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[Q] SIM Locked vs Unlocked

So reading the Beat Buy FAQ, they make it sound as if there are two different versions. A SIM locked one for $199 with two year contract from T-Mo and an unlocked one for $529. I believe this is misrepresentation but wanted to hear your thoughts.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

personally id get the T-Mobile version for $199.99 bc im pretty sure a unlock code method will come up somehow and if it doesnt, then u can just ask T-Mobile for the code and get it in a week or so.

Hi,
I dont know for sure -- but my guess is all the Nexus S phones are unlocked.
According to this thread, the Nexus One was unlocked with a contract:
talkandroid.com/android-forums/nexus-one/3426-subsidized-nexus-one-carrier-locked.html
I wouldn't take the Best Buy FAQ as gospel. For example one of the question is:
Are there two different versions of the Nexus S, locked and unlocked?
No, there is only one Nexus S. It is available locked with a 2-year T-Mobile contract or unlocked with no contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The answer is no, but then they go and say there is locked and an unlocked version. Did a 10 year old write this or what?

there are no locked nexus s devices just like there were no locked nexus one devices. Some are just sold with a contract.

I see in some videos that theres a T-Mobile tab in the Market giving T-Mobile recommended apps.
So is there 2 version? Will the Sim Free version have no T-mobile branding in it?

How to unlock a carrier locked phone

I would like to buy a carrier locked phone in the USA.
I do not live in the USA so my question is, can I take this phone home and then flash a new ROM on it?
Would that take care of the lock?
Thanks!

ronr34 said:
I would like to buy a carrier locked phone in the USA.
I do not live in the USA so my question is, can I take this phone home and then flash a new ROM on it?
Would that take care of the lock?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also,
When buying a no-contract phone, is it still locked?
Can I do the same to unlock this phone?

It depends on the phone and the carrier.

Planterz said:
It depends on the phone and the carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking for a good new phone.
QuadCore and 5.0" and bigger.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
A specific model that this would work for?

ronr34 said:
I would like to buy a carrier locked phone in the USA.
I do not live in the USA so my question is, can I take this phone home and then flash a new ROM on it?
Would that take care of the lock?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There,
Well Unlocking the Bootloader of your device Unlocks it to any Carrier.
If you want to know how to do that tell me which device you are using.
If Helped In Any Way Click THANKS.

DevRakeeß said:
Hi There,
Well Unlocking the Bootloader of your device Unlocks it to any Carrier.
If you want to know how to do that tell me which device you are using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carrier unlocking and bootloader unlocking are completely unrelated things.
ronr34 said:
I'm looking for a good new phone.
QuadCore and 5.0" and bigger.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
A specific model that this would work for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, it depends on the phone and the carrier. Verizon phones are internationally unlocked out of the box. Which means if you buy it and try to use it in the US without unlocking it, it won't let you, but if you take it outside the USA, it's GSM unlocked. AT&T and T-Mobile phones can be unlocked and used globally too, but both require that they've been used with their service for a time. 40 days with T-Mobile, and with AT&T it has to be coming from an active or a prior account.
With AT&T and T-Mobile, you can purchase (through eBay or websites) unlock codes, which run like $30-40 for a flagship phone. Alternatively, you can buy new unlocked phones off eBay that once locked to a network, but the reseller bought the phone new, opened the box, unlocked the phone, then sells it. Or you can buy a used phone that has already been unlocked.
Don't buy a Sprint phone, it won't work.
IMO your best bet is to buy a Verizon "world phone", or buy a factory unlocked "international" version.
LTE bands are another matter. If you want LTE where you'll be taking it (assuming it's available), you might be best off with a Nexus 4 or 5, or a recent Sony Xperia Z - class model, as these have numerous LTE band compatibility.

