Should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone? Explained

You planned on upgrading your mobile phone, and don’t know if it is commendable to change your sim card as well, I will explain that to you on this very topic of should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone.

We do tends to change our mobile phone very often, but what about our sim cards, should we also change the sim very often just like our mobile phones, these are some of the questions asked by users. If it is good to change a sim card same when upgrading our mobile phones.

Should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone

You shouldn’t get a new sim card when you upgrade your phone unless the sim card isn’t compatible with your new phone.

What I mean by not being compatible is the case whereby you bought a phone that supports a Nano sim card, while you have a micro sim card in your previous phone. Instead of stressing yourself cutting the micro sim in order to fit your new phone sim slot, you should change the sim card.

Let me further explain the reasons why you should or shouldn’t change your sim card if you upgrade your mobile phone.

should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone

1. If the sim card is compatible with your new phone

In this situation, your sim card is a Nano sim, and perfectly fit into your new phone sim slot, then there’s no need getting a new sim card for the phone.

However, if you have a micro sim card and bought a Nano sim phone, then you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for a sim replacement from your network carrier, and it is usually for free though it depends on one’s location.

For this aspect, you shouldn’t bother yourself with the question of should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone cause there’s no need for that.

2. Change the sim card if the phone is 5g and sim is 4g

You bought a new phone and which is a 5g mobile phone,  your sim card is 4g and is not compatible with the 5g network, this is a big reason to change the sim card especially if you have a 5g network coverage in your location.

Now let me explain this to you, there are network carriers that will not require their subscribers to change their 4g sim card in order to use the 5g network services in their phone. However, many network providers require their subscribers to change the previous sim cards to a new 5g sim card.

So if you bought a new phone that supports the 5g network and you have a 5g network coverage in your area, your sim card isn’t compatible with the 5g network, please you shouldn’t hesitate to get a new sim card for your new mobile phone.

Remember it will be a replacement cause the new sim will still maintain your phone number. I did this when my bought my new samsung galaxy s21 ultra, my 4g sim card didn’t support the 5g network so I had to get a new sim card (sim replacement) for my mobile phone.

● You may want to read Will a 4g sim work in a 5g phone (Detailed explanation)

Should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone?

You should if your phone is 5g and your sim card doesn’t support the 5g network.

3. The phone is carrier locked

This is another reason why you may need to get a new sim card, if your upgraded phone is carrier locked and not unlocked.

Remember, if your phone is carrier locked, no any other sim card will work in the phone other than the phone network carrier.

For example, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, etc. If you have an AT&T sim card and bought a T-Mobile locked phone, the AT&T sim card will never work in the locked phone unless you use a T-Mobile sim card or probably unlock the phone which is quite costly to do.

● You may want to read Carrier lock no sim restrictions: What you need to know

Should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone?

Yes you should get a new sim card if your new upgraded phone is carrier locked or not compatible with your sim card.

Note that if a mobile phone is carrier locked, the network provider usually put their new SIM card into the phone box.

Do I need a new SIM card when upgrading my iPhone

You shouldn’t get a new sim card as long as the sim card is compatible with your iPhone, and also has the same network coverage with the iPhone.

This is the case of upgrading to a 5g phone while your sim card is 4g. If the 4g sim card will support the 5g network, there’s no cause to worry or to ask should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone.

Kindly upgrade the phone and use your sim card in your upgraded phone instead of buying a new sim card for the mobile phone.

Is there any reason to keep an old SIM card

There’s no reason to keep an old SIM card as long as you did a sim replacement and have your phone switched into your new sim card.

Once you have all your contacts and phone number in the new sim card, then the old sim card is of no use and should be disposed properly. In many cases if you did a sim replacement, the other sim or probably the old sim card will become invalid.

That is to say that even if you insert the sim into your mobile phone, it will not detect any network coverage around. That is to say that the sim card will be damaged as it can no longer be used.

So all you need to do is to dispose the sim.

When i did a sim replacement for a 5g sim card, my old sim card became invalid or damaged I will say cause it no longer detect network connection and contacts stored in the sim where no more there.

● You may want to read The sim card has locked iphone (Check out the fix)

So I don’t see any reason why you should keep an old SIM card which you have already transferred all the information to a new sim card, unless maybe you should keep it for future remembering of how 2013 sim cards used to be back then (nostalgic feeling).

This is where I draw the line on this very topic of should i get a new sim card when i upgrade my phone, once again there’s no need to get a new sim card unless your sim card isn’t compatible with your upgraded phone.

About Kennedy

I'm Amaechi Uchenna by name, a mobile tech enthusiast who love writing articles about tips and tutorials especially relating to gadgets.

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