Remove embedded sim card in Sprint's version of Samsung Galaxy Note II

"The Note II has both CDMA and GSM capabilities. It is a ""global phone"" as termed by CDMA providers such as Verizon and Sprint. Unfortunately Sprint decided to embed the SIM card unlike Verizon which has their SIM slot accessible. This means Sprint users are forced to pay Sprint's rates when travelling abroad instead of just popping in a pay-as-you-go SIM card from another country to save money on rates. Stupid Sprint.

Also, the Verizon Note II comes unlocked. My friend tested it by popping in a Tmobile SIM card and he was able to make phone calls using the Tmobile number on this Verizon Note II.

Here is a thread on XDA detailing the possibility of switching out some parts to convert the Sprint Note II to have an accessible SIM slot:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthre..."

"not entirely true.

check it out.

YES CDMA phones can't be switched. Duh. But the Note II is capable of GSM too... the embedded sim is nothing more then a normal sim card.

check this thread at XDA. Solder in a dual SIM, load up the software and your good to go. Well... as long as you can get the battery cover back on.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthre...

Update

CDMA phones don't use SIM cards at all. Unless the are world capable (international) phones. In that case, it uses CDMA on the sprint network, and the GSM for when traveling abroad (unless your in the rare location of the world that serves CDMA). You're correct that it doesn't use any sort of physical chip accessible to the customer to connect to the network. It uses a serial number of each specific phone to permit access.

That's why on sprint and Verizon you have to contact them with the ESN or MEID to switch the phone service. Even then the ESN has to be registered with that specific network. Sprint to Sprint and Verizon to Verizon.

On t-mobile and at&t you can just flip flop your SIM.....

World capable phones on Sprint (or Verizon i guess) can do both flavors if you play your cards right. Its just the matter of what phone you have and what you plan on doing. If its a International capable phone, its pretty much just a matter of software. Either getting your cell phone carrier to unlock it or unlocking it yourself.

So for the instance of our Note II, Sprint was kind enough to not use a physical SIM card that could be removed and replaced with a new carriers sim card. No, the decided to embed the little guy making it nearly impossible to switch out. That way you CAN'T (easily) switch out the SIM to your carrier of choice. Sprint will say its in an effort to prevent international phone fraud. Which doesn't really make sense but that's beside the point.

I'll be getting my Note II next week and plan on doing a test run of soldering a dual SIM connector and putting in the SIM switching software. Its possible. Its been done before. If you do decide to do it, its not going to be for the faint of heart, it would take some physical meddling of the innards.

check this.....

Done with the Motorola Photon Q

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthre...

Developing for the Note II

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthre...

Sim switching (dual SIM)

http://www.magic-sim.com/"

"CDMA phones in europe and asia are available with RUIM or removable user identity modules. Same as SIM cards but different software loaded.

There are phones available there with 2, 3, or 4, possibly even 5 card slots with 1 or 2 of them for CDMA.

Verizon and Sprint don't want that in north america. It's about control and mone, not preventing fraud or other such bs."

"True, CDMA phones do not work on SIM technology; however, all LTE caable CDMA phones have an embedded SIM with a unique hard-coded ICCID that the network uses for LTE authentication. If the hard-coded ICCID belonged to a phone that was reported lost or stolen, it gets blacklisted just like an ESN/IMEI would.

It is not an actual SIM card. It is a surface mounted chip, one of those small black rectangles on the board, with no visible soldering joints. Because of this, it requires hot air rework to be removed (hot-air pencil). A regular soldering iron won't cut it.

It is a litttle smaller than one square cm, and will say something like:

<letter and some numbers>

<first 10 digits of the ICCID>

<last 10 digits of the ICCID>

XX NEX

I literally, not 5 minutes ago, swapped one from one of my Sprint Galaxy s3's to another.

The donor is a 16gb with some water damage, and had an embedded SIM with a clean ICCID. The target is a fully functional 32gb board that I bought used, but the embedded SIM has a bad ICCID (so no LTE). Swapped the bad one with my original good one, and now I have working LTE on the 32gb.

Look into surface mount soldering/desoldering. Basic tools will set you back at least 60$."

just to let everyone know the sprint sph l900 can use a GSM sim all you have to do is take the sd modual out and replace it with a Sim + Memory Card Reader Tray Slot Holder Flex For Samsung Galaxy Note 2 N7100 and select GSM under modile networks. I just need a way of getting reed of their damb apps.