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Hi,
I've searched around the forum but I can't seem to find an answer to this one.
I was wondering if it is possible to unlock (i.e. remove the simlock) on the Nexus S?
I see that the bootloader has been unlocked and that new ROMS can be written to the phone, so does this mean that everything is erased (including the simlock) and that any sim can be used with it once this is done?
Thanks!
The phone is not sim locked, only sold subsidized through t-mobile
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Unfortunately it is simlocked to Orange UK !
That's a bummer. Did you get it from CPW (just curious)?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
That's not possible. Every Nexus S is carrier unlocked but is band limited to T-Mobile bands.
Sent from my MattedBlues CM7 Google Nexus S!
krohnjw said:
That's a bummer. Did you get it from CPW (just curious)?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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No, got it from WeBuy http://uk.webuy.com/
That's not possible. Every Nexus S is carrier unlocked but is band limited to T-Mobile bands.
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This appears to be the case, except the T-Mobile bit!
So even when its band limited can this be removed?
This is brilliant news if it is unlocked - Unfortunately can't try it atm cause i don't have it with me - can anyone else confirm? This forum appears to reinforce this idea... http://androidforums.com/nexus-s/275180-help-need-unlock-my-nexus-s.html
Band is limited by hardware, and it will work on any of the UK carriers, no matter what CEX says.
I'd be inclined to say it's an error on their part anyway, they sell the Nexus One as 'mint' for more than that.
It's possible to SIM lock a Nexus S, but somebody between the factory and the point of sale has to do so, because they're not manufactured that way. In other words, if your phone is SIM locked, you picked the wrong seller.
But the bands the phone can use are the bands it can use; it's a hardware thing, not a software thing. The Nexus S has quad-band 2G GSM connectivity, so you should be able to use 2G pretty much anywhere in the world, but it only has tri-band 3G connectivity, so depending on where you live there's an excellent chance you'll either be restricted to one or two carriers or have no options at all for 3G. That doesn't mean the phone won't function on those networks, just that the data connectivity will be very slow when you're not connected to WiFi.
I know 3G works fully on bands I and IV, and the specs indicate it should work on band VIII. I heard second-hand that somebody was getting partial functionality on band IX as well, but I certainly wouldn't count on that one.
Rusty! said:
Band is limited by hardware, and it will work on any of the UK carriers, no matter what CEX says.
I'd be inclined to say it's an error on their part anyway, they sell the Nexus One as 'mint' for more than that.
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Ummm, I thought it might be, but then I thought because it was locked to Orange that was why
Only vodafone uk and CPW has the NS and the only locked units is possibly Voda UK. CPW units are sim free hence the 430 price tag. Check with CEX if the imei is legit . They have had users sell the phone to them later file the phone has been stolen.
Well I tried it out, but in the end I decided not to buy the phone as the main menu button required a ridiculously hard press in order to get it to work and then it only worked about one time out of three!
I take it that the Nexus S is not generally like this, and this one was just a bit faulty???
kdm2008 said:
Well I tried it out, but in the end I decided not to buy the phone as the main menu button required a ridiculously hard press in order to get it to work and then it only worked about one time out of three!
I take it that the Nexus S is not generally like this, and this one was just a bit faulty???
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There have been numerous complaints of the back button, but I haven't seen (m)any about the menu button.
Hope you guys can help me.
I will like to buy the Inspire 4G thru amazon and plan to use it in Costa Rica, where we use the same 2G and 3G bands as AT&T (850). Nevertheless I’m not sure if after the SIM/IMEI unlock, it will work with a Costa Rican SIM card? It is very common for us to buy unlocked At&t or T-Mobile phones and use them in Costa Rica.. but I have my concerns.
Last December I bought a Prepaid AT&T Phone (Samsung A107) on a trip to the US, but after doing a SIM/IMEI unlock, the Prepaid phone didn’t recognized my Costa Rican SIM card. And even before that, while still been in the US, I was not even able to use the AT&T SIM card on my unlocked Touch Pro2 (EUR version).
