Millions of people love their T-Mobile service but wish they could get some of the more advanced phones that only other networks carry. For example, in the United States T-Mobile users aren't able to buy either the iPhone or BlackBerry Storm touchphones. If you are a T-Mobile user who wants to use the iPhone or any other phone offered by AT&T (formerly Cingular), you're not entirely out of luck as there are ways to get a T-Mobile SIM card to work in a Cingular phone.
T-Mobile SIM Card
The only legal way to get a T-Mobile SIM card is to open an account with T-Mobile. When getting a T-Mobile account, make sure that you get an account that will work with the Cingular phone you want. After all, getting a full-Internet and data plan for a phone that can barely send text messages will be a waste of money. Likewise, you won't get the most out of your phone if you're looking at buying a smartphone from Cingular but get only the basic T-Mobile plan.
Don't worry about T-Mobile services not working on Cingular phones. Once you complete everything you have to do, your phone will work perfectly.
Cingular Phones
When picking a Cingular phone, look for one thing above all others: whether it actually has a SIM card slot. Older Cingular phone models don't have SIM card slots, or they have SIM card readers inside the case, making it next to impossible for the user to swap cards.
Unlocking the Phone
Once you have your T-Mobile SIM card and your Cingular phone, it's time to unlock your Cingular phone. Unlocking a phone basically means that, by entering a certain string of characters into your phone (or by uploading/altering software) you can the phone can be used on any network. Many companies include unlock codes in their devices as a way to spark sales outside the service provider the phone is contracted to, while others use unlock codes to open up cell phone use for international markets.
You can purchase these unlock codes online or at a retail outlet that deals with cellular phones. Many times if you go to a brick-and-mortar store an employee will unlock the phone for you, saving you the hastle of going through what can be a long and frustrating process.
Once the phone is unlocked, slip your T-Mobile SIM card into the device.
Tags: Cingular phone, T-Mobile card, unlock codes, your phone, your T-Mobile card, Cingular Phones, have card