Unactivated Full size LTE sim

[reclusive46]

Will a cut down unactivated full size AT&T LTE sim work normally like a micro sim in an iPad 3 (With LTE)?

Will I be able to use the view account feature etc. still the normal way?

 

[RetiredInFl]

Will a cut down unactivated full size AT&T LTE sim work normally like a micro sim in an iPad 3 (With LTE)?

Will I be able to use the view account feature etc. still the normal way?

Yes, if properly cut.

 

[AllieNeko]

It won't be activated for prepaid, so unless your iPad is put on a monthly plan or youre transferring an account then no, you have to go to an AT&T store and get the correct prepaid SIM. Also, doesn't cutting it take as long as stopping by a store?

 

[reclusive46]

It won't be activated for prepaid, so unless your iPad is put on a monthly plan or youre transferring an account then no, you have to go to an AT&T store and get the correct prepaid SIM. Also, doesn't cutting it take as long as stopping by a store?

Just tried it. Seems to work fine. I put in the unactivated sim. Went to view account. Opened it up and registered for the 2GB data plan and it went through fine.

 

[AllieNeko]

Just tried it. Seems to work fine. I put in the unactivated sim. Went to view account. Opened it up and registered for the 2GB data plan and it went through fine.

Sweet! I'm really glad to hear that since I have a reputable source who told me that AT&T had quit supporting activating a SIM for iPad prepaid online like that with the new iPad.

P.S. you registered for the 2GB plan? How?

 

[reclusive46]

Sweet! I'm really glad to hear that since I have a reputable source who told me that AT&T had quit supporting activating a SIM for iPad prepaid online like that with the new iPad.

P.S. you registered for the 2GB plan? How?

That was a typo. Was meant to say 3GB. I didn't do it online though. I just put the unactivated sim in the iPad settings and registered normally. It didn't work online on the AT&T website.

 

[AllieNeko]

That was a typo. Was meant to say 3GB. I didn't do it online though. I just put the unactivated sim in the iPad settings and registered normally. It didn't work online on the AT&T website.

Okay, thanks it was my understanding and that of my source that those would be the same and on-device activation of an unactivated SIM to prepaid wouldn't work. That's an answer that many people on a popular mobile phone forum have been looking a concrete answer to though and which even well informed people at AT&T seem not quite sure (they have official pre-activated iPad SIMs that just need the plan added, same as what comes in an iPad, that you can go pick up from a store). The assumption seems to be that it WOULDN'T work and I'm glad to hear it does. I wish AT&T was more clear, including to their employees about this.

Still, it's much better than the Verizon situation. So far, there seems to be no way to replace the SIM that came with the iPad. Not that they can't, but rather that they won't give a SIM for prepaid use. Also, I've read reports of cancelled prepaid accounts deactivating the SIM... Bad enough, but with no way to replace or reactivate it, truly a nightmare situation...

 

[RetiredInFl]

It won't be activated for prepaid, so unless your iPad is put on a monthly plan or youre transferring an account then no, you have to go to an AT&T store and get the correct prepaid SIM. Also, doesn't cutting it take as long as stopping by a store?

You are so very wrong. There is no such thing as a "pre-paid" sim with ATT and VZW and TMO. They may want you to believe that but it's not the case. Any UNACTIVATED sim will work either pre or postpaid. It how it is provisioned that matters.

 

[AllieNeko]

You are so very wrong. There is no such thing as a "pre-paid" sim with ATT and VZW and TMO. They may want you to believe that but it's not the case. Any UNACTIVATED sim will work either pre or postpaid. It how it is provisioned that matters.

Dude, you didn't even read the follow-ups. I had on a good source that web-based provision on an unactivated SIM to prepaid was dead, and I believe it is. I assumed this also affected on-device and I'm glad it doesn't. Verizon WILL NOT give you an unactivated SIM to be provisioned on prepaid. Sure, it works fine, but you just can't get it. You might be able to BUY one somewhere, then get it activated on a prepaid account, but that's absolutely ridiculous.

I'm not even remotely wrong, and I never mentioned T-Mobile. I never claimed the SIM was physically different, but Verizon *will not* do it. AT&T will, but it's trickier than it was (still fairly easy tho).

Reality is, with an AT&T iPad you just need to go into the store and have them hand you a MicroSIM. Ideally, it's provisioned for a prepaid account (it should be if they give you the right one) and you just need to add money. If they give you an unprovisioned SIM, while the website for prepaid data no longer allows iPad activations, it sounds like on-device activation works fine.

I still don't get why the OP didn't just stop by an AT&T store and ask for a 3FF SIM. Seems easier than cutting up a 2FF SIM...

 

[RetiredInFl]

Dude, you didn't even read the follow-ups. I had on a good source that web-based provision on an unactivated SIM to prepaid was dead, and I believe it is.

