Hello,
I am very interested in purchasing an HTC Fuze and using it on T-Mobile. Is any one currently doing this? Can you please give me your feedback.
Also, what are the unlock solutions for the HTC Fuze from AT&T. I know I can just call then in and ask for a code but is there another way? Also is there any lock on flashing ROM's?
Where is the cheapest place to buy a Fuze without a contract? Right now I have a deal for $375. Should I jump upon this?
Thanks in advanced
HTC Fuze and using it on T-Mobile, you must have the subsidy unlock code. Even after you unlock it, you still could not enjoy the 3G (assume you're in t-mob 3G coverage) because i lack of 1700 MHz band. Unlock code you can get it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=426609 I don't think at&t gonna give it out for non-subcriber. You may want to try your luck, then.
Flashing ROMs different than att, you must have your phone in super CID status. Refer to the link above.
$375 w/o contract and still whinning? Could you please disclose that source? I want to get some more.
I am currently with T-Mo and using a Touch Pro. So long as you can live with EDGE speeds you should have no problems. I went to a local wireless reseller to get my phone unlocked. Once it was I lodaded the Elite ROM. I have been using that for about two weeks now and I haven't had any problems. So far the only big issue I have is the "stylus issue". I'm hesitant to inquire about a replacement as the GPS along with everything else works great.
I just wanted to toss in my experience. I purchased an unlocked AT&T Fuze and am using it on T-Mobile. I got sick of waiting around for a decent Windows Mobile device to replace my Dash. I was able to get it for ~$420.
So far so good. I've heard that my voice sounds a bit odd, semi robotic. I'm not sure if that is a problem with the mic or what is going on, but I've ordered a Jawbone 2 so I'm not really worried about it.
EDGE is EDGE, it'll do for now until T-Mobile will get their act together and release a decent device, the G1 just won't cut it.
If you have other questions feel free to ask.
J.
How and where can I get it unlocked?
Is the ROM locked too from changing ROMs?
look at the link in the 2nd post
Wow,
sorry I didn't even see that whole sentence. I think I'll be purchasing an unbranded HTC Touch PRO anyways.
Thanks a lot for your help
I have an unlocked version that was purchased in Germany from the guy I bought it from. I may have paid a bit, but unlocked phones are usually much more expensive. The version I have has the second camera. Anyway...I'm using it on T-Mobile and it's working well. I did put the latest AT&T radio on it and it seems to have better signal. As for 3G.....well..T-Mobile only has 1 tower in my area so it'll be a while before 3G makes it here. The owners manual stated that to use 3G your sim card must be a 3G enabled sim card. I would think that you could use 3G if you have one of these cards and are in a 3G network. I could be wrong.... I hope it'll work!
alfredob1 said:
I am currently with T-Mo and using a Touch Pro. So long as you can live with EDGE speeds you should have no problems. I went to a local wireless reseller to get my phone unlocked. Once it was I lodaded the Elite ROM. I have been using that for about two weeks now and I haven't had any problems. So far the only big issue I have is the "stylus issue". I'm hesitant to inquire about a replacement as the GPS along with everything else works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a t-mobile data plan, do I cancel that but can still use EDGE or do I keep that on to USE EDGE TOO? And how do I USE EDGE FOR IT?
Hi all, I am also on Tmobile with a fuze. I unlocked it myself with the help of a purchased unlocker from this forum (thx). I have been running ROMeOs and 1.11 radio I believe. I was wondering about the new att radio on the tmobile network. Does it drain the battery faster? That is what I have read. I love the fuze and being able to actually do something with it besides the [email protected] wing that tmobile released. I am happy that they will be releasing a touch pro 2 release soon but that will be 6 months or more. I got tired of waiting also.
Lets keep this thread going and make the touch pro really usable on tmobile!
As far as having a dataplan on tmobile, I dont use one. I just use tzones, which still gives me a slow data connection, but only costs me 5.99 a month. Better alternative from $25. Edge is the only thing that the touch pro/fuze will be able to use on the tmobile network since it lacks the 1700mhz that tmobile has choosen for 3g.... kinda sucks.. but that is life.
Check blownfuze.org too. great site for the newb fuze user.
I purchased mine already unlocked for $300.00 from a guy looking to get an I-Phone ( what an idiot ). He said it was only 1 month old and it was and still is in mint condition.
The rom I'm using is in my sig, about to upgrade to his newest version RRE 5.8. Radio is 1.02.25.32 and I haven't had any problems what so ever.
I love it.
The skinny
you can get a branded one and buy it w/o a contract and ATT customer care HAS TO give you the unlock code. May take a couple of days but they will do it. If they say no then ask for a supervisor. As long as you paid full price they can't deny you the unlock code. I used to do contract work for ATT as well as work for Tmo
t-mobile or ATT ?
I'm currently with t-mobile and get good reception everywhere. I don't plan on paying more to get 3G or any data plan. I just want to use wifi at work and home.
I want to buy the cheapest used HTC Fuze I can find as long as I can call someone get an unlock code and flash it to one of xda-portal's best firmware mods.
