Can T-mobile or Orange network phone use virgin sim card?

wazza

Currently am on virgin sim only monthly contract with a basic phone. Tempted to get myself a smartphone.

One option i have is to buy a phone outright and not be tied in a 24 month contract.

Was browsing through carphonewarehouse website under payg phones and noticed some phones were cheaper on T-mobile or orange network when compared to virgin.

1. Are carphonewarehouse supplied phones linked to the network or are they unlocked?

2. Will the virgin sim work in an orange or t-mobile phone? Normally i would say no to this but i am aware that the virgin network will use orange (and t-mobile?) network when it's signal is weak.

Buzby

1. They are unlocked (from CW) as they connect to all networks.

2. No. Each network has its own SIM locking codes.

Your idea of buying PAYG is a sound one - and tying yourself to a contract is a recipe for disaster, and for so many reasons!

grumbler

1. Normally unlocked.
2. More likely in a t-mobile phone I think.

Buzby wrote: »

2. No. Each network has its own SIM locking codes.

However, subnetwork's sims normally work in the phones locked to the main network.
Giffgaff and Tesco work in O2 phones.
Talkmobile and icardmobile in Voda phones.

Rochdale_Guy

I have a Virgin PAYG mobile and SIM.

I recently got a Samsung phone from a friend that is on locked to T-Mobile, but my Virgin SIM works perfectly fine it in the phone, but the T-Mobile SIM doesn't work in the Virgin phone.

virgo17

That's correct. Put simply, this method of locking allows you to go down the food chain but not up it.