Author Topic: Sim card question  (Read 2601 times)

birdie55

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Sim card question
« on: February 07, 2017, 01:26:17 PM »
I have an iPhone SE and will be spending 5 - 6 weeks in Spain this spring.  I plan on getting an activated Spanish sim card and inserting it when I get to Spain.  I'm spending two days in France, first but will just keep my sim card in the phone until I get to Spain. 

What I need help with, is how much of my data will be retained on the phone?   I do back up everything to the cloud.  With the Spanish sim card, will my phone just download all my data from the cloud, and then I might need to download any books I have on my kindle app? 

Will all the apps I have purchased still be on my phone with the Spanish sim card?

Thanks for your help. 

cartman1973

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Re: Sim card question
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2017, 01:35:47 PM »
I think you'll find your SIM card can store some numbers but nothing else. You can normally choose where to save downloaded files, either to the main memory of the phone or to a storage card (such as a microSD card, which is entirely separate from the SIM card), or you can always move them manually.
Your data and files should just stay on the phone, either in main memory or the SD card (if you have one).
I think there is a broader issue that you may need to check - certainly in the UK some phones are 'locked' to the network provider who supplied it, so check with them before you go to see if it will accept other SIMs. Alternatively you could just keep the SIM you already have and check out what the cost will be - roaming charges are greatly reduced these datas - just watch what they will charge for data... some people runs up bills of ££££s without realising.

birdie55

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Re: Sim card question
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2017, 01:39:50 PM »
I did check and my phone is unlocked.  Also, the plan I am with does not offer International service, so I do need a Spanish sim card while in Spain. 

MoonLiteNite

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Re: Sim card question
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2017, 07:11:21 PM »
Not 100% sure, but 5 years ago sim cards held just your phone number and up to 32 contacts, nothing else.
So swapping should be easy. Smart phones nowadays store contact numbers in the internal drive or sd card

Nothlit

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Re: Sim card question
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2017, 08:27:55 PM »
What I need help with, is how much of my data will be retained on the phone?   I do back up everything to the cloud.  With the Spanish sim card, will my phone just download all my data from the cloud, and then I might need to download any books I have on my kindle app? 

Will all the apps I have purchased still be on my phone with the Spanish sim card?

The SIM card stores virtually nothing. It is simply an identifier chip between your phone and the cell network (SIM = subscriber identity module). All of your apps, data, Kindle books, etc. will still be on your phone when you change SIM cards.

birdie55

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Re: Sim card question
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2017, 08:57:27 PM »
What I need help with, is how much of my data will be retained on the phone?   I do back up everything to the cloud.  With the Spanish sim card, will my phone just download all my data from the cloud, and then I might need to download any books I have on my kindle app? 

Will all the apps I have purchased still be on my phone with the Spanish sim card?

The SIM card stores virtually nothing. It is simply an identifier chip between your phone and the cell network (SIM = subscriber identity module). All of your apps, data, Kindle books, etc. will still be on your phone when you change SIM cards.

Thank, that is exactly what I needed to know.