3G phone needed for Three?

Mimikyu

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srsly78

Any GSM phone will work for voice on any network in Europe. Data is irrelevant, just turn it off if you don't want it. Non 3g phones will work fine so long as they support gsm (which your phones do support, so dont worry).

Mimikyu

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srsly78

They mean GSM not 3g. Any standard sim will work. 3g refers to data only.

Micro sims only used in newer phones. They are basically the same as older sims but smaller I think.

Kensington

Three don't want you to use 2G, it costs them money as they need to pay Vodafone for it. While it's quite possible a 2G phone will work perfectly fine on Three, they could cut you off at any time as you will be going against the Terms and Conditions of service.

Jonathan

srsly78 wrote: »

They mean GSM not 3g.

No. 3 only have a licence for a 3G network. Vodafone, o2 and Meteor all have 2G and 3G licences. Consequently when you are out of a 3 3G coverage area you roam on a 2G network. (Vodafone iirc).

To answer the OP's question I think it will work, but questions might be asked if she is always roaming on Vodafone's network.

ingen

it will work, my 3 sim works in an nokia 3720!

bd250110

srsly78 wrote: »

They mean GSM not 3g. Any standard sim will work. 3g refers to data only.

Micro sims only used in newer phones. They are basically the same as older sims but smaller I think.

No, they really do mean 3G. It is in their T&C's. Because 3 don't have a 3G network they don't want you on Vodafone's 3G network all of the time. While 2G will technically work, 3 themselves will cut-off the line wither by flagging usage patterns, or the phone itself will identify itself as a 2G handset. FYI: 3G is not just for data, it is for voice and data, 2G also handles voice and data, you would just get faster speeds.

Micro SIM's are nothing to do with being a USIM or not. Micro SIM is a physical form factor. USIM is a newer generation of SIM.

GarIT

Three Reps on boards have told me before that it's fine to use a 2G samsung Tocco Lite. In England it used to be their policy that you can only use a 3G phone but then they started allowing people use what they want when they started selling SIMs without phones, I presume its the same here.

drunkmonkey

Captain Morgan wrote: »

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Correct, I'd suspect the C3 won't work.

Regardless of if a 2G phone might work there's no point in using it as you won't be on 3's 3G network as you'll be constantly roaming on vodafone 2G, slower internet and less call quality.

Also where 3 have switched off vodafone romaing the phone also won't work. I think o'connell street is one place.

If your on 3 you need a 3G phone anything else is only messing and your not getting the proper experience.

2G Phone + 3 3G Sim = FAIL

xsiborg

Two screencaps taken from my nokia X6 in the last few minutes, just to show that the 3G sim on the Three network WILL work in both "Dual mode", and "GSM".

Interestingly enough though, i had assumed that i was still on the 3 network when i changed to GSM only mode because i thought the Operator Network Logo would show Vodafone.

This is not so, the only indicator i got that i was on the vodafone network was when i went back to the home screen and was notified by a message that data charges when roaming may apply for the home screen content.

This leads me to the conclusion that yes, while it is possible to use a 3 sim in a 2G phone, you will be constantly roaming on the vodafone network, which may affect data, calls and texts. i personally wouldn't recommend it tbh...

Mimikyu

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bd250110

xsiborg wrote: »

This leads me to the conclusion that yes, while it is possible to use a 3 sim in a 2G phone, you will be constantly roaming on the vodafone network, which may affect data, calls and texts. i personally wouldn't recommend it tbh...

Two problems with your assumption:
1) That 2G phones are compatable with 3's USIM's - most are not
2) A 2G handset will identify itself as such to the network. 3 will inevitably cut-off access to this number until the USIM has been put in a 3G handset. There are multiple reports of this.

At the end of the day Voda 2G is there as a back-up, but 3 do not want their customers on it long-term.

GarIT

xsiborg wrote: »

This leads me to the conclusion that yes, while it is possible to use a 3 sim in a 2G phone, you will be constantly roaming on the vodafone network, which may affect data, calls and texts. i personally wouldn't recommend it tbh...

I've been doing it for the last week and a bit, I only have a 2G phone untill my new phone arrives on Friday My phone keeps telling me its roaming but its still just using my minutes and free texts, I haven't been charged extra for anything yet.