UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

hamid_1 · 2nd May 2019, 10:55 pm

If you're not sure about an old mobile phone, look for a SIM card socket, usually under the battery, and an IMEI number. If the phone doesn't take a SIM card it won't work in the UK. Some very old digital mobile phones used credit-card size SIM cards; these can still be used.

Anyway, the Sagem My-X3 is a dual-band GSM (2G) digital mobile phone. In theory you can still use it, but you might encounter a few problems:

1. It will not work with "Three" SIM cards - these require a 3G or 4G handset.

2. The battery may not charge up. I have a method to revive dead mobile phone batteries, but it's a bit risky. I'll explain only if necessary.

3. The phone is very likely to be network-locked. This means it will only accept a SIM card from the network that originally supplied it. If there's a network logo printed on the phone (e.g. Vodafone, Orange, one2one / T-mobile) it will only work with that network's SIM card, unless it's been unlocked. In the UK, Orange and T-Mobile merged and became EE, but an EE SIM card may not work with some old pre-merger phones. If you can get the phone to switch on, try different network SIM cards and see if they work. If the phone says something like "Enter NCK" or asks for an unlock code, that network's SIM is locked out. Don't try to guess the code! You usually have only a few attempts before the phone is locked permanently. In theory, mobile phones can be unlocked, either by paying money to the network operator for the unlock code or by using a special cable and software, but for such an old phone it's not worth the hassle.

2nd May 2019, 10:55 pm	#4
hamid_1 Heptode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK. Posts: 811	Re: Analogue or digital? Sagem MY X3 If you're not sure about an old mobile phone, look for a SIM card socket, usually under the battery, and an IMEI number. If the phone doesn't take a SIM card it won't work in the UK. Some very old digital mobile phones used credit-card size SIM cards; these can still be used. Anyway, the Sagem My-X3 is a dual-band GSM (2G) digital mobile phone. In theory you can still use it, but you might encounter a few problems: 1. It will not work with "Three" SIM cards - these require a 3G or 4G handset. 2. The battery may not charge up. I have a method to revive dead mobile phone batteries, but it's a bit risky. I'll explain only if necessary. 3. The phone is very likely to be network-locked. This means it will only accept a SIM card from the network that originally supplied it. If there's a network logo printed on the phone (e.g. Vodafone, Orange, one2one / T-mobile) it will only work with that network's SIM card, unless it's been unlocked. In the UK, Orange and T-Mobile merged and became EE, but an EE SIM card may not work with some old pre-merger phones. If you can get the phone to switch on, try different network SIM cards and see if they work. If the phone says something like "Enter NCK" or asks for an unlock code, that network's SIM is locked out. Don't try to guess the code! You usually have only a few attempts before the phone is locked permanently. In theory, mobile phones can be unlocked, either by paying money to the network operator for the unlock code or by using a special cable and software, but for such an old phone it's not worth the hassle.