My worst fear is that AT&T is doing some sort of “Hard Sim Lock” to their phones.. and I will kill myself for buying an expensive paperweight.
Your thoughts and comments will be highly appreciated.
Hi, I can't 100% answer your question but I do know why your SIM cards weren't interchangeable. We lock all PUK codes on all prepaid SIM cards to where you can only use that SIM on that phone. If you would've gotten a "regular" SIM you could've used it on another carriers phone. As to why the non AT&T SIM didn't work maybe they scammed you and it never got unlocked.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Using Inspire 4G in Costa Rica.
Thanks for your explanation. So basically and after reading other posts regarding unlocking this phone, the Inspire 4G should work overseas without any inconveniences, after inserting the SIM/IMEI unlock code that you buy from any “respected” and “trusted” site (and as long as the 3G Band is 850) ?
I was going to buy the unlocked Desire HD (Eur Version), but regretfully it wouldn’t work with any Latam 3G Band (as it happened with my Touch Pro2, that only works with 3G band 2100+900).
I got an Inspire 4G on Monday, unlocked it, and my existing SIM card from another country (also in latam) worked right away. Been using it since then both in the US and back home.
So unless there is some lock on the SIM card itself, it should work fine, I think.
That’s the answer I was looking for!! You made my day. To be honest, I want to change from Winmo to Android so badly… that this phone seems to be the right deal.
Quick question just before going to amazon and start my order: Which system did you used to get the Unlock code? I have read in other forums, that some folks have been using htcimeiunlock with excellent results (I’m not related to that company by the way). I just like to hear a second opinion.
And once again..Thank you so much for your assistance!!
Got my phone unlocked
Hey
I'm from Venezuela, and I unlocked my HTC Inspire 4G from AT&T at unlockusa.com. I chose them because they're top-rated sellers at eBay and seemed trustworthy. I got my unlock code within 5 minutes, and everything worked as expected.
Hope you enjoy your new phone!
Yes, I used htcimeiunlock.com. Got my unlock code in a few minutes with no problems whatsoever.
maestroburbuja said:
Hey
I'm from Venezuela, and I unlocked my HTC Inspire 4G from AT&T at unlockusa.com. I chose them because they're top-rated sellers at eBay and seemed trustworthy. I got my unlock code within 5 minutes, and everything worked as expected.
Hope you enjoy your new phone!
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trestrepo said:
Yes, I used htcimeiunlock.com. Got my unlock code in a few minutes with no problems whatsoever.
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Hmm 2 new members and advertising new site?
The AT&T Inspire only has North American UMTS radios 850 and 1900 Mhz. It lacks the 2100 radio necessary for 3 and 4G in Europe.
The phone will work on Europe's 2G Edge network. HTC should have put the 2100 Mhz radio in the Inspire but they didn't. This is the real gripe I have with this phone.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Doesn't the desire hd cover the european market with 2100? I suppose if you are traveling it is an issue but otherwise I see no reason for att to be adding something to this phone that already exists in one of its twins. Also it is not marketed as a "world" phone by at&t either.
Whats the key code / combination on the inspire to check the status of the sim?
I may be new on the forums, but I've been lurking for a while. Heck, I learned about that site from here, and the various threads on the forum on unlocking/rooting were one of the things I kept in mind when deciding to buy the phone.
geogkdam asked if the site worked; all I'm saying is it worked for *me*. I claim no guarantees it would work for anyone else, and frankly, I don't care much either; I'm just happy I was able to unlock the phone I bought on Monday withing a few minutes.
newter55 said:
Doesn't the desire hd cover the european market with 2100? I suppose if you are traveling it is an issue but otherwise I see no reason for att to be adding something to this phone that already exists in one of its twins. Also it is not marketed as a "world" phone by at&t either.
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It'll work on EDGE in Europe, which sucks for data, but at 20 bucks a megabyte while roaming, why would you want to?
