Swapping sim card between iPhone 4 and S4 on AT&T

[MacUser03]

Hello - long time lurker, first time poster here.

I currently have an iPhone 4 on AT&T and would like to get a Galaxy S4. However, I want to be able to switch between the two phones as I please so I can have the best of both worlds. If I get an unlocked S4 model GT-I9500, GT-I9505, or SGH-I337, can I just take the micro sim card from my iPhone 4 and use it in the S4 and have everything just work (voice and data)? Will I be able to switch back and forth without calling AT&T? I have a 3G sim card, will that be an issue in the S4?

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

You can swap the SIM card back and forth between the phones with no issue. But if you want LTE, two things need to happen:

1. You'll need to get a data plan that is provisioned for LTE.
2. You'll need a new SIM card.

 

[MacUser03]

If I get an LTE sim card then I won't be able to use my iPhone 4 anymore, so I'll stick with the 3G sim card.

 

[spinedoc77]

I always had issues with data when I used to swap between iphone and android. I had it explained by an ATT tech before, but I forget it's been a while. Every time I switched I had to call ATT to have them set it up, only took a few minutes but took the fun out of owning 2 phones real quick.

 

[MacUser03]

Hmm, conflicting reports on whether swapping out the sim card will work or not. Can anyone else weigh in this?

I always had issues with data when I used to swap between iphone and android. I had it explained by an ATT tech before, but I forget it's been a while. Every time I switched I had to call ATT to have them set it up, only took a few minutes but took the fun out of owning 2 phones real quick.

Which iPhone and android phone were you swapping between?

 

[JH-]

LTE automatically turned for me when I went from a 4S to an S4. I did get a text asking me to switch plans so I don't know how long it would have lasted.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

I've never had any problems switching between my iPhone 4 and an Android phone. I have a "smartphone" data plan and not an "iPhone" data plan which is what may have been causing the issues the other posters had. AT&T is weird like that. Here is what I see when I log into my account; first screenshot is my wife's line, second is mine.

edit: FWIW, I've swapped my SIM from an S3 to my iPhone 4, a Nexus 4 to my iPhone 4, and just now tried it from my HTC One to my iPhone 4. Same experience with all.

 

[Bankaimadness]

Wait is LTE a different service than regular data on ATT?

 

[spinedoc77]

Hmm, conflicting reports on whether swapping out the sim card will work or not. Can anyone else weigh in this?



Which iPhone and android phone were you swapping between?

Originally an ip4 and a samsung captivate, but just earlier this year it was with a ip5 and a Note 2. I used to completely lose data and whenever I called they said it was because they were set up differently in AT&T's system for data. Maybe they changed something since then. I would LOVE for this to be seamless as well as I am very much undecided between a 5s and a Note 3 and I think I may buy them both and just swap out the SIM card as desired.

Just to clarify it wasn't an issue with LTE, I just didn't get ANY data until I called and let them know I was on a different phone.

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I've never had any problems switching between my iPhone 4 and an Android phone. I have a "smartphone" data plan and not an "iPhone" data plan which is what may have been causing the issues the other posters had. AT&T is weird like that. Here is what I see when I log into my account; first screenshot is my wife's line, second is mine.

Image

Image​

edit: FWIW, I've swapped my SIM from an S3 to my iPhone 4, a Nexus 4 to my iPhone 4, and just now tried it from my HTC One to my iPhone 4. Same experience with all.

Hmm, that's interesting, maybe I had an iphone plan. I had a mobile share plan with 2 iphones and an ipad on it back then so it wasn't a plan add on, but incorporated into the plan itself.

Can anyone else comment on the mobile share plans specifically and if you can swap the sim from iphone to android and have data work automatically with no call to ATT required?

 

[2298754]

Wait is LTE a different service than regular data on ATT?

Technically, yes. Your account has to be properly provisioned for it with an LTE data plan. Once you have that, you can switch between multiple phones and it's fine.

 

[MacUser03]

I've never had any problems switching between my iPhone 4 and an Android phone. I have a "smartphone" data plan and not an "iPhone" data plan which is what may have been causing the issues the other posters had. AT&T is weird like that. Here is what I see when I log into my account; first screenshot is my wife's line, second is mine.

Image

Image​

edit: FWIW, I've swapped my SIM from an S3 to my iPhone 4, a Nexus 4 to my iPhone 4, and just now tried it from my HTC One to my iPhone 4. Same experience with all.

How did you get on a "Data Unlimited plan for LTE"? Did you start out with an android phone? I thought an LTE sim card didn't work in an iPhone 4.

EDIT:
According to this page, and LTE sim card does work in an iPhone 4. So it seems what I need to be able to swap between iPhone 4 and android phone is to get an LTE data plan and LTE sim card, and then I can have the best of both worlds.

 

[rockitdog]

Wait is LTE a different service than regular data on ATT?

Nothing at all. I don't know why AT&T does this. Last summer I was switching between an HTC One X and iPhone 4S without any issue at all.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

How did you get on a "Data Unlimited plan for LTE"? Did you start out with an android phone? I thought an LTE sim card didn't work in an iPhone 4.

EDIT:
According to this page, and LTE sim card does work in an iPhone 4. So it seems what I need to be able to swap between iPhone 4 and android phone is to get an LTE data plan and LTE sim card, and then I can have the best of both worlds.

I had an unlimited iPhone data plan for years. When I switched to a GS3 last year, the rep at the store changed my plan to what you see above. Since then, I've been able to switch back and forth between any AT&T/unlocked phone with a microSIM slot.

That page is correct. When I put my SIM in the iPhone 4, it works no problem - it's just stuck on 3G like normal.

 

[spinedoc77]

I had an unlimited iPhone data plan for years. When I switched to a GS3 last year, the rep at the store changed my plan to what you see above. Since then, I've been able to switch back and forth between any AT&T/unlocked phone with a microSIM slot.

That page is correct. When I put my SIM in the iPhone 4, it works no problem - it's just stuck on 3G like normal.

Any idea what plan you get when you sign up for a mobile share plan? I asked many technicians if there was a plan that allowed me to swap at will and they all said no, that's when I gave up. They said there was only one plan for mobile share, but the way the phone was input was what was limiting me.

 

[MacUser03]

I stopped by my local AT&T store today and the rep there was kind enough to let me try putting her personal LTE sim card from her Galaxy S4 into my iPhone 4 to test seeing if I'd be able to swap back and forth, and sure enough both data and voice worked just fine.

So I'm going to update to an LTE data plan and get a new LTE sim card. Best of both worlds, here I come! Thanks all!

UPDATE:
I got my Galaxy S4 now and have verified that switching between the two is no problem at all .

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

Any idea what plan you get when you sign up for a mobile share plan? I asked many technicians if there was a plan that allowed me to swap at will and they all said no, that's when I gave up. They said there was only one plan for mobile share, but the way the phone was input was what was limiting me.

I'm honestly not sure. When you log into your AT&T account, what does it say under myAT&T > Wireless Services > Add or Change a Service?

 

[spinedoc77]

I'm honestly not sure. When you log into your AT&T account, what does it say under myAT&T > Wireless Services > Add or Change a Service?

Image

I don't have post paid anymore, I'm on go phone. On go phone it just says smartphone plan so i have a feeling i will be able to swap. So now i can buy a note 3 and a iphone 5s.