[Closed] Will a 10 y-o dumb phone just work if I get a sim?

just phone EE and ask them!

Ring Orange.

Er, oh.

What's the handset?

We did something like this as you need to be on 2 networks to get coverage in some of the rural places my wife goes regularly.

Pay as you go SIM but check how often you have to make a call. We got an Asda one as it is one call per six months. Minimum top up to start of was 3 quid. Other networks may be even better deals for this occasional use but we needed a SIM not on our regular O2 network.

It might

That said I had an unlocked old dumb phone that I stuck a vodaphone sim in - it wouldnt work. Plan was to use it exactly as you ie an emergency phone in the hills.

I went back to vodaphone shop and explained, they were like 'it's your phone', I was like 'meh'. Then they said they could sell me a phone for a pound - yes a pound - and reappeared with a small dumbphone. £1 later all was good and the phone is actually alright! Certainly better than my one.

The voda sim was a similar deal to the one mentioned above, one call or text every 180days or whatever.

With an old phone the battery might be dead or less than ideal. What about the Nokia 105 - Argos have them for £18, and you'll have a decent battery.

We bought one for MIL, as her old phone refused to work with newer SIMS, so the 105 was virtually identical to the older one.

I've been tempted myself, but I tuck the smart phone away in my camelbak. I don't like to carry them in jacket or short pockets, just in case

I only have an old Dumb phone, its all I use, probably more than 10 years old. I stuck a new SIM in it the other month as I need to receive a text code for a broken smart phone, and it works fine.

It's an old Sony Ericsson c902 - I also have an old Motorola flip phone, also on orange. Both seem to hold a charge, so I'm going to get an ee payg sim and see what happens...

Sony Ericsson c902

Good phone. I liked the sliding camera cover. We've still got 2 in 'the draw'

Stuck a sim in my old Nokia 7110 recently...still worked fine

You should be able to unlock that with a +pw code. Talk to EE (who were Orange after all) to see if they can give you a code. You'll likely need your IMEI which will be on a sticker inside or you can display with *#06# on the dialler.

Plenty of hooky places online / on markets that'll do it, but for the value of the handset you'd be better off fixing it with a new one.

We’ve still got 2 in ‘the draw’

Are you holding a lottery or something?

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Unlocking-your-device/Unlocking-your-EE-mobile-phone-or-device/td-p/763557

But, but.... Strava?

And how are you going to upload your pictures to Instagram ?

It’s hardly worth going out 😉

Thanks Cougar - I'm going to give them a ring, I think

binners - I'm not interested in using either, even with the smartphone that I don't take on the bike with me, and I'm very sure I'm not interesting enough for anyone to look, even if I did!

I’ve been tempted myself, but I tuck the smart phone away in my camelbak. I don’t like to carry them in jacket or short pockets, just in case

I've just wrecked a 'waterproof' smart phone in the jacket pocket of my 'waterproof' coat. Turns out it's not snow proof.
I'd lost the little rubber thingy which covered the USB slot, wasn't expecting it to survive immersion but a pocket in the snow?!
So yes, good plan OP.

🤔 I have an old Samsung E780 in a box that I might try resurrecting as a hillwalking/biking backup phone.

Loved it when it was my main phone BITD 😂

Got my wife a new version of Nokia 3310 as she hates smart phones and it just sits on the table turned on for 2-3 weeks before needing a charge, one of the benefits to me.

There was of course the risk of 2G being turned off but that has been planned for years and looks like there is another 10 years yet.

Is it 2G?

Not all networks support 2G.

Some do, so pick your sim provider.

I looked at this when my mum went into hospital before Christmas, she doesn't have a phone, just uses my dad's and we looked at getting her something so we could speak to her (fall and cracked pelvis, we managed to get her out though which was a relief)

As above you can get basic PAYG phones delivered to your door next day for a quid, certainly < £10 as long as you buy £10 top up as well.

Is it 2G?

Not all networks support 2G.

Some do, so pick your sim provider.

Very good question - how do i tell?

As above you can get basic PAYG phones delivered to your door next day for a quid

Part of the point is to reuse, rather than but another new thing...

Very good question – how do i tell?

This site has a long list but was from Feb 2020 so not up to date but back then looks like most covered 2G.

My eldest opted out of the whole smart-phone thing a couple of years ago and went down the retro Nokia route. Costs about £35 new.
Not a burner phone as such but!

He kind of enjoyed the whole Snake game and inherent simplicity of it all. Then about six months ago he bought himself an iPhone 8. I assume that the nokia novelty has gone.

Part of the point is to reuse, rather than but another new thing…

Sorry missed this detail

Also if just using it as a spare/emergency type phone, which I do for touring (remember those days;) anyone know of deals as most providers want to sell pay monthly deals or sims only last a few months, i.e. when I checked my spare phone the payg option has gone and can't even top up (Virgin btw), so need a new deal to keep as spare with a few £ on. Thanks.

@cvilla the time between phone uses does vary with operator. I think Asda was had to make one call every 5 or 6 months. Topped up only £3 so will cost less than 50p a year to run. Might only need a text which would be about 15p a year for 3 texts.
Just need to check the rules when you get a SIM if it's for backup use only.

OP, why would you need a new sim? Why not just take the sim out of your smartphone and put it in the dumb phone when you go for a ride?

Reason I ask is, funnily enough I've been thinking exactly the same thing. And I also have a C902 🙂