Using a Virgin Mobile Sim with a T Mobile Phone?

jazzy

My T Mobile contract is due to expire shortly. I have found a much better deal with Virgin Mobile a sim only deal.

My current mobile is an iphone locked to the T Mobile network, would the Virgin Mobile sim work ok, because I believe that Virgin uses the T Mobile network?

kingrulzuk

NO it will not work u will have to get the phone unlocked.

Virgin is just using network coverage and is not part of Tmobile like EE or Orange

phona

My phone was locked to T-Mobile and I took out a Virgin sim-only deal and it worked just fine :-)

Before I took out my Virgin deal, I ordered a free PAYG sim from them just to check, I think this is worth doing in your case.

spannerzone

Usually it should work, a Virgin SIM in a Tmobile phone but not the other way around.

Same with using a Tesco sim in an O2 phone but not the other way around etc

The mvno (mobile virtual network operator) such as Virgin uses Tmobile/EE network and aTmobile phone should accept the virgin SIM, a Virgin SIM locked phone however is usually double sim locked so won't accept anything except a Virgin sim. Same with Tesco being an mvno of O2,

Im_just_careful

It is highly likely to work but to preserve future options I strongly recommend that you get T-Mobile to unlock the phone now, while it is easy, even though it will cost you about £20.


Then if you ever want to move network it will be easier.


You may also find that the Virgin settings for iPhone will come automatically. That certainly happened when I put a 3 SIM into an iPhone that had been locked to T-Mobile but I had got unlocked by them.