What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM Card

[Ro_Laren]

I'm going to be in London for a couple days next month on my way back home to America from Eastern Europe. I’m obviously going to have my smartphone with me, but am going to take out my SIM card out so that my telephone carrier doesn’t “accidently” charge me any roaming or internet costs. But, can I still partially use my smartphone if I take out the SIM card? Be prepared for stupid questions:

• Can I turn on my smartphone after I take out the SIM card??? I would test it now, but it is a pain in the butt to open up the back of my phone and take out the SIM card. If the answer is yes, I am guessing that I can still use functions on my phone that don’t require internet access like my camera and my calendar...
• If I download app’s like a tube map and street map of London, can I open them when the SIM card isn’t in my phone? Of course, that is assuming that I can find an app that doesn’t require me to access the internet (any suggestions?).
• If I go to a Starbucks or another free place with free wi-fi, will I have any problem accessing that wi-fi when the SIM card has been pulled out of my phone?

Thanks for entertaining my dumb questions?? Any other thoughtful tips or comments on using a phone without a SIM card are welcomed!!!

 

[That Weirdo In The Corner]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

yeah it should work as normal only with no updating of apps unless on wifi.

Tube map should be OK
Street maps may be a problem as they like to download the maps data a s you use it. if it's an android phone you can download a google map for off-line use

http://google-latlong.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/go-offline-with-google-maps-for-android.html

Another option is to pickup a PAYG sim card in the UK. for £15 Three has a PAYG sim with unlimited data or £10 for 500MB

http://www.three.co.uk/Store/SIM/Pay_As_You_Go

 

[Ro_Laren]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Another option is to pickup a PAYG sim card in the UK. for £15 Three has a PAYG sim with unlimited data or £10 for 500MB

Is that £15 for one day only?? I have an LG smartphone with an Android operating system (if that makes a difference in anything I typed in my original post).

 

[That Weirdo In The Corner]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Another option is to pickup a PAYG sim card in the UK. for £15 Three has a PAYG sim with unlimited data or £10 for 500MB

Is that £15 for one day only?? I have an LG smartphone with an Android operating system (if that makes a difference in anything I typed in my original post).

No that is for 1 month

Android phone can download a section of a google map for off-line use see my first post for link

 

[MacLeod]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Yeah I was going to suggest picking up a UK sim card. But as for the question in general to echo what others have said your smartphone should perform all task that don't require connection to the mobile phone network.

 

[Ro_Laren]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Thanks everyone!

 

[slackbladder]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

can you still look at skin pics that you downloaded?

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Why don't you remove the SIM card for a while and see what works and what doesn't? It's much quicker, simpler and safe than asking. Typically, only the phone functions will disappear when you remove the SIM card (although I guess some limited e.g. emergency dialing might still be available), but some crazy manufacturers might purposefully break other functionality as well or tie it with the phone functionality, and you might get surprises that nobody can expect or tell you about.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

I don't think emergency dialling would still work without a SIM card. Don't know how it works in the states but in the UK if you dial 999 on a mobile if your network is not available it will use another network.

 

[Ro_Laren]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Why don't you remove the SIM card for a while and see what works and what doesn't? It's much quicker, simpler and safe than asking.

You would think it would be a quick, simple process to pull out a SIM card, but unfortunately my phone sucks. It's an LG and I bought it last year, but it takes me forever and a day to take the back off. It is really hard to pull apart and each time I do, I'm afraid that I am going to break it!

 

[Retu]

Re: What Functions Does a Smartphone Still Have if U Take Out the SIM

Android phones have an option to turn off the data connection. Also you could just turn on the airplane mode. That effectively blocks all connection outside. Unfortunately that also blocks wifi connection.
But to answer to your original question, I pulled SIM card out of my own Android phone today (Sony xpress mini pro) and it works just fine without it. Only phone functions and those related to mobile data are disabled.

Edit: Forgot to mention that emergency calls still work.