Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a small memory chip that stores network specific data used to recognize the subscribers using mobile telephony devices on the network. Each SIM card stores a unique International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and Key Identification (KI). The IMSI identifies the subscriber’s network and account. KI also known as authentication key is a password for IMSI. SIM cards are used with carriers that operate on the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network.

The other carrier specific data stored in SIM cards includes SMSC (Short Message Service Center) number, Service Provider Name (SPN), Service Dialing Numbers (SDN), Value Added Service (VAS) applications and Advice-Of-Charge parameters. Apart from carrier specific data, SIM cards also store cell phone numbers, rate plan, text messages and other data.

Some Facts About SIM Cards

SIM cards prevent subscriber’s calls from being traced and phone from being stolen due to its very beneficial verification and encryption abilities.

SIM cards are not used with CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) cell phones and CDMA carriers in most countries.

SIM cards make it easy to change phones, you just need to remove the SIM card from one phone and insert it into another.

SIM cards are like mini hard disks as the data stored in SIM cards can easily be switched between different phones.

SIM cards are globally identified by their Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICC-ID). The SIM card contains this ID in its memory as well as on its body.

International travelers can replace their SIM card when visiting other countries with the local SIM cards to save international roaming charges, but you must have an unlocked cell phone working on the correct frequency band.

There are some CDMA providers that use a type of “SIM card”. One company would be the Mike network by Telus. It’s not really a SIM card since they are still using the CDMA network. If you are looking for any unlocked cell phone don’t hesitate to check out puremobile.ca

Today we thought we’d explain a little bit what a “smartphone” is.

According to Wikipedia.org

…There is no agreement in the industry about what a smartphone actually is and definitions have changed over time. According to David Wood, EVP at Symbian, “Smart phones differ from ordinary mobile phones in two fundamental ways: how they are built and what they can do.” Other definitions put different stresses on these two factors.

Most devices considered smartphones today use an identifiable and open operating system, often with the ability to add applications (e.g. for enhanced data processing, connectivity or entertainment) – in contrast to regular phones which only support sandboxed applications (like Java games). These smartphone applications may be developed by the manufacturer of the device, by the network operator or by any other third-party software developer, since the operating system is open.

In terms of features, most smartphones support full featured email capabilities with the functionality of a complete personal organizer. Other functionality might include an additional interface such as a miniature QWERTY keyboard, a touch screen or a D-pad, a built-in camera, contact management, an accelerometer, built-in navigation hardware and software, the ability to read business documents in a variety of formats such as PDF and Microsoft Office, media software for playing music, browsing photos and viewing video clips, internet browsers or even just secure access to company mail, such as is provided by a BlackBerry. One common feature to the majority of the smartphones is a contact list able to store as many contacts as the available memory permits, in contrast to regular phones that has a limit to the maximum number of contacts that can be stored.

Now what does this mean. Basically it’s a “do everything” phone. It makes calls, emails, surfs the internet. This way you can stay intouch no matter what. There are variations where some phones come with more features then others. Take the Nokia N97 for example. It, which is slated to be released in 2009, is a phone that will have everything. It, technically, has many more features then the iPhone.

Overall your phone needs are your own. What you want to do or not do is up to you. These days though the consumer has a lot more choice with what they can do. Gone are the days where all you could do was make a phone call.

The Blackberry Storm 9530 has been released and here at puremobile.ca we finally got our hands on an unlocked one.

Over at cellphones.ca people visiting the site can review phones and one person wrote

…[t]his is the real iPhone killer.. the only real features this phone doesn’t have is the wifi.. but most of the people I know with an iPhone, don’t use the wifi.. since they generally have data plans. This phone has a 3.2MP camera with video, copy/paste ability, MMS capability, all things that trump the iPod with a phone.. because face it, that’s all the iPhone really is.

While the iPhone has a slightly more aesthetic value to the O/S.. I will give it that. Its only a matter of time before Bplay and RIM offer manipulations to the GUI for the BB Storm’s Theme interface. IN fact there are already clone themes for the blackberry O/S to look like the iPhone, plus many others, soon to be in development for the Storm’s version of the O/S.

But another review over at cellphones.ca seem to be split as another user wrote

…[t}he Storm has plenty of potential, but they obviously wanted to get this out the door as soon as they possibly could. Way too many bugs. Typing is a killer as it is always turning the keyboard off seemingly at random. I keep think I'm hitting some secret button to tell the keyboard to go away, but even when I slow my typing way down and carefully check each keystroke, it will suddenly disappear.

It has locked up on me a few times requiring battery removal to reboot. You need to hold the phone carefully to keep from accidently hitting a button on the touchscreen with your cheek that may either mute you or switch to speaker phone. Sometimes the speaker phone activates without me touching a thing and then I'll set the phone down on my desk and use it as a speaker phone when it will suddenly go back to handset mode without me even touching it!