Other than 3G, is there any reason to choose ATT over T-mobile (since my current plan is cheaper than I can get at ATT) I do want to get all the functionality of an unbranded phone.
Overall cost locked vs unlocked
Are there any differences in the the physical structure of an AT&T vs. unlocked phone?
I need a new plan.... I can get a Fuze from Amazon for $150. The contract requires a data plan for 6 months which is 6 x 30 = 180. The data portion can be canceled after that without any penalties. In the long run I want the phone for wi-fi, not data. So the Amazon cost is $330 after 6 months. I can get a bit of interest on the money that sits in the savings account each month.
Unlocked Fuzes on eBay are going for $340-450 most of the time. Believe it or not, someone recently paid $909 + $10 shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=280334270835
So if I need you need a new plan, it's cheaper to get a Fuze from Amazon and not wonder if the "New, unopened" eBay phone is really brand new. If there are other considerations please let me know so I can make an informed decision.
Just an FYI. If you have or get web2go the $9.99 data plan from TMobile, they fixed it to where it will not work on unlocked/non-TMobile phones. Mine and many others with this problem just occurred very recently.
I believe there are a few people that had found a work around or a temporary fix for this. But I just went ahead and purchased the $24.99 data plan so I won't have to worry if my internet will work or not when I need to use it.
If you can get an unlocked Fuze for a good price, jump on it. Flash you a custom rom and you will be very pleased. I know I am.
Free Refurb Fuze at AT&T
Story on Mobility Digest
http://www.mobilitydigest.com/att-is-giving-away-refurb-fuzes-for-free/
AT&T link
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...el=nofollow&wtSlotClick=1-001X6Q!CIPHMQ01-1-1
NHComp said:
Story on Mobility Digest
http://www.mobilitydigest.com/att-is-giving-away-refurb-fuzes-for-free/
AT&T link
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...el=nofollow&wtSlotClick=1-001X6Q!CIPHMQ01-1-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really wish I woulda seen that before I put my order in with Amazon. From what I hear, Amazon's cellular division is not too keen on giving refunds.
I am on T-Mo (USA) and thinking of getting a fuse (unlocked) will i be unable to get 3G at all with this phone?
yeah no tmobile 3g with the fuze. but i have the tzones plan for $6 a month back when they still offered it and can use unlimited internet just fine.
yea ..i just ordered a scratched screen fuze for $200. i was hoping flashing the rohdium radio would give 3g but i read about that bricking the phone. so is it it ever gonna be possible?
i want to unlock my phone, because i live in indonesia, that indonesia dont have tmobile
dacihappymaker said:
i want to unlock my phone, because i live in indonesia, that indonesia dont have tmobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not just buy one there? I have an unbranded Asian version from Malaysia that was Sim unlocked already and it didnt have the T-Mobile bloatware on it
been looking for a good and cheap unnlocking website for a while but no success so far:|
It's as simple as calling t-mobile and telling them you need to unlock it. Tell them that you're going overseas and need to have it unlocked to use on other carriers. I normally say that we're going on vacation and are going to use a pre-paid sim overseas. Then they send me an email after a couple of days with the unlock instructions + unlock code. I've done this 3 times with no problems.
Paging Dr B said:
It's as simple as calling t-mobile and telling them you need to unlock it. Tell them that you're going overseas and need to have it unlocked to use on other carriers. I normally say that we're going on vacation and are going to use a pre-paid sim overseas. Then they send me an email after a couple of days with the unlock instructions + unlock code. I've done this 3 times with no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
This is correct. We will provide an unlock code to you free of charge with no questions asked. Just ask to be transferred to our Sim Unlock dept. and they will be more than happy to assist you.
oooo, i see isee, there is no a software to unlock this phone?
if this phone is already s-off, it will be unlocked ?
T-Mobile will only unlock the phone for you once they can verify that you are a T-Mobile customer, or you paid full price for the phone at one of their T-mobile branded stores and can fax them a copy of the receipt. I just went through all of this with them on Monday. If you cannot do either of those 2 things, they will not help you.
The only way to get it unlocked if you are not a T-mobile customer is an unlock service. I used a guy on ebay that unlocked 2 of them for me and sent me the code within 5 mins. He charged $24.95 per phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDpSn0xvA2Y
guys come and see, it this works ?
dacihappymaker said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDpSn0xvA2Y
guys come and see, it this works ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why dont you just buy one of the unlocked Asian versions? I dont get it.. I have the unbranded Malaysian version that I'm using on TMO USA and it came already unlocked
the price is expensive
how much you bought your htc sensation ?
dacihappymaker said:
the price is expensive
how much you bought your htc sensation ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine in a trade so I didnt pay out of pocket for it. Not sure what they retail for in NYC, more than a T-mobile one that's for sure since unlocked phones are usually a higher price
TMO rep told me they can't unlock the phone yet, I'll try again in couple weeks or so.
