Sim Card For Old Mobile Phone

[New Judge]

Mrs NJ has an old Samsung GT E1195 (PAYG) flip phone which she loves. Those nice people at Vodafone have disconnected it due to lack of use.

She wants to resurrect it (it is too late to do so with its current SIM Card and number). If she buys a new Vodafone SIM card, is it just a case of slotting it in? Presumably there is some sort of registration process to go through to get a new number? Hopefully if she gets it going again she'll make the occasional call to prevent being cut off again!  😎 

[douglas9401]

If the phone's not tied to a particular provider then as Phillip sang, any SIM will do.

[douglas9401]

And, not to be placing products but those nice people at Tesco are very helpful.

[THECORBYLOON]

Mrs NJ could set an alarm to use the phone on a regular basis.

[Hymie]

Something similar happened to me some time back – but as long as they (Vodafone) have not allocated the number to someone else, they should be able to reinstate the sim number and plan she was on (if still available).

You could consider an alternate supplier - some are offering plans at £5 a month.

[Canary42]

Don't hold your breath - Virgin are unable to provice a working SIM for my very old Nokia which became dysfunctional when they changed their network.

[Buenchico]

As has been said, if the phone isn't locked to a particular newtwork, almost any SIM should work in it.  However a SIM from Three won't because that phone uses 2G technology, which Three has never supported.

If it's locked to the Vodafone network, a SIM from Vodafone (obviously!), Voxi (which is part of Vodafone anyway but much cheaper) or Asda Mobile (which piggybacks onto Vodafone's network) should work in it.

Although the UK's 3G network is currently being switched off, 2G will be around for some time longer yet because some 'non-phone' devices, such as some smart meters, make use of it.  
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/252592/3G-and-2G-switch-off.pdf

[New Judge]

Thanks all.

I'll give it a go (at .99p I think we can run to it).

I'll stick with Vodafone in case there are any "locking" problems.

Thanks for the suggestion, Hymie. She's on PAYG. As you can probably gather, she doesn't use it that much. In fact it was diconnected because she'd gone  a staggering 180 days without making a call and a further 60 days beyond that (during which she could have has it reinstated)! Vodafone have told her her old number is definitely not recoverable. It won't worry too many people as only me about about three others had her number!

"Mrs NJ could set an alarm to use the phone on a regular basis."

Thanks Corby. Worthy of BA!

[New Judge]

"Although the UK's 3G network is currently being switched off, 2G will be around for some time longer yet because some 'non-phone' devices, such as some smart meters, make use of it."

Thanks for that Chris. It hadn't occurred to me to think about that. Does the phone definitely run on 2G? It seems Vodafone are switching off their 3G this year.

[barry1010]

The E1195 is definitely 2G, not 3G

[New Judge]

Thanks Barry. Didn't want to shell out 99p and see it wasted.  😎

[barry1010]

I wouldn't, either