I'll be taking my Inspire to London and Paris in a couple months and since I need to be reachable on my own number, I will suck it up and roam, but data will be off, so I couldn't give a crap about whether or not it's EDGE or 3G. It'll just be voice and text, and not much of that. I have an AT&T Nexus One with the 2100 band that I'll be bringing along too, I'll grab a local SIM and use that for data. I'll just have personal hotspot turned on and connect my Inspire to it.
try cellunlocker.net they unlocked it for me
yg17 said:
It'll work on EDGE in Europe, which sucks for data, but at 20 bucks a megabyte while roaming, why would you want to?
I'll be taking my Inspire to London and Paris in a couple months and since I need to be reachable on my own number, I will suck it up and roam, but data will be off, so I couldn't give a crap about whether or not it's EDGE or 3G. It'll just be voice and text, and not much of that. I have an AT&T Nexus One with the 2100 band that I'll be bringing along too, I'll grab a local SIM and use that for data. I'll just have personal hotspot turned on and connect my Inspire to it.
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AT&T also offers packages which would reduce your voice, data and text costs. Have you looked into them? Here's a link
I can't provide a link since I don't have the min. number of posts required to post here but Google "AT&T World" and you'll get the necessary info. The texting deal is a good deal if you plan to text between 20 and 50 texts. If less than 20 just go with the standard .50/text sent from Europe. If between 20&50 opt for the $10 one time charge (which drops your per text rate to .20/text).
I would also assume that free Wi-FI hotspots are plentiful around Europe??? Does anyone have first-hand experience with that?
I bought an ATT frequency compatible NS (from negri) before it was available on ATT. Everything works as expected on ATT. However, the other day I removed my SIM, did a factory wipe, and then rebooted back into the bootloader and noticed that it reported "ATT" as my network even without the SIM installed. Does this mean my phone is somehow locked to ATT now? I don't care for my personal use but when I end up selling this thing later my expectation was that the next owner could use whichever frequency compatible carrier they choose. I don't have a way to test this with a different SIM. What's the deal here?
If you bought it from AT&T then it can only use AT&T's data networks. T-Mo and AT&T both use SIM so you can switch them out, but only shfor 2g/edge and voice.
That's just carrier info, if it wasn't a Google Nexus phone it would have influence on the phone. There's no downside of having a ATT in the bootloader carrier info.
Some ppl spread rumors that only "free", eg EUR (for Europe), phones get updates via Google, but it has yet to be proofed.
ellesshoo said:
I bought an ATT frequency compatible NS (from negri) before it was available on ATT. Everything works as expected on ATT. However, the other day I removed my SIM, did a factory wipe, and then rebooted back into the bootloader and noticed that it reported "ATT" as my network even without the SIM installed. Does this mean my phone is somehow locked to ATT now? I don't care for my personal use but when I end up selling this thing later my expectation was that the next owner could use whichever frequency compatible carrier they choose. I don't have a way to test this with a different SIM. What's the deal here?
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No nexus phone is sold sim locked, even the carrier subsidized versions.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
andythefan said:
If you bought it from AT&T then it can only use AT&T's data networks. T-Mo and AT&T both use SIM so you can switch them out, but only shfor 2g/edge and voice.
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I said where I bought it (negri electronics) before it was even available from ATT.
The 9020a is frequency compatible with ATT, Canadian carriers, some others elsewhere in the Americas, and will do 2G/gprs in nearly every region.
My question was about the phone reporting ATT as the carrier info in the bootloader w/out a sim. Phone has zero relation to att other than it happens to support UMTS on the same bands.
krohnjw said:
No nexus phone is sold sim locked, even the carrier subsidized versions.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
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I realize this from reading it everywhere. I just find it odd for att to show even with no SIM. Maybe it just reports whatever the last installed sim was?
ellesshoo said:
I realize this from reading it everywhere. I just find it odd for att to show even with no SIM. Maybe it just reports whatever the last installed sim was?
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The carrier info is independant from your last SIM card. Atm there's no hint to what the carrier info in bootloader is used for. For the European version (VDF, O2, EUR) you can change them around as you please via Odin w/o any effect on your phone.
krohnjw said:
No nexus phone is sold sim locked, even the carrier subsidized versions.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
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If I understand that correctly: Any Nexus S, in its AT&T version bought at any Best Buy store in the USA is 100% SIM unlocked, correct?