"DUDE" you are believing wrong. I have a stack of blank still carded AT&T regular (not go-phone) sims in my drawer and on a weekly basis I put them into clients pre-paid phones and iPads (2 & 3) and they activate fine via the web. Not sure what you or "your source" is talking about. maybe I am misunderstanding you.

 

[AllieNeko]

"DUDE" you are believing wrong. I have a stack of blank still carded AT&T regular (not go-phone) sims in my drawer and on a weekly basis I put them into clients pre-paid phones and iPads (2 & 3) and they activate fine via the web. Not sure what you or "your source" is talking about. maybe I am misunderstanding you.

The "buy a session" site for prepaid data plans is no longer supported by AT&T for activated prepaid with the LTE iPad. That's what I'm referring to. Whether it actually still works, I'm not sure, but at least officially it doesn't.

 

[RetiredInFl]

The "buy a session" site for prepaid data plans is no longer supported by AT&T for activated prepaid with the LTE iPad. That's what I'm referring to. Whether it actually still works, I'm not sure, but at least officially it doesn't.

Workin' here as of about 2 minutes ago. I just created an account, entered the IMEI and ICCID of a "regular" unactivated carded full size (not pre-paid) sim, paid my $14.99 + tax, punched it down with my sim puncher and now my wife has 250MB of internet. What I cannot do is create a new ATT account with the IMEI from MY Verizon iPad. I have to create 2 accounts using her IMEI and use one in my Verizon iPad because the ATT system isn't recognizing my VZW iPad IMEI's. Obviously I get no LTE in my VZW iPad but she does with either sim (neither of which is an "official" LTE sim).

https://dcp2.att.com/OEPNDClient/?wtSlotClick=1-0077VE-0-1&WT.svl=calltoaction

 

[AllieNeko]

Workin' here as of about 2 minutes ago. I just created an account, entered the IMEI and ICCID of a "regular" unactivated carded full size (not pre-paid) sim, paid my $14.99 + tax, punched it down with my sim puncher and now my wife has 250MB of internet. What I cannot do is create a new ATT account with the IMEI from MY Verizon iPad. I have to create 2 accounts using her IMEI and use one in my Verizon iPad because the ATT system isn't recognizing my VZW iPad IMEI's. Obviously I get no LTE in my VZW iPad but she does with either sim (neither of which is an "official" LTE sim).

https://dcp2.att.com/OEPNDClient/?wtSlotClick=1-0077VE-0-1&WT.svl=calltoaction

Yup, that's the site that officially doesn't create iPad prepaid accounts anymore. Glad to hear that the reality is it still does! Though, despite all that, it still seems much harder than just going to the AT&T store and asking for them to give you an iPad prepaid SIM, that's already provisioned and you just need to click through on the iPad (no Wi-Fi even needed).

Also, I don't live in an area with AT&T LTE, but are you telling me that LTE is working with a non-LTE SIM? This surprises me as I thought non-LTE SIM cards didn't have the necessary service tables to find the LTE network! But again, I don't live in an LTE area. Here is a site with a picture comparing an LTE SIM and the previous SIM before the LTE SIM (note that these are 2FF SIMs, but the MicroSIM for each looks similar just smaller):

http://widgetfolder.com/lte-sim-card-is-coming-to-at-t/

 

[RetiredInFl]

Yup, that's the site that officially doesn't create iPad prepaid accounts anymore. Glad to hear that the reality is it still does! Though, despite all that, it still seems much harder than just going to the AT&T store and asking for them to give you an iPad prepaid SIM, that's already provisioned and you just need to click through on the iPad (no Wi-Fi even needed).

Also, I don't live in an area with AT&T LTE, but are you telling me that LTE is working with a non-LTE SIM? This surprises me as I thought non-LTE SIM cards didn't have the necessary service tables to find the LTE network! But again, I don't live in an LTE area. Here is a site with a picture comparing an LTE SIM and the previous SIM before the LTE SIM (note that these are 2FF SIMs, but the MicroSIM for each looks similar just smaller):

http://widgetfolder.com/lte-sim-card-is-coming-to-at-t/

All I am going to say is you have some incorrect and/or misunderstood information. There absolutely is no "per-provisioned pre-paid iPad sim." It's ATT BS (and the info in that link is very outdated). Believe me or not lets just agree to disagree.

 

[AllieNeko]

All I am going to say is you have some incorrect and/or misunderstood information. There absolutely is no "per-provisioned pre-paid iPad sim." It's ATT BS (and the info in that link is very outdated). Believe me or not lets just agree to disagree.

Funny, given one ships with every iPad and the AT&T stores stock them as replacements. They connect to the network but are limited to a walled garden that lets you do nothing other than pay for a data plan until you do that.

And I just wanted to confirm that the non-LTE SIM you say is connecting to LTE is the SIM shown above (half white/half blue with a 3G logo, rather than the rounded "push pop" style graphic which is the LTE SIM).

If so, then I can tell you that reality doesn't line up with what they told their store employees...