Hello-

I have a simple, yet, complicated question. I am currently with T-mobile as my service provider. Long story short...I have a very basic phone, nothing all that special, but through a friend was able to get a Motorola i850.

The phone is linked here: https://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=735

Of the people I have talked to some have said I could get this phone to work with my current tmobile service and sim card (though they did not know specifically how), and some have said that a Nextel phone will not work with the Tmobile system.

My question is can I get this Motorola i850, which I would really like to be able to use, to work with my current tmobile service? If so could you please tell me how, or offer links, etc. to show me how I can accomplish this.

(ps. inserting my current SIM card does nothing and leaves the phone telling me to insert a SIM card. For what it is worth I thought I would add that.)

Sorry, Dave, but there is a difference in technology between the Nextel and TMobile systems. (Chevy water pump on a Dodge) But you can check with TMobile about a similar Motorola set.

Good Luck,

KLD ---

KLD is quite right. Different networks on different frequencies... 1.3Ghz vs. 800Mhz. It will never work.. it just seems like it should because every other SIM card phone on the market is GSM and are mechanically interchangable.. even though the phone manufacturer blocks the interchange of SIM cards in most cases.

On a seperate note, I would go with the i850. Better phone and better network...

Neither one of those services work well around here. Are you sure both carriers offer good service in your area? All I haver ever heard about or experienced with either one is spotty service areas and absolutely NO indoor use. I would consider going with a carrier that has better national coverage and forget about keeping the phone. Hey, half the time, you end up getting the phone for free or close to it when you sign a new contract.

hey dave i had a ssimilar situation once i found a phone from t mobile i have nextel the normaly dont use the same model phones but this was a phone that both companies used i put my sim card in but it did not work it asked me for a code i called tec support and they told me there was a special code they put in at the factory to make the phone work on the nextel network so i guess thats their way of making sure you buy a phone from their company

The Nextel network is different from all the other cellular networks.. In fact, Nextel isn't "Cellular", it's SMR (specialized mobile radio), with telephone interconnect.

The Nextel network uses a signalling format called IDEN, which is used by a very few companies (Nextel, Southern LINC, Clear-Net, and Boost), the last two I had never heard of until I checked google..
Everybody else uses CDMA, or TDMA (GSM), or legacy AMPS.

The frequency plan is different as well.. Nextel is in the SMR/public safety portion of the 800mhz band (806-821/851-866), while cellular is in the cellular portion of 800 (824-849/869-894), as well as 1900 (1850-1910/1930-1990)..

while it is common to have multi-band/multi-mode phones, I've never seen one offered with IDEN as one of the modes, although I have not looked recently.. this may be changing with the merger of Sprint and Nextel (sprint uses 1900 CDMA)

Nextel will be undergoing some major changes in the next few years, as they migrate from 800 to 1900, and away from IDEN technology, and towards 3G/4G.


https://www.privateline.com/PCS/Frequencies.htm
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question530.htm
https://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2788