But Shaun Mahal over at Brighthand.com seem split on the idea, which puts them in line with everyone else

...[t]he Storm has some unique features that unmistakably mark RIM’s attempt to capture some of the strong consumer smartphone market that the iPhone currently dominates. RIM is relying on its name to be able to build buzz around the device, but unfortunately it largely fails to deliver an infallible device that would live up to BlackBerry users’ high expectations….

As a smartphone enthusiast, I like the Storm because it represents the start of a new generation of touchscreen-based devices from RIM. Those familiar with BlackBerry will find the Storm an entertaining gadget, but hardly the pinnacle of this company’s capabilities.

The bottom line is that I’ve been carrying a Storm and a Bold in my pocket, and when I need to use a phone for something, it’s the Bold I instinctively reach for. In my opinion, the Storm is still one revision away from becoming the phone that RIM and most users want it to be.

What does this mean.  In short the choice is up to you.  The likability of the phone seems to be split.  Is it really an iPhone killer or just another dud?  We think Blackberry is definitely on to something they just can’t simply rest now.  If they want to get on top the have to start improving almost immediately

 Loading ...

LG released the original LG KE850 Prada phone back in 2007 and now LG has announced that they will finally be releasing a successor to the Prada called the LG KF900 Prada II.  It is a significant upgrade to the phone with a lot of new features being added.

Among all the new features the phone will now be a quad band phone which was a major complaint of the previous one.  It will have 3G but at this time it will only be for European use, which is a downside.  One of the biggest changes will be the full QWERTY keyboard.  The KF900 Prada II will retain it’s touch screen but now it will have a slide out keyboard for those who don’t want to type everything on the touch screen.

Other features are the, now almost standard, WiFi and Mp3 player, document viewer and it even plays DivX/Mp4 video files.  On top of all this it even comes with stereo bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and a microSD slot that supports up to 8GB cards..

Now the phone hasn’t been released yet and there haven’t been many reviews or hands on experiences with it either, but as soon as we at puremobile.com get our hands on one we will have a full review.

So it has been officially announced.  The new Nokia N97 is scheduled to come out in the first half of 2009 and everyone is waiting on the edge of their seats. Okay maybe not literally but people definitely are looking forward to the phone.  

It is being called the iPhone killer and, yes, we know yesterday we posted about the Nokia 5800 which was giving the same name but the N97 is being called a Nokia 5800 on sterioids and rightly so.  This little monster has so much packed in we are speechless.  It comes with all the standard things we love in the N9x series of phones like being quad band and having the 5MP camera, but it has so much more.  Unlike the iPhone the N97 has stereo bluetooth (A2DP) so you can use a stereo bluetooth headset to list to your music and it also has more storage capacity then the iPhone, up to three times for to be exact.  The N97 comes standard with 32GB of internal memory and can be expanded another 16GB with the microSD slot.  The iPhone comes with a maximum 16GB and no room for growth.  Then there is the camera.  Yes the 5MP is nice and again it is something that the iPhone doesn’t have, but even though the iPhone has only a 2MP the iPhone doesn’t do video.  Well you guessed it the N97 does and it does it at 30fps which won’t replace your camcorder , but will definitely get the job done for those times you won’t have your camcorder handy.

Now like everyone else we’ve only seen demo units.  We can’t pass full judgement until the phone makes its way to the public.  We at Puremobile.ca will definitely have the Nokia N97 as soon as it is available.  Keep checking our site for more information

Here at puremobile.ca we see a lot of “iPhone Killers” come and go.  We have seen enough phones in the past year claim to be the downfall of Apple’s top phone, and actual top selling phone in general, but today we might have a phone that can actually live up to that claim

The new phone this week is the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.  It’s a quad band phone with 3G.  It does have a European and North American version, so depending on where you are you’ll need the right version so you can use 3G there.  It can support microSD cards and has 81MB of internal memory.  It also has the usual inclusions like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB

The big stand outs of this phone are the touch screen and support for a 16GB microSD card which puts in on the same level of capacity as the iPhone, but unlike the iPhone the Nokia 5800 comes with stereo bluetooth.  Yes that’s right you can get yourself a stereo bluetooth headset like the Motorola S9 and be complete wire free.  It also comes wiht a 3.2MP camera and one of the nicest things is that it has up to 8hrs and 45 minutes of talk time.  That means even while playing music it should be able to outlast the iPhone.

Overall this is a great phone.  Will it be the iPhone killer that everyone is expecting…  well the truth is we’re not sure.  Either way you can pick it up at www.puremobile.ca