How AT&T USA Users Can Get a Prepaid Tmobile SIM Card For 3G Usage on Nokia N900

October 18th, 2009 • Mark Guim • Filed Under •

This is a tip for the USA readers currently under AT&T contract, but want to enjoy 3G data on the Nokia N900. Since the N900 does not support AT&T’s 3G frequency, you have to use a T-mobile SIM card. Tmo’s Flexpay Monthly plan doesn’t require a long-term contract, so you can just get one at their stores without signing your soul away for the next two years.

Nokia N900 Tmobile

Step 1. Go to a Tmobile store and tell them you want a Flexpay monthly account. Tell them you already have a phone to use it with but you don’t have it with you at the moment. Check the reason at the end of instructions.

Step 2. They’ll ask which plan you want. Since you already have AT&T, you probably don’t need minutes on the T-mobile account. The cheapest option is $29.99 for 300 Whenever minutes with unlimited weekends.

Step 3. Tell them you’ll add the extra services (like the data plan) later on.

Step 4. Sign the papers, then leave the store with your new Tmo SIM card.

Step 5. Insert the SIM card into the Nokia N900 and register/login at my.t-mobile.com with a computer or laptop. Tmobile will not recognize the Nokia N900, so change the phone in your dashboard to one of the Nokia phones. The default for me was a Tmobile G1. I changed it to the Nokia 5310.

My t Mobile

Step 6. Go to Manage Services and add data access for your account. It is $9.99 per month for unlimited web.

Plan & Services

Step 7. That’s it. Now you have a Tmobile SIM to use 3G on the Nokia N900. After taxes, it adds up to about $50 a month. The good news is that you’ll be able to end the plan anytime you want. This is a temporary fix until a Nokia Maemo device compatible with AT&T’s 3G frequency comes out.

Step 1a. If you tell them that you have it with you, they will scan the N900 for the IMEI number. Since it is not in their system, they will force you to pay the $24.99 data plan instead of $9.99.

Switch or Second SIM?

I don’t think you’ll enjoy using the N900 with an EDGE connection. 3G or Wifi is a must, but it will cost another $50 per month for current AT&T customers. Will you switch or get a second SIM for the Nokia N900?

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  • ridwanzero
    Its all about chasing shadows.
    By that I mean latching on to this or that latest, most innovative idea that some self styled money making guru has put out in the hope it’ll go viral and make them a lot of money off the backs of all the headless chickens who will follow them blindly down a blind alley. Its a shame but a truism nonetheless that people will follow where someone they see as an expert leads. Even if they lead them to certain disaster, which is what most of the gurus tend to do to their flocks.
    The trick is to recognize a shadow when you see it!

    www.onlineuniversalwork.com
  • Jeff Thompson
    A stupid question: How to remove the battery to change the SIM card? (Not in the manual!)
  • Jeff Thompson
    Found the answer: You have to slap against your hand. Kinda scary.
  • Elad
    This trick does not work anymore. Now T-Mobile blocks the internet if you have the $10 package and an non T-Mobile phone. You do need the unlimited web for smartphones package for the N900.
  • still works. just select one of the dumbphones on the dashboard as ur phone.
    screenshot from today: http://is.gd/5l3J3
  • Richard
    I'm happy that us T-Mo customers finally get a decent 3G device, and that it happens to run Maemo! All the other 3G devices from Nokia worked on AT&T's 3G, not T-Mobile. So you AT&T types- stop complaining about the N900's 1700 MHz.
  • Charles
    I did this, this past weekend. I must say, TMobile is just so easy to deal with. Now if they just had the coverage....
  • nokiasymbianfreak
    Hey Mark Guim, Please Pleas Please! Respond to me: Will Nokia Make an ATT Frequency For the N900! Please Find out for us Nokia Fans on ATT which is certainly more than T-Mobile(n97,n95,n96) UMTS only on ATT not on T-mobile. Do some of your magic and please talk to someone high up with Nokia and see if they possibly will make a phone that will be compatiable with ATT's 3G network.
    Thanks
  • warren2600
    HAHAHA no way i'm getting this phone.
    good thing i checked the wireless radio support before i clicked the pre-order button.

    nokia=fail
  • olighak
    I actually did just that, I signed up with a Nokia 6301 for which I have no use for whatsoever and will end up on ebay, but will use the sim in my N900.
  • Name
    STUPID STUPID STUPID NOKIA!

