I am thinking about using a 3 pay as you goes sim on a Samsung S3 as a spare phone.

However, if I leave the moblie data off, will that prevent me using the 3 sim for anything else. Will 3 cut the number off. I dont want to switch the mobile data on to have the apps on the phone using data and cost me money. And I dont want to remove the apps because I will still use them on wifi.

Many thanks in advance.

If you turn data off 3 won't care at all! What they used to care about was using a 3 SIM in a 2G phone (but this is less relevant these days!)

My dual SIM 3G phone won't work on 3 UK unless you set the SIM to be 3G enabled - data can be off though - (and only one SIM can be 3G enabled at a time). But when roaming, it'll work without 3G being enabled on that SIM.

I thought that 2G phones didn't work on their network - has that changed?

So, it apperars, with mobile data off it I can still do calls and texts. And 3 wont cut me off!

Thankyou very much for your replies.

3 used to have 2G fallback on Orange in some areas - to increase coverage . As they had to pay Orange for this they were strict on people who used this fallback deliberately by either handset type or settings. Almost all of this fallback coverage has been turned off now as 3 network coverage has improved.

As long as you connect to the 3 Network at 2100MHz they don't care about using 3G data (but this only costs 1p/Mb on PAYG anyway - so hardly expensive!)

Still lots of 2G fall back here. The Cotswolds are terrible for 3 they only really added to existing 2G masts which meant some masts were like the serving my Cotswold town a mile and a half away so the coverage is for the fields and woods.