both must be paired (activated) for your phone to work.
Make sense ?
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Should I put sim card from iPhone 4 into 4S?
