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Cailiff04 · 09-18-2006, 7:56 PM

Can Cingular and T-Mobile phones be used on eachothers networks? My friend has Cingular and is switching to T-mobile and doesnt want to buy a new phone. Can he use his cingular phone on t-mobiles network or vice versa?

Buickman · 09-18-2006, 10:46 PM

Yes and no. They both use GSM, so technically they are the same. There are 2 problems you can run into though. #1 is that carriers lock the phones to their networks. Phones can be unlocked to get around this. The other problem can be the frequency the phone uses. Tmobile only used the 1900 MHz frequency until recently, so only had "single band" phones. Cingular uses both 1900 and 850 MHz, so they sold "multi band" phones (sometimes ans much as 3 or 4 bands for overseas use). Taking a Cingular phone to Tmobile, as long as it is unlocked, should work just fine. Your question about vice versa depends on the particular model of Tmobile phone you wanted to take to Cingular.

Cailiff04 · 09-20-2006, 7:14 PM

ok thanks. you answered my question!!

MOTOhooligan · 09-24-2006, 6:47 AM

On a side note, if you have had active service with T-Mobile for 6+ months you can e-mail customer service through T-Mobile.com with your IMEI (your phone's serial number, on the label under the battery, usually) and they will send you the unlock code, usually in a day or two.

That way, as long as you have a handset capable of using Cingular's network, you can pop the Cingular SIM card in, enter the unlock code and you're good to go.

Also, if you want to use features like mobile web or multi-media messaging, you'll need to get the settings for those and enter them manually into your phone, if that is possible. You can do a search here on WA, and probably find them. If you're switching the phone to T-Mobile, I have those settings, if you'd like them.

Telekom · 09-24-2006, 4:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cailiff04

Can Cingular and T-Mobile phones be used on eachothers networks? My friend has Cingular and is switching to T-mobile and doesnt want to buy a new phone. Can he use his cingular phone on t-mobiles network or vice versa?

If the phone is unlocked it can be used on either network provided both phones have the ability to use the frequency that the other uses. Some older T-Mobile phones only work on 1900 and thus would not work the best on the cingular network which also uses 850.

Telekom · 09-24-2006, 4:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOTOhooligan

On a side note, if you have had active service with T-Mobile for 6+ months you can e-mail customer service through T-Mobile.com with your IMEI (your phone's serial number, on the label under the battery, usually) and they will send you the unlock code, usually in a day or two.

That way, as long as you have a handset capable of using Cingular's network, you can pop the Cingular SIM card in, enter the unlock code and you're good to go.

Also, if you want to use features like mobile web or multi-media messaging, you'll need to get the settings for those and enter them manually into your phone, if that is possible. You can do a search here on WA, and probably find them. If you're switching the phone to T-Mobile, I have those settings, if you'd like them.

It's not 6 months. It's 90 days with T-Mobile.

steve3833 · 10-10-2006, 10:53 PM

So how would you unlock a cingular Nokia 3595 to work with a T-Mobile 3595 sim Card? Thanks in advance,

Steve

09-18-2006, 10:46 PM	#2
Buickman Gearhead/Gadget freak Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bye Bye MN, Hello Cali Posts: 890 Phone(s): BB 9550, LG enV2, Retired: BB Curve, Moto Z6tv, E815,V710, Nokia 3285, Nokia 6185 Provider(s): Verizon on both phones Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts Images: 1	Re: A question Yes and no. They both use GSM, so technically they are the same. There are 2 problems you can run into though. #1 is that carriers lock the phones to their networks. Phones can be unlocked to get around this. The other problem can be the frequency the phone uses. Tmobile only used the 1900 MHz frequency until recently, so only had "single band" phones. Cingular uses both 1900 and 850 MHz, so they sold "multi band" phones (sometimes ans much as 3 or 4 bands for overseas use). Taking a Cingular phone to Tmobile, as long as it is unlocked, should work just fine. Your question about vice versa depends on the particular model of Tmobile phone you wanted to take to Cingular. __________________ Cars became my job, so phones became my hobby. Car's are not my job anymore, but phones are still a fun hobby.

09-20-2006, 7:14 PM	Original Poster #3
Cailiff04 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Findlay Ohio Posts: 308 Phone(s): LG VX 9200 (env3) maroon Provider(s): Verizon Wireless Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Images: 31	Re: A question ok thanks. you answered my question!! __________________ GO TIGERS!!!!

09-24-2006, 6:47 AM	#4
MOTOhooligan Droid you're looking for Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Chili Town Posts: 6,708 Phone(s): a855, V3t, v620 Provider(s): Voicestream Wireless, Western Wireless Devices: Motorola S805, Motorola HS350, Apple MacBook Thanks: 3 Thanked 12 Times in 9 Posts Images: 21	Re: A question On a side note, if you have had active service with T-Mobile for 6+ months you can e-mail customer service through T-Mobile.com with your IMEI (your phone's serial number, on the label under the battery, usually) and they will send you the unlock code, usually in a day or two. That way, as long as you have a handset capable of using Cingular's network, you can pop the Cingular SIM card in, enter the unlock code and you're good to go. Also, if you want to use features like mobile web or multi-media messaging, you'll need to get the settings for those and enter them manually into your phone, if that is possible. You can do a search here on WA, and probably find them. If you're switching the phone to T-Mobile, I have those settings, if you'd like them. __________________ iDon't but Droid does.

10-10-2006, 10:53 PM	#7
steve3833 Shoulda joined long ago! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rowlett, Texas Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: A question So how would you unlock a cingular Nokia 3595 to work with a T-Mobile 3595 sim Card? Thanks in advance, Steve

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09-18-2006, 7:56 PM	#1
Cailiff04 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Findlay Ohio Posts: 308 Phone(s): LG VX 9200 (env3) maroon Provider(s): Verizon Wireless Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Images: 31	A question Can Cingular and T-Mobile phones be used on eachothers networks? My friend has Cingular and is switching to T-mobile and doesnt want to buy a new phone. Can he use his cingular phone on t-mobiles network or vice versa? __________________ GO TIGERS!!!!

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