Planterz said:
Carrier unlocking and bootloader unlocking are completely unrelated things.
Again, it depends on the phone and the carrier. Verizon phones are internationally unlocked out of the box. Which means if you buy it and try to use it in the US without unlocking it, it won't let you, but if you take it outside the USA, it's GSM unlocked. AT&T and T-Mobile phones can be unlocked and used globally too, but both require that they've been used with their service for a time. 40 days with T-Mobile, and with AT&T it has to be coming from an active or a prior account.
With AT&T and T-Mobile, you can purchase (through eBay or websites) unlock codes, which run like $30-40 for a flagship phone. Alternatively, you can buy new unlocked phones off eBay that once locked to a network, but the reseller bought the phone new, opened the box, unlocked the phone, then sells it. Or you can buy a used phone that has already been unlocked.
Don't buy a Sprint phone, it won't work.
IMO your best bet is to buy a Verizon "world phone", or buy a factory unlocked "international" version.
LTE bands are another matter. If you want LTE where you'll be taking it (assuming it's available), you might be best off with a Nexus 4 or 5, or a recent Sony Xperia Z - class model, as these have numerous LTE band compatibility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, but my question was how to bypass the locks on the phone.
I know I can buy it unlocked but it's way more expensive.
I thought that the lock was software related and not hardware so that burning a new ROM would fix this.
Is that the case?

ronr34 said:
I thought that the lock was software related and not hardware so that burning a new ROM would fix this.
Is that the case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not the case. Carrier lock/unlock is in a different part of the device's firmware.

Planterz said:
It is not the case. Carrier lock/unlock is in a different part of the device's firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So does that mean that a new ROM flash will not solve this?

ronr34 said:
So does that mean that a new ROM flash will not solve this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How many times do I have to say the same thing?
Flashing a different ROM, be it from another carrier, or a custom ROM, does not give you the ability to carrier unlock a device.

Buying Google Pixel VZW off eBay

Hi!
Thanks to VZW deals on Google Pixel, eBay is currently full of listing for brand new Pixels for less that $600. Most sellers claim phones to be factory sealed.
Question is: Can I buy this never opened Pixel and successfully activate and use overseas?
Thanks for your wisdom!

bige93 said:
Hi!
Thanks to VZW deals on Google Pixel, eBay is currently full of listing for brand new Pixels for less that $600. Most sellers claim phones to be factory sealed.
Question is: Can I buy this never opened Pixel and successfully activate and use overseas?
Thanks for your wisdom!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't receive my Pixel yet, but I bought an unlocked device from google's website. I did talk to a seller on eBay who has many Verizon Pixel phones and he claim that they are unlocked. Another thing he mentioned that these phones may have Verizon's bloatware apps. So if phone you are trying to purchase is unlocked, then it should work, but check the GSM bands if they are compatible with your carrier.

All Pixel phones are unlocked (we're not talking bootloader unlocked) no matter where you get it from. But good point in checking GSM bands to see if it's compatible in your country and carrier. As for bloatware there are only 2 apps from VZW and you can delete them easily.

So, no need for first activation with vzw SIM or something like that?

bige93 said:
So, no need for first activation with vzw SIM or something like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need. Just take it out if the box and put your sim in. I bought mine from best buy and it's technically for Verizon but I just took out the Verizon sim that was in it, put my T-Mobile sim in and booted it up.
If you plan on using it overseas I suggest you unlock the bootloader and flash the international system images.

[Guide] Sellers/Carriers with bootloader unlockable Pixel 4 XL phones

I've been thinking of making this list for people who will be buying a Pixel 4 XL in future. It might come in handy to decide where to buy your phone from.
Please post in the thread what your seller/carrier did and I will update the list.
Note: You can buy a bootloader unlockable Pixel 4 XL directly from the Google Store.
UK greyed out OEM
EE
UK unlockable bootloader
Vodafone
US greyed out OEM
Verizon? (conflicting reports)
AT&T
TMobile
US unlockable bootloader
Best Buy

StrangerWeather said:
I've been thinking of making this list for people who will be buying a Pixel 4 XL in future. It might come in handy to decide where to buy your phone from.
Please post in the thread what your seller/carrier did and I will update the list.
Note: You can buy an unblocked Pixel 4 XL directly from the Google Store.
UK blocked OEM
EE
UK unblocked OEM
US blocked OEM
Verizon? (conflicting reports)
AT&T
US unblocked OEM
Best Buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TMobile variant is locked

StrangerWeather said:
I've been thinking of making this list for people who will be buying a Pixel 4 XL in future. It might come in handy to decide where to buy your phone from.
Please post in the thread what your seller/carrier did and I will update the list.
Note: You can buy an unblocked Pixel 4 XL directly from the Google Store.
UK blocked OEM
EE
UK unblocked OEM
US blocked OEM
Verizon? (conflicting reports)
AT&T
US unblocked OEM
Best Buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UK Vodafone is unblocked.