    Why would you idiots make bands for t-mo but not at&t where most of the true NAM Nokia users are?!

    Congrats on the "$834 million quarterly loss, smartphone share down to 35%". It's decisions like this that makes me shake my head.
  • Isn't the T-Mobile Sidekick Option another cheaper possibility? It's $1/day, which makes it around $30/Month.
    But this is only for data, voice will be extra depending on usage.
    Disadvantage is that you have to refill your account every now and then when it'll get low.
  • $50 + whatever AT&T plan you are paying a month to use the N900 is outrageous.

    The better idea is to ask a friend/relative to add a line ($9.99) and add data plan ($9.99) to that line. This way you end up paying like $20.00+ taxes/fees a month.

    $50 T-Mobile plus taxes and fees (ending up with over $60+) is not an idea at all. Might as well sign up for 1 year contract and get a free phone to sell on eBay and use the money to pay for the bills.
  • michaelbat
    I will be switching to Tmobile this week. I am totally fedup and frustrated with AT&T's lack of service. From the day they got the iphone everyone except them knew they were not prepared for the influx of people coming over and how much it would overwhelm the network.

    Right now all iphone customers have the best service out there and non iphone customers on AT&T are busy dealing with 15-20 drop calls a day and very slow 3G service speeds. AT&T are only catering to the iphone customers while the rest suffers.

    I am getting my voicemails 3 days late and my text messages are received by my friends and family 2 days after i send it.

    I am switching to tmobile to enjoy my N900 there. Bye Bye AT&T it was nice knowing you.

    P.S when AT&T exclusive with Apple ends next year there will be a mass exodus of customers leaving them.
  • DanT
    That's a bit of an over generalization. I switched from Alltel to AT&T back in 2008 and haven't ever had a dropped call. It may have something to do with where you live or the phone you have. I'm from Texas and I have good coverage in most places.
  • michaelbat
    Well , am just speaking based on my experience. I live in New York City metro.
  • brunkhorse
    Yikes $50 is pretty steep just to use internet! I would find it way to inconvenient to keep switching out the sim cards too everytime I needed to use the web. I'd def just switch over to tmobile and port my ATT number to a prepaid line.
  • chris
    you could use a 6in1 sim card. just rip your att and your tmobile sim in your 6 in 1 using a usb sime reader. switch service using in-phone function.
  • Andraeseus
    I am definitely going to switch to t-mobile. not jus tbecause i want the n900 so badly but mainly because they are just over all cheaper and they treat there long term customers a lot better. I have been with at&t for as long as my mom has been with t-mobile which is about 10 years. it costs me like 130 bucks for the minute plan i need with unlimited data. for my mom to add me to her plan it will cost about 60 bucks a month for unlimited data and texting and minutes. t-mobile is jus tflat out cheaper.
  • Dattrini
    Hey Mark, did they happen to announce a release date on this N900..I was just wondering how much longer I would have to wait..
  • Dattrini
    This phone is what the Nokia N97 should have been...why in the world did they decide to use T-mobile's 3g network is beyond me..SMH. Anyways I have an iphone and a nokia N97.. I want this damn N900 but an extra 50 bucks is kinda tough..I guess I will think about in the next few days..but there is no way I'm going back to T-mobile..thanks nokia...
  • Name
    jesus christ how complicated things are in US...
  • I have an existing AT&T contract but have, as many others have, become increasingly disenchanted. I think I'll follow you're excellent advice here, use Google Voice to get around the phone number issue and test the service on TMob for a couple of months. If it looks good I'll dump the AT&T plan end of year and move over to TMob only
  • Can we port our number to Google voice yet? That would be awesome
  • cvbruce
    I am suspicious when they say unlimited web. Does that mean port 80 only. If so, I'm not interested. I would need access to many more ports, for email, etc.
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