But, what about the Operating system itself, Android: Does a Nexus S AT&T version bought at a Best Buy store has the pristine original version of Android as Google intended, with all its features (and describes on www (dot) google (dot) com/nexus/#/tech-specs ) ?
I have read of cases that, for instance, Nexus S AT&T phones from Best Buy had its tethering feature disabled ? If so, is this a tinkering of the OS by the carrier or store no matter the SIM (i.e. if I put in a SIM from my country's carrier, it'd still have tethering blocked)? or this presumed "disablement" of tethering is SIM/carrier dependent (i.e., not an Android alteration per se)?
Any comments on this are well appreciated. I plan on buying soon a Nexus S on Best Buy during a next trip to the USA. The phone will be used in Mexico where my carrier uses the same frequencies as AT&T or 3g.
Thanks in advance.
Ok so here it is in a nutshell. I spend half of the year in New Zealand and Half in the US, in new Zealand I am on a GSM network and have had good success unlocking IOS devices (AT&T) and buying a prepaid SIM card and using them there. I want to pick up a Samsung either a S2 or S3 and use it over there as I am just sooooooooo sick of IOS. with all of that being said. I have a few questions and I did a bit of looking but not sure.
I have a HTC Thunderbolt for Verizon (yes I realize it CDMA and wont work on GSM) and have rooted it and flashed a custom ROM on it so I am not unfamilliar with the process.
so first question
1. Do you have to Carrier Unlock Android OS phones like you do IOS devices Or do you just root and flash a new ROM to it?
2. Do all of the US based GSM carriers have SIM card slots? (I know the IOS devices on AT&T did.
3. If AT&T phones work over there will sprint and singular will work as well?
4. Since I will not be using 4G over there am I better off with the Galaxy S2, I was also looking at the Nexus as well any thoughts?
Guys I realize that there are probable 20 threads with the same questions or a variation and I have done some looking but with everything happening in my life at the moment I don't have a lot of time to make decisions about phones.
thanks.
I'm going to answer this as best as I can. A CDMA phone overseas isn't usually a hot idea. A gem phone will typically have a sim card in fact I haven't seen one that didn't... and still fell into the gsm umbrella. Get an unlocked device as the only way a CDMA phone overseas will benefit you is if you find a CDMA phone company in aus and flash it. But again gsm will be the easiest way to go. Its a T-Mobile phone call and say you want a sim subsidy unlock (current active and not past due tmobile customers only) can take up to 14 days for the code.all the phones you will get in USA will need a carrier unlock unless a software one is available. And I'd go with the galaxy s2 just because it has some beastly ROMs and great longevity
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
jaidlion said:
I'm going to answer this as best as I can. A CDMA phone overseas isn't usually a hot idea. A gem phone will typically have a sim card in fact I haven't seen one that didn't... and still fell into the gsm umbrella. Get an unlocked device as the only way a CDMA phone overseas will benefit you is if you find a CDMA phone company in aus and flash it. But again gsm will be the easiest way to go. Its a T-Mobile phone call and say you want a sim subsidy unlock (current active and not past due tmobile customers only) can take up to 14 days for the code.all the phones you will get in USA will need a carrier unlock unless a software one is available. And I'd go with the galaxy s2 just because it has some beastly ROMs and great longevity
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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ok just to be clear I won't be using CDMA overseas jsut GSM. does the Galaxy S2 have software unlocks?
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/sgs-2-sim-unlock-code-finder-frees-your-sgs-2/
Also most CDMA phones don't also come with a simcard slot. Gsm is your best bet so get your galaxy s2 with T-Mobile or att
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Hi i'm travelling to the US next month and i want to buy a nexus 5. as i need to use it with my country carrier i need it unlocked.
now as far as i understand, i can't buy it from the play store as i dont have an US credit card (correct me if i'm wrong)
both the t-mobile and best buy support told me that their version of the nexus 5 ($450) are not really unlocked, but i've read a lot that in fact you can use that phones with whatever carrier you want. is that true? has anyone bought the t-mobile / bestbuy(sprint) versions and tried using another carrier SIM?
