Using a 3/Three Mobile Sim

[Guest rossjamesparker]

I have an O2 orbit which is happily working on my Orange PAYG sim. However, I am thinking of shifting to 3- the network, not the integer. Has anyone tried a 3 SIM in the Orbit? Any joy?

I ask because I know 3 SIMs don't behave like other networks'.

I know I could experiment with a 3 PAYG card, but I'd rather ask here and possibly save myself a fiver.

[Guest Qwerty_uk]

Do you have any friends on 3 who would let you use their sim card to test?

All I can say is that my brother-in-law's 3 sim worked ok in my wife's O2 Nokia. But I haven't tried any non-O2 sims in my Orbit.

[Guest Neil5459]

It won't work (at least it may work for a time till 3 suss whats happening, and freeze your account ;) )

To use a non-3 supplied phone on the 3 network, it MUST be 3G capable, and the Orbit is GSM only. This is because for 3G services, 3 operate their own masts, but for GSM services, they buy 'mast time' from Orange and O2. So if your phone doesn't have 3G, they would always be subsidising your usage.

[Guest rossjamesparker]

It won't work (at least it may work for a time till 3 suss whats happening, and freeze your account ;) )

To use a non-3 supplied phone on the 3 network, it MUST be 3G capable, and the Orbit is GSM only. This is because for 3G services, 3 operate their own masts, but for GSM services, they buy 'mast time' from Orange and O2. So if your phone doesn't have 3G, they would always be subsidising your usage.

Very handy info - thanks. I actually hadn;t realised the Orbit didn't have 3G... I assumed that since it came out after the JASJAR, it would have. Oh well, you saved me a costly contract error!

[Guest Neil5459]

As 3G is very power hungry, the smaller devices tend not to include it. My Trinity/M700 has 3G, but I keep it constrained to GSM to conserve battery power- it only really makes a difference when downloading larger files. Email and small web pages are fine over GPRS/Edge.

Good thing you asked before buying ;)