Upgrades and sim cards

tyllwyd

Apologies in advance for what is probably a very stupid question ....

I have ordered a phone as an upgrade on my Orange PAYG account. I'm quite happy with my current phone, so I want to use the new phone on a different number.

Will they send a new SIM card with the new phone, and if I activate that SIM, will it automatically take over my number from my current SIM? If I don't activate the new SIM and carry on using the old one, will that cause any problems later on down the line?

Also, the new phone is an Android one, but I'm only planning to use it on wifi as a general rule. Will I need to have some data available for when I switch it on for the very first time, or can it start up from scratch using wifi?

ZhugeEX

tyllwyd wrote: »

Apologies in advance for what is probably a very stupid question ....

I have ordered a phone as an upgrade on my Orange PAYG account. I'm quite happy with my current phone, so I want to use the new phone on a different number.

Will they send a new SIM card with the new phone, and if I activate that SIM, will it automatically take over my number from my current SIM? If I don't activate the new SIM and carry on using the old one, will that cause any problems later on down the line?

Also, the new phone is an Android one, but I'm only planning to use it on wifi as a general rule. Will I need to have some data available for when I switch it on for the very first time, or can it start up from scratch using wifi?

Your current sim card will stay the same, it will have the same number etc...

The new sim card they send you will be a new pay as you go account sim with a different mobile number.

So yes, you can continue using your sim card in your current phone and then use the new sim in the new phone with a new mobile number. You will then have two sim cards active. Your old one with your new number, and the new one with a new number.

When turning on the android phone go to settings> Mobile networks> and turn data off (untick the box). This setting may come on the phone when you turn it on for the first time.

Hope this helps, tell me if i've confused you even more.

tyllwyd

That all sounds good - thank you!

Buzby

Not so fast.

Orange do not send out 'provisioned' SIM cards. Your new SIM has no number, and to activate your upgrade you will need to put it in to your phone (old or new) and let hem activate it with your existing number. Your old SIM will cease to work.

Once you do this, you have nothing to worry about, as O will believe the new handset is active. Yes, your new phone will work for data on WiFi, just configure and enter your Router code.

tyllwyd

Oh, thanks, I did wonder if it might work like that.

ZhugeEX

Buzby wrote: »

Not so fast.

Orange do not send out 'provisioned' SIM cards. Your new SIM has no number, and to activate your upgrade you will need to put it in to your phone (old or new) and let hem activate it with your existing number. Your old SIM will cease to work.

Once you do this, you have nothing to worry about, as O will believe the new handset is active. Yes, your new phone will work for data on WiFi, just configure and enter your Router code.

But it's a pay as you go upgrade? Not a contract. So surely he'd just use the same sim card that he's always used. And he'd be sent a new pay as you go sim card as a free gift.

molerat

The new SIM has the £10 top up allocated to it. You can either put the SIM in the old (or new) phone and activate it through "My Account" which will give it your existing number and put the £10 against your existing account or put it in the new phone and activate it here https://kareena.orange.co.uk/youraccount/paygsimactivation/activationWithSim which will give it a new number but the £10 top up will be allocated to that number.

Techhead_2

ZhugeEX wrote: »

But it's a pay as you go upgrade? Not a contract. So surely he'd just use the same sim card that he's always used. And he'd be sent a new pay as you go sim card as a free gift.

Unless they've changed things recently, then no, that's not how pay and go upgrades work.

Buzby

ZhugeEX wrote: »

But it's a pay as you go upgrade? Not a contract. So surely he'd just use the same sim card that he's always used. And he'd be sent a new pay as you go sim card as a free gift.

Irrespective of the agreement, there are too many handsets out there for them to work out whether the existing customer SIM will be compatible - as networks routinely upgrade SIMs an 'old SIM" may not provide the correct HLR access, size, or voltage. As the cost s minimal, it makes sense for the customer to have the latest SIM profile, than find out there are issues later.

Buzby

molerat wrote: »

The new SIM has the £10 top up allocated to it. You can either put the SIM in the old (or new) phone and activate it through "My Account" which will give it your existing number and put the £10 against your existing account or put it in the new phone and activate it here https://kareena.orange.co.uk/youraccount/paygsimactivation/activationWithSim which will give it a new number but the £10 top up will be allocated to that number.

The SIM had nothing allocated to it. It does not hold funds of any sort. It only authenticates the user to access their account profile (contract or PAYG). It is the SIM number (IMSI) that links the account to the user and when this is updated, the funds become available for use.

tyllwyd

Thanks everyone! I think I understand now - I will either put the SIM in the new phone and activate it with a new number, or I can swap it for my current SIM and activate it through My Account so that takes over my existing number. Either way, the phone number which uses the new SIM will be the one that gets the £10 top up.