To be more clear I think you need to refer to it as Bootloader Unlock as OEM has no relation to that at all.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer btw
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

superchilpil said:
To be more clear I think you need to refer to it as Bootloader Unlock as OEM has no relation to that at all.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer btw
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, not too sure. It's not that the phones come with an unlocked bootloader, you still have to unlock it. But they are either OEM unlockable or not... Any other suggestions to make it clearer?

StrangerWeather said:
Hmm, not too sure. It's not that the phones come with an unlocked bootloader, you still have to unlock it. But they are either OEM unlockable or not... Any other suggestions to make it clearer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yeah none of them come with an unlocked bootloader. But your wording wasn't wrong to begin with, I just felt that referring to as bootloader unlockable is a more friendly way to put it especially for the noobs out there.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

Where did you hear about AT&T not being unlockable?

mew1033 said:
Where did you hear about AT&T not being unlockable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-4-xl/how-to/att-pixel-4-xl-locked-bootloader-t3989095

Bit of thread bump, but thanks!
Been searching everywhere to find out if Vodafone UK is un-lockable. Has anyone bought one recently to confirm they're still OK?

The Tmo variant can be unlocked after the sim lock is removed. I think it goes without saying for most that Fi and Google offer unlcockable versions but as this is for new guys it might be worth noting.

StrangerWeather said:
I've been thinking of making this list for people who will be buying a Pixel 4 XL in future. It might come in handy to decide where to buy your phone from.
Please post in the thread what your seller/carrier did and I will update the list.
Note: You can buy a bootloader unlockable Pixel 4 XL directly from the Google Store.
UK greyed out OEM
EE
UK unlockable bootloader
Vodafone
US greyed out OEM
Verizon? (conflicting reports)
AT&T
TMobile
US unlockable bootloader
Best Buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U.S. Cellular is unlocked for Pixel 4, would assume xl as well

Except for the Verizon model, all of the other US variants can be bootloader (OEM) unlocked when they are SIM card unlocked. However the SIM card being unlocked is a requirement to having the bootloader unlocked. If you purchase a device through a US service provider, it will generally have the SIM card locked down and you must request a SIM card unlock from your service provider. The "unlocked" version sold by Google (and Best Buy) comes with the SIM card unlocked already. Therefore it can immediately have it's bootloader unlocked.
Verizon variants will never be able to be bootloader unlocked - even if you are able to get Verizon to unlock the SIM card. (People who are successful in bootloader unlocking a Verizon model are the exception to the rule and simply got lucky - normally due to a MEID snafu).
This is the same across the entire Google Pixel line.

StrangerWeather said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-4-xl/how-to/att-pixel-4-xl-locked-bootloader-t3989095
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna remove that thread because the bootloader can be unlocked if you carrier unlock your device. Confirmed on my friend's Pixel 4 from AT&T.

StrangerWeather said:
I've been thinking of making this list for people who will be buying a Pixel 4 XL in future. It might come in handy to decide where to buy your phone from.
Please post in the thread what your seller/carrier did and I will update the list.
Note: You can buy a bootloader unlockable Pixel 4 XL directly from the Google Store.
UK greyed out OEM
EE
UK unlockable bootloader
Vodafone
US greyed out OEM
Verizon? (conflicting reports)
AT&T
TMobile
US unlockable bootloader
Best Buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think Verizon is locked if you buy it from them. I bought mine through the Google store with Verizon as a "3rd party" and I got an unlockable XL

I think basically whatever the carrier, they are locked until they are fully paid, is that right? In that case, I might just close the thread as it's not very useful.

Does anyone know if the Spectrum Variant of the Google Pixel 4 xl Has an unlockable bootloader?

