Can True Sim Cards Work with Any Android?

[FarangConfused]

I'm going to buy an unlocked Android phone, probably a Samsung. I like the sim card options from the company True for wi-fi and calling. Their monthly packages where you pay 199 baht or whatever it is and get so many GB of internet and so many calls. Can I use True sim cards with any Android phone, or does it have to be a True phone?

[KhunBENQ]

Prepaid SIMs in Thailand are not locked to a certain phone.

It also has nothing to do with Android vs. iOs or whatever.

The critical question is whether the phone supports all frequency band/technologies that True uses.

If you buy a phone from "overseas" this might not necessarily be the case.

Where do you buy?

 

[jacko45k]

And the SIM card is correct for whatever size of SIM your phone handles!

(He says after buying the wife a new phone and being left holding a mini-SIM card, looking at a Nano slot)!

 

Edited February 20, 2018 by jacko45k

[edwardflory]

SIM adaptor kits are available at around 20bt and up. The important part, I would get a QUAD band DUAL SIM/ NAME BRAND mobile, use on almost any GSM network, most QUALITY mobiles will work on CDMA network WITH a special SIM usually only in one SLOT of a dual SIM mobile.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Samsung phones tend to have a pretty broad range of frequency bands built into their hardware. Moreso on their medium to expensive new models, perhaps less so on their very cheapest models.

 

But it's correct that the important thing is to check and make sure that whatever phone you intend to buy, in particular, has the various 3G and especially 4G/LTE bands that match those used by True, if that's the carrier you intend to use.

 

You should check with True on that, but I  think the most common 4G/LTE bands in use in Thailand these days are 1800, 2100 and 850 MHz, along with a few others currently used to a lesser extent.

 

I think 850 and 2100 are also pretty common for the 3G bands, although keep in mind, 3G and 4G/LTE are separate services with separate bands, not interchangeable. In other words, just because your phone supports 2100 MHz 3G doesn't mean it automatically also supports 2100 MHz 4G/LTE. You need to look at each service and supported bands separately.

 

The size of the SIM card is a lesser issue because, these days, most of the carriers offer the SIM cards that can be snapped down to the various sizes, micro or nano. But yes, there also are SIM adapter kits that would allow you to take a nano SIM and use it in a phone with a full size SIM slot.

 

[swoods58]

SIM adaptor kits are available at around 20bt and up. The important part, I would get a QUAD band DUAL SIM/ NAME BRAND mobile, use on almost any GSM network, most QUALITY mobiles will work on CDMA network WITH a special SIM usually only in one SLOT of a dual SIM mobile.
 

I doubt many "quality" phones sold outside the USA support CDMA.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, edwardflory said:

SIM adaptor kits are available at around 20bt and up.

And with a new SIM at AIS you get an "all in one" plastic frame to break out the desired size.

And even going back to micro would be possible.

I assume True has the same?

Edited February 20, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[irishsmile]

And the SIM card is correct for whatever size of SIM your phone handles!
(He says after buying the wife a new phone and being left holding a mini-SIM card, looking at a Nano slot)!
 

Lol.... you are not alone on that one mate!


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[KhunBENQ]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

And the SIM card is correct for whatever size of SIM your phone handles!

(He says after buying the wife a new phone and being left holding a mini-SIM card, looking at a Nano slot)!

 

Of course it's also trivial to cut an existing bigger size SIM to a nano.
Done at almost all mobile phone shops.

Edited February 20, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[reallybigken]

Check out the following website for frequency and bands for True Mobile H:

 

https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/truemove-h-thailand

 

It list True Mobile H as follows:

    GSM: 900mhz (E-GSM) and 1800mhz (DCS) -- voice frequencies and low speed data

    UMTS: band B1 (2100mhz) -- 3G data speed

    LTE: B1 (2100mhz) -- 4G data speed

 

It is the bands (B1 for True Mobile H) which is more than just frequency when it comes to UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G). The Band  specifies both frequency and protocol (communication methodology).

 

The listed website can also check device (phone) compatibility.

 

I hope this helps :-)

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, reallybigken said:

Check out the following website for frequency and bands for True Mobile H:

 

https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/truemove-h-thailand

 

It list True Mobile H as follows:

    GSM: 900mhz (E-GSM) and 1800mhz (DCS) -- voice frequencies and low speed data

    UMTS: band B1 (2100mhz) -- 3G data speed

    LTE: B1 (2100mhz) -- 4G data speed

 

 

I'm pretty sure, True Move H is transmitting their 3G and LTE signals on more than just 2100 MHz...

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Of course it's also trivial to cut an existing bigger size SIM to a nano.
Done at almost all mobile phone shops.

That was done once and the cut card gave rather aggravating intermittent problems. Obviously the solution is to go to the networks shop and they will transfer everything to a new card. Some SIM cards are a one size fits all format, but hard to go bigger than go smaller.

My nearest shop is not actually near, and it would be silly to try and do it yourself.

[sometimewoodworker]

bigger or smaller easy peasy