Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

mstruve

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 21, 2011
158
0
Hi, I've just got an iPhone 5 and am selling my 4s to my brother. I've transferred my number to the new nano sim so the old micro sim is effectively 'blank'.

Is it possible for my brother to transfer his number to the micro sim or does he need a new SIM card?

Thanks
 

needfx

Suspended
Aug 10, 2010
3,931
4,247
macrumors apparently
Hi, I've just got an iPhone 5 and am selling my 4s to my brother. I've transferred my number to the new nano sim so the old micro sim is effectively 'blank'.

Is it possible for my brother to transfer his number to the micro sim or does he need a new SIM card?

Thanks

I can hardly see a carrier reusing a sim, but what the hey, give it a go
 

XboxMySocks

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2009
2,230
198
No, he will need a new micro sim.
You can only transfer the number to unactivated sims.
Your old one was already activated with a different number before so you cant change it now.

This is completely wrong. You can activate the SIM with any number, you just have to be authourised under the the original account. Don't buy a new one
 

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
This is completely wrong. You can activate the SIM with any number, you just have to be authourised under the the original account. Don't buy a new one

That's what AT&T told me when I contacted them so that's what I passed down to him. You can activate it with any number as long as it wasnt used prior and activated with a different number.
And you dont buy Sims here in the US, the carrier provides them free.
Either way I'd call them up and ask.
 

mstruve

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 21, 2011
158
0
Ok that's confusing. What do you mean by authorised under the original account?

Thanks
 

mstruve

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 21, 2011
158
0
So I would have to authorise him to use the micro sim? How would I do that?
 

mstruve

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 21, 2011
158
0
Ok I just checked with the carrier (O2 uk) and they said that once the number has been transferred the old sim is deactivated and can't be used again.

Hope that clears things up.
 

XboxMySocks

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2009
2,230
198
Ok I just checked with the carrier (O2 uk) and they said that once the number has been transferred the old sim is deactivated and can't be used again.

Hope that clears things up.

Hrm. Things must operate different here. We have 4 or 5 SIM's lying around and just recently authourised a MiniSIM on my iPhone 5.
 

mstruve

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 21, 2011
158
0
Yeah I'm still not convinced tbh. Don't see why a sim would be completely deactivated and useless just because its not associated with an account temporarily. Might give it a go anyway.
 

Vegasryn

macrumors 6502
Mar 31, 2010
387
230
Las Vegas, NV
Yeah I'm still not convinced tbh. Don't see why a sim would be completely deactivated and useless just because its not associated with an account temporarily. Might give it a go anyway.

the new Nano Sims can be deactivated and reassigned a new number after a 24 hour period - all other SIMS - regular size and the microsim used in iPhone 4 and 4s can NOT be reused after an initial activation
 

XboxMySocks

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2009
2,230
198
the new Nano Sims can be deactivated and reassigned a new number after a 24 hour period - all other SIMS - regular size and the microsim used in iPhone 4 and 4s can NOT be reused after an initial activation

This isn't true... I JUST activated a MiniSIM that I've had laying around for quite a few years and used it on my iPhone 5. Carriers just don't want to activate cards you already have and they want you to spend $10 on a new SIM :)

A minisim? Only a nanosim fits in the i5.

Yes, I cut it down.
 

Vegasryn

macrumors 6502
Mar 31, 2010
387
230
Las Vegas, NV
This isn't true... I JUST activated a MiniSIM that I've had laying around for quite a few years and used it on my iPhone 5. Carriers just don't want to activate cards you already have and they want you to spend $10 on a new SIM :)



Yes, I cut it down.

Are you in the US? Other than the new nano sims, the carriers here wont reactivate an old already previously activated sim
 

XboxMySocks

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2009
2,230
198
Are you in the US? Other than the new nano sims, the carriers here wont reactivate an old already previously activated sim
Yep, like I said, because they want you to buy new ones. They CAN. But they won't. I'm in Canada :)
 

Kisey

macrumors 6502a
Jul 9, 2010
732
72
I'm with AT&T and I know for a fact they will not activate a previously used SIM (I just tried a few days ago). And I know it's not because they want you to buy a new one because they don't charge for SIMs in the first place.
 

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
I'm with AT&T and I know for a fact they will not activate a previously used SIM (I just tried a few days ago). And I know it's not because they want you to buy a new one because they don't charge for SIMs in the first place.

Exactly.
In the US they don't charge for sims unless you're on prepaid and even then it's 99cents.
So if anything they're wasting their own money and probably the customers time going to the store.
 

XboxMySocks

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2009
2,230
198
I'm with AT&T and I know for a fact they will not activate a previously used SIM (I just tried a few days ago). And I know it's not because they want you to buy a new one because they don't charge for SIMs in the first place.

Strange. They will activate them here in Canada regardless of their age.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.