Thanks guys
serianox said:
Hi i'm travelling to the US next month and i want to buy a nexus 5. as i need to use it with my country carrier i need it unlocked.
now as far as i understand, i can't buy it from the play store as i dont have an US credit card (correct me if i'm wrong)
both the t-mobile and best buy support told me that their version of the nexus 5 ($450) are not really unlocked, but i've read a lot that in fact you can use that phones with whatever carrier you want. is that true? has anyone bought the t-mobile / bestbuy(sprint) versions and tried using another carrier SIM?
Thanks guys
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I don't believe there are any carrier-locked N5s being sold in the US. You've checked that the US version of the phone supports the bands that are used in your country? BB will charge $100 more for the phone and likely try to sell you service, but you should be able to get it.
STi_Fanatic said:
I don't believe there are any carrier-locked N5s being sold in the US. You've checked that the US version of the phone supports the bands that are used in your country? BB will charge $100 more for the phone and likely try to sell you service, but you should be able to get it.
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Click to collapse
yes i checked and the 850/1900 bands are supported. both bestbuy and tmobile support told me that the phone is sold locked to the respective carriers, but i've read that that's actually not true and you can just swap with whatever SIM you have. Also i hope they dont try to force me to sign some plans if i buy the device
I am interested in this info also. I have a Nexus 5 showing up from Sprint and wondering if it will work with my T-Mobile SIM later if I decide to use it.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
No Nexus 5 devices are sold locked. They are all unlocked and if anything you can test it right there in the store/parking lot to be sure.
The only problem however is LTE if you'll ever need that.
shotta35 said:
No Nexus 5 devices are sold locked. They are all unlocked and if anything you can test it right there in the store/parking lot to be sure.
The only problem however is LTE if you'll ever need that.
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i hope this is true!
they just answered me this:
Hi , If you purchase the device from T-Mobile, it is locked and will only work with a T-Mobile SIM card. Once you've met the requirements, we can help you unlock the device. If you need one unlocked already, we recommend purchasing directly through Google. - Jess
The Sprint and T-Mobile Nexus 5's are unlocked. I have a Sprint one that I purchased at Best Buy and it works just fine with my T-Mobile sim card....2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE...
lowandbehold said:
The Sprint and T-Mobile Nexus 5's are unlocked. I have a Sprint one that I purchased at Best Buy and it works just fine with my T-Mobile sim card....2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE...
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Thanks for your reply! i'm really glad this is true. can i ask you if they forced to buy some plan or sim, or you just paid the $450?
Thanks again
serianox said:
Thanks for your reply! i'm really glad this is true. can i ask you if they forced to buy some plan or sim, or you just paid the $450?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
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I got them to price match Google the day it came out, so I got it for $350. They may have smartened up to that by now though. The SIM came in the phone. I did not have to pay for the SIM or an activation fee. I didn't let them open the box at all.
lowandbehold said:
I got them to price match Google the day it came out, so I got it for $350. They may have smartened up to that by now though. The SIM came in the phone. I did not have to pay for the SIM or an activation fee. I didn't let them open the box at all.
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i'm wondering if i can do this. it says in the BB website:
"If you find a lower price on a qualifying product at a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailer, we will match the price. At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com."
it doesn't list google play as an allowed website.
i hope i get a cool seller lol
Thanks again!
Nexus 5's are not locked to any specific carrier. You just need to make sure that the bands are compatible with your carriers' frequency.
I bought my N5 off contract from BestBuy. It is unlocked. I am running mine on Simple Mobile. I only had to put my SIM in and program the APN for data access.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
asiandrg0n said:
I bought my N5 off contract from BestBuy. It is unlocked. I am running mine on Simple Mobile. I only had to put my SIM in and program the APN for data access.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
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Thanks for the replies, i'm sure this will help a lot of people.
i'm trying to see if i can get Best buy to match the play store price