I called t mobile today told them I'm a developer and they gave me a permanent unlock for my phone for the OEM so I can't complain but call them, whoever's your provider and tell them you're a developer and you're trying to access the Android 11 operating system and because it's a Google phone they bound to unlock your phone. And my phone ain't fully paid off from T-Mobile so I'm good I'm happy with the results and right now I'm using Android 11 and this bad boy for preview is beautiful

Hello everyone
Any news on Pixel 4XL EE UK to unlock the bootloader after 6 months of use???

I'm on a Verizon variant which I purchased directly from Verizon. Initially I was unable to unlock my bootloader same as everyone else. However, I was recently in developmer options and noticed OEM unlocking was no longer greyed out (I was running Android 11 with Octobers update). I Didn't believe my eyes for a second and immediately toggled it on and got to work. Within a few minutes I was unlocked and rooted. Not sure if they messed up on the 11 update or if it was a mistake from one of the updates. I hadn't checked for a while previous to my discovery so I can't pin down the exact trigger.

Once you either fully payoff the device or get permission through your carrier then the carrier sends it over to Google's server which generates your unlock code then is sent to pixel 4xl as a update which will then unlock your sim. Once your sim unlocked it will allow you to highlight unlock bootloader. This is for tmobile,att, and sprint. Verizon variants however is an exception. You can get sim unlock, but will not highlight the unlock bootloader. Once in a while somebody gets lucky, but does not happen alot. Even tho it is a Google phone the carrier can still make the choice for the bootloader.

Question Can I trade in my Verizon variant for an unlocked variant?

I got this as a gift through Verizon website and they don't know a thing about root/unlocked bootloader and they just got me the Verizon version. I'm not even going to try to explain why I want the unlocked version.
Aaannnyyywaaayyy lol. Is there a way I can just swap this out for an unlocked version or a site that does swaps like this? Is there maybe a root option without unlocked bootloader?
Someone suggested to buy the unlocked version and then return it with the Verizon one in the box. Probably not legal or would they even care? Probably won't do it anyway.

If you really want an unlocked one just sell the Verizon one through Swappa or a local marketplace as BNIB. Don't do #3 as they record the IMEI and serial number of the device that they send you. I'd imagine they'd give you an issue with returning the device when those don't match. Plus the whole legality issue.

zetsumeikuro said:
If you really want an unlocked one just sell the Verizon one through Swappa or a local marketplace as BNIB. Don't do #3 as they record the IMEI and serial number of the device that they send you. I'd imagine they'd give you an issue with returning the device when those don't match. Plus the whole legality issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I would sell but I don't have a phone to use until then.

sensation4gking said:
Yeah I would sell but I don't have a phone to use until then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your finances allow it grab the unlocked one from the Google Store. BF sale is about to drop so $100 off right out the gate. If you open the Verizon one the value will drop.

If it's paid off already call Verizon to carrier unlock it for you maybe by unlocking it you'd be able to root cause I've got the pixel 6 from visible few months ago and i was allowed to rooted and visible has the same variant as Verizon only difference is that visible sells their phones carrier unlocked

J0nhy said:
If it's paid off already call Verizon to carrier unlock it for you maybe by unlocking it you'd be able to root cause I've got the pixel 6 from visible few months ago and i was allowed to rooted and visible has the same variant as Verizon only difference is that visible sells their phones carrier unlocked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't think they would allow that but wouldn't hurt to try. You'd think more people would suggest this.

sensation4gking said:
Didn't think they would allow that but wouldn't hurt to try. You'd think more people would suggest this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carrier unlocking and bootloader unlocking are distinctly separate. Verizon variants are not bootloader unlockable.

J0nhy said:
If it's paid off already call Verizon to carrier unlock it for you maybe by unlocking it you'd be able to root cause I've got the pixel 6 from visible few months ago and i was allowed to rooted and visible has the same variant as Verizon only difference is that visible sells their phones carrier unlocked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's controlled by IMEI whitelists. If Visible didn't specify they want OEM Unlocking to be disabled like Verizon does, Google doesn't blacklist the lots they buy.

Unlocked is $150 off on Google Store.