Will unlocked foreign or domestic phones work with Droid 2 Global sim card?

[viper689]

I have a Droid 2 Global and it suddenly hit me that, as I have not traveled out of the country since I got the phone, I have a sim card. My question now is that I've been having a lot of issues with the phone lately (I'm on replacement D2G number 3), so I was wondering if it would be possible to buy an unlocked phone from another country or even here and stick the sim card in that phone. Would it work or would I have to do something else, or is it not even possible? Thanks for any input.

BTW, I'm fairly technology savvy, but not when it comes to phones, so go easy on me =). Also, just wanted to say hi to everyone, and thanks for a lot of the information I've found here.

 

[Benton]

This would only work for use on GSM networks out of the Verizon footprint of North America. The SIM card that came with your phone is used with the GSM radio of the D2G not the CDMA radio and the GSM radio is disabled if the phone is in Verizon's NA geography (see their web site for details and map).

 

[Byakushiki]

Should be fine. As long as it's unlocked and has the hacked 2.4.29 baseband.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using DroidForums

 

[Gasai Yuno]

Byakushiki, could you explain somehow, what are you talking about, exactly?

Benton, I once read somewhere (but I'm not sure where exactly) that the SIM cards in Motorola's Global devices are IMEI-bound and only work with Motorola's handsets. If this is true, Vodafone NL's network will only register these SIM IDs if the phone's IMEI matches a Motorola device.

 

[Benton]

GY, I hadn't thought of it regarding the Motorola SIM card but tonight I will ask my wife to put the Verizon SIM card she has into her LG GSM phone...she's in Hong Kong visiting family and is using my local Smartone SIM card in her D2G now. I always use the Smartone SIM (it's Vodafone in HKG) when on GSM due to the favorable structure of my contract with them versus Verizon's rates and never tried the Verizon SIM in a different phone.

 

[Byakushiki]

13th posted the tbh usa band unlock zip somewhere on rootzwiki. Flash it on an unlocked d2g on 2.4.29, and the phone will accept tmo and at&t sim cards and get signal.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using DroidForums

 

[Gasai Yuno]

Byakushiki, you do realise that this thread is about using VZW's Global SIM card to get Global service from VZW with other phones (NOT about using a T-Mobile/AT&T card in a D2G), right?

 

[Byakushiki]

Ah yes, I was referring to viper's question. If he wanted the D2G to work in any country (USA included) on GSM, he'd need it to be sim unlocked and have the old 2.4.29 baseband with the tbh hack applied.

 

[Gasai Yuno]

Viper's question reads (I added comments to clarify it for American-born readers):

if it would be possible to buy an unlocked phone (not a DROID2 GLOBAL - G.Y.) from another country (and VZW only exists in the USA - G.Y.) or even here (in the USA, but a GSM phone, not a Verizon one - G.Y.) and stick the sim card (from the DROID2 GLOBAL - G.Y.) in that phone (again, Viper is not talking about the DROID2 GLOBAL here - G.Y.)

 

[viper689]

Thank you for clarifying that GY. Yes I'm not interested in using the D2G in any other country. On the contrary, I was hoping to use VZW signal but putting the simcard from the D2G into another carrier's phone, such as a T-Mobile phone. I guess to simplify it, I just want to see if it's possible to use my sim card from the D2G in a non-Verizon phone, in the USA.

 

[Gasai Yuno]

No, the VZW SIM card is essentially Vodafone NL, and Verizon's network does not support GSM 2G/3G, only GSM 4G (aka LTE, and that's why their LTE phones have SIM cards). These cards probably won't register in T-Mobile and AT&T networks (and their MVNO resellers like Simple Mobile and such). Even if they did, it would be VZW's Global plan, or Vodafone NL international roaming (just kidding).

TL;DR: A Verizon Global (in other words, Vodafone NL) SIM card cannot be used to obtain Verizon service with a GSM phone within the United States.

 

[viper689]

Even if that's what it was designed for? The D2G came with this sim card when I bought it in California and I don't intend to go anywhere far, just curious if that sim card will work in other carriers phones so I don't have to stick with VZW's phones.

Don't get me wrong, I love their phones, but options never killed anyone =)

 

[Benton]

My wife tested the Verizon D2G SIM in Hong Kong on a non-Motorola phone (LG branded), and was able to have voice, text and pay-as-you-go data...yikes!! We stopped the test when she told me what she was doing on the data side. Interestingly, Verizon sent three text messages to her phone during our test providing a link to click for any assistance in how to dial IDD from her location, etc. I guess we learned a little today, the VZW SIM will work in other phones.

 

[Gasai Yuno]

Even if that's what it was designed for? The D2G came with this sim card when I bought it in California and I don't intend to go anywhere far, just curious if that sim card will work in other carriers phones so I don't have to stick with VZW's phones.

The SIM card is only supplied with the D2G to provide the user with GSM connectivity outside the USA. Period. Inside the USA, VZW has its own CDMA network. They don't have a GSM network in the USA, so to provide GSM connectivity there they'd have to pay AT&T or T-Mobile. Obviously they have no reason to do that.

 

[viper689]

Ah and there it is. Was worth a shot but thank you everyone for clearing that up for me. It would have been a cool thing if it had worked but just as well. Now I just need to figure out what to do with this D2G #3 replacement because now I'm having the same issue of calls not going through and picture messages not sending as my other D2G replacements. Time for Verizon to get an earful and hopefully me a new phone.