Greetings Gadgetfolk,
I've recently bought a 4G-ready Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 LTE SM-P605 phablet (Phone-&-Tablet-Computer), and so I'm after getting a Telephony-&-Computing 4G LTE PAYG microSIM for it. The reasons I need to explore alternatives to my current network service provider, which may prove to be relevant to this query, are as follows.
Over the last five years, I have happily been using a Telephony-&-Computing 3G PAYG miniSIM from Three UK in my last two Linux phablets: a Nokia N900, 2010-2012, and a Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000, 2012-present. So ahead of purchasing a larger SGN, I asked Three UK for written confirmation that I could use a similar-but-smaller-&-faster Telephony-&-Computing 4G LTE PAYG microSIM from Three UK in an SGN 10.1 2014 LTE SM-P605 phablet – and was deceived by a front line customer services drone into believing that I certainly could. Indeed, a shop bought “Handset” Three UK PAYG microSIM worked perfectly for three days, providing all the Telephony-&-Computing facilities I am used to accessing on my original 5.3-inch SGN. However, on day four, accessing the web via the Three network just brought up a “SIMblock” error message:
Your SIM will only work in your phone.
Reference SIM001
Taking your SIM card out of your mobile phone and putting it into a different device - like a dongle or tablet - isn't what our phone plans or Add-ons were designed for. You need to put your SIM back into your phone in order to continue using it.
» http://connection.three.co.uk/SIMblock
After complaining to Three UK in writing, and speaking with folk from the first three tiers of their management hierarchy, it turns out that Three are arbitrarily and dogmatically dividing Samsung’s SGN line into one phone “Handset" and two “Mobile Broadband” tablets; so according to the current Three dogma:
— SGN 3 = “Phone”, and is therefore eligible to use a “Handset" PAYG SIM
— SGN 8.0 & 10.1 = “Tablets”, so are therefore NOT eligible to use a “Handset" PAYG SIM; can ONLY use "Mobile Broadband” SIMs
This is both technologically incompetent (since all three SGN’s access network Telephony-&-Computing services identically, AFAIK) and unjustly discriminates against SGN 8.0 & 10.1 owners with unfair prejudice (because accessing Telephony network services is prohibitively expensive on a Three "Mobile Broadband” SIM).
So my hope is that Three’s loss (thanks to their own foolhardy, arbitrary, discriminatory, prejudiced dogma) can be another 4G UK network’s gain. My new SGN 10.1 2014 LTE SM-P605 phablet can access the following network service technologies:
Network/Bearer and Wireless Connectivity
• EDGE / GPRS Class 33 / GSM Quad Band (850 / 900 / 1,800 / 1,900MHz)
• 4G CAT 4 Up to 150Mbps [Band 1 (2,100) / Band 3 (1,800) / Band 5 (850) / Band 7 (2,600) / Band 8 (900) / Band 20 (800)]
• 3G (850 / 900 / 1,900 / 2,100MHz) / 3.5G (HSPA+ 42Mbps)
» http://www.samsung.com/sg/consumer/mobile-devices/galaxy-note/galaxy-note/SM-P6050ZWEXSP-spec
So here’s my…
QUESTION
Is it possible to get a 4G LTE PAYG microSIM from O2 for my new SGN 10.1 2014 LTE SM-P605 phablet, that will provide affordable access to a full range of network Telephony-&-Computing services: voice calls, voicemail, video calls, SMS and MMS messaging, and full internet access for email, the web, FTP, etc.?
An authoritative answer from an O2 employee would be optimal; and useful answers from fellow end users are welcome, too.
Thanks in anticipation for your time and attention,
Tim Jones
