4s Sprint SIM Card?

[kevinmcc]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you can reuse old SIM cards? I have an old iPhone 4s that hasnt been used in prolly 2 years or so and my buddy just broke his phone.


I was wondering, can he call into Sprint and give them the old SIM card's ICC ID # on it and have them activate it over the phone?

Or will he need to go into the store and get a brand new SIM?


Reason I ask is we both have class until 10pm (Sprint Stores close by then) and he needs a phone tonight since he is driving back home (2 hours) after class

 

[eyoungren]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you can reuse old SIM cards? I have an old iPhone 4s that hasnt been used in prolly 2 years or so and my buddy just broke his phone.


I was wondering, can he call into Sprint and give them the old SIM card's ICC ID # on it and have them activate it over the phone?

Or will he need to go into the store and get a brand new SIM?


Reason I ask is we both have class until 10pm (Sprint Stores close by then) and he needs a phone tonight since he is driving back home (2 hours) after class

If the IMEI is clean and you owe nothing on the phone then all he should need is the MEID. Sprint will charge him $36 for activation, unless he's going to do an ESN swap (meaning activating this phone in replacement of the broken phone).

Call them. Any half-brained Sprint CSR should be able to do an ESN swap over the phone.

 

[kevinmcc]

If the IMEI is clean and you owe nothing on the phone then all he should need is the MEID. Sprint will charge him $36 for activation, unless he's going to do an ESN swap (meaning activating this phone in replacement of the broken phone).

Call them. Any half-brained Sprint CSR should be able to do an ESN swap over the phone.

So even without a SIM card Sprint can activate the phone if i just give them the MEID #?

 

[eyoungren]

So even without a SIM card Sprint can activate the phone if i just give them the MEID #?

No, no, you need the SIM. Sorry, I assumed you had the old one for some reason. If you do not have any SIM card you will need to go to the Sprint store, possibly an Apple store. Depends on how much runaround you get between the two - if any.

For whatever reason Sprint likes to pawn SIM card requests off on Apple while Apple believes it's a carrier issue.

 

[kevinmcc]

No, no, you need the SIM. Sorry, I assumed you had the old one for some reason. If you do not have any SIM card you will need to go to the Sprint store, possibly an Apple store. Depends on how much runaround you get between the two - if any.

For whatever reason Sprint likes to pawn SIM card requests off on Apple while Apple believes it's a carrier issue.

Ohhhh no sorry, I think we confused each other!

I do have the old SIM card, I just didn't know if I needed to get a new SIM.

So basically I do not need to tell them anything BUT the MEID and leave the OLD SIM installed??

 

[eyoungren]

Ohhhh no sorry, I think we confused each other!

I do have the old SIM card, I just didn't know if I needed to get a new SIM.

So basically I do not need to tell them anything BUT the MEID and leave the OLD SIM installed??

Correct!

Essentially (and like the iPhone 5) the old SIM card is "paired" to that particular iPhone. The terminology I use right now is not technically correct, but is the best way to explain it.

Call customer service. Tell them you want to do an ESN swap for the phone currently on the account. They will ask for the MEID of the "new" phone. They should be able to take care of it for you.

 

[kevinmcc]

Correct!

Essentially (and like the iPhone 5) the old SIM card is "paired" to that particular iPhone. The terminology I use right now is not technically correct, but is the best way to explain it.

Call customer service. Tell them you want to do an ESN swap for the phone currently on the account. They will ask for the MEID of the "new" phone. They should be able to take care of it for you.

Will do, thank you!

 

[kevinmcc]

UPDATE: Just wanted to say thanks again, talked to Sprint via Online Chat and they activated it that way. Took about 5 min and didnt have to drive or call em!

 

[eyoungren]

UPDATE: Just wanted to say thanks again, talked to Sprint via Online Chat and they activated it that way. Took about 5 min and didnt have to drive or call em!

Awesome! Glad it all worked out just fine!

 

[Newtons Apple]

UPDATE: Just wanted to say thanks again, talked to Sprint via Online Chat and they activated it that way. Took about 5 min and didnt have to drive or call em!

It is always best when you do not have to go and see them!

 

[eyoungren]

It is always best when you do not have to go and see them!

Absolutely!!!

So glad I went with Apple two years ago. In the last 2.5 years I've been in to a Sprint store exactly twice, once to ask plan questions and once to see if they would test my Airave (they wouldn't, they'd rather pay all the cost for me to ship it back, replace it and ship a new one back to me).