Replying to: Nokia 3588I by filabeaner
Re: Nokia 3588I
It's an R-UIM slot. R-UIM is the CDMA equivalent of SIM.
In certain Latin American and Chinese versions of that phone, that slot is active. There are carriers in those parts of the world that offer R-UIM CDMA phones.
In the North American version, the slot is disabled and the phone has a hard-wired ESN like most CDMA phones. Nokia keeps the slot in the North American version to save on manufacturing costs. It's cheaper to simply disable it than to have different molds, assembly lines, etc. for different parts of the world.
In China, I believe R-UIM is actually mandated by the government. In Latin America, R-UIM is sold as a global roaming option. They make R-UIM cards that you can put in a GSM phone for use overseas. It's the best option a CDMA carrier can provide until CDMA/GSM combo phones become a reality.
In certain Latin American and Chinese versions of that phone, that slot is active. There are carriers in those parts of the world that offer R-UIM CDMA phones.
In the North American version, the slot is disabled and the phone has a hard-wired ESN like most CDMA phones. Nokia keeps the slot in the North American version to save on manufacturing costs. It's cheaper to simply disable it than to have different molds, assembly lines, etc. for different parts of the world.
In China, I believe R-UIM is actually mandated by the government. In Latin America, R-UIM is sold as a global roaming option. They make R-UIM cards that you can put in a GSM phone for use overseas. It's the best option a CDMA carrier can provide until CDMA/GSM combo phones become a reality.
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