After spending a couple hours on the phone with T-Mobile trying to work out my data plan in the wee morning hours last week, I received the unlocking code for my Sensation accidentally. After going through all the hell to keep my old rate for my data plan, and finally succeeding, they asked "Will there be anything else Sir". I said "Yes, one more thing. Can I get the SIM Subsidy Unlock Code for my HD2? And being so tired and half awake, I might have given the wrong IMEI number, because the next day I received the unlock code for my Sensation and not my HD2.
I called back the next day and told a tech supervisor that they had sent the unlock code for the wrong phone. The women on the phone apologized and said they would send it without the 24hr wait, and I should receive it within 2hrs. But when receiving the Email from T-Mobile a couple of hours later, this was the response:
Thank you for taking the time to contact T-Mobile. We have received your SIM Unlock Request. Unfortunately, we are unable to process your request at this time. This subscriber has received an unlock code within the last 90 days. Per T-Mobile Policy only one unlock code will be provided per active subscriber every 90 days. Please submit a new request 90 days after the last unlock code was provided.
No big deal. I at least got the Sensation unlock code and just paid $20 online for the HD2 code.
gave tmobile a call. they seem to not want to give out unlock codes. they told me that i had to either pay for the price of the phone, the full price, or i need to use the phone 40 days. also got an email like this -
Thank you for taking the time to contact T-Mobile. We have received your SIM Unlock Request. Unfortunately, this subscriber is not eligible to receive the unlock code at this time. In order to be eligible, the subscriber must complete 40 days of active service. Please submit a new request 40 days after this subscriber was activated.
Paging Dr B said:
It's as simple as calling t-mobile and telling them you need to unlock it. Tell them that you're going overseas and need to have it unlocked to use on other carriers. I normally say that we're going on vacation and are going to use a pre-paid sim overseas. Then they send me an email after a couple of days with the unlock instructions + unlock code. I've done this 3 times with no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
However keep in mind that if you're in a different country the SIM network unlock code will not work, it would only work if you're still within T-Mobile's network coverage.
ngmt said:
However keep in mind that if you're in a different country the SIM network unlock code will not work, it would only work if you're still within T-Mobile's network coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? That is what the unlock is for, to use your phone with a different countries network when there is no tmobile network. I do this when I go on vacation.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
hi, im currently on at&t, im planning to get the sensation 4g from tmobile and then unlock it to use it on my at&t sim, i wanted to make sure that 3g/4g will work on at&t on the sensation 4g after unlocking it...coz i read somewhere online that 3g wouldnt work on at&t in US....plzz bear with me as i am new here and don't have much idea about these things.....
saty47 said:
hi, im currently on at&t, im planning to get the sensation 4g from tmobile and then unlock it to use it on my at&t sim, i wanted to make sure that 3g/4g will work on at&t on the sensation 4g after unlocking it...coz i read somewhere online that 3g wouldnt work on at&t in US....plzz bear with me as i am new here and don't have much idea about these things.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will not get 3G/4G on AT&T with the T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G.
Elvis_Freshly said:
+1
This is correct. We will provide an unlock code to you free of charge with no questions asked. Just ask to be transferred to our Sim Unlock dept. and they will be more than happy to assist you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is correct but I just called t-mobile to ask for unlocking my HTC Sense 4G yesterday and today I received an email from the Unlock Dept saying that they could not process my request for unlock right now because I had requested to unlock once within the past 90 days...bla bla bla...and please call us back 90 days after the last day you requested. I don't understand why t-mobile policy prohibit unlock requests within 90 days like that. I doesn't make sense at all. I would suggest to unlock your phone, or in my case the HTC Sense 4G, @ other unlock websites for $6.49 with REALLY NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
saty47 said:
hi, im currently on at&t, im planning to get the sensation 4g from tmobile and then unlock it to use it on my at&t sim, i wanted to make sure that 3g/4g will work on at&t on the sensation 4g after unlocking it...coz i read somewhere online that 3g wouldnt work on at&t in US....plzz bear with me as i am new here and don't have much idea about these things.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The t-mobile version, as well as the Asian & European version, won't work with AT&T 3G. The Canadian Bell version works with AT&T 3G, but it cost CAD550 before tax without contract to buy one from them. So be prepared to pay at least $600 to get one.
Is there any reason that you want to stick with AT&T (e.g. no t-mobile reception in your area or on a family plan)? I paid AT&T about $200 to break my contract, which still has another year before it ends. Sign up a new contract with t-mobile and get the Sensation for $150. So in the end I paid $350 for the phone, still a much better deal than paying $600+ for the Canadian version.
Hello all, and first off, let me say congratulations on getting official CM10 and CWM support!
Here's my story (and before anyone asks, I have searched the forums for an answer, but was unsuccessful with finding my specific questions): I am currently on AT&T (was Alltel before they were bought out) with an HTC Aria and my contract for a grandfathered plan was up long ago. It is time for me to upgrade to something a little more modern and I have settled on the Blaze because of its size (I'd like a GNex, but my hands are too small) and a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that, as I understand, it has full compatibility with both AT&T and T-mobile's 3g (4g for t-mobile) and 2g/EDGE networks.
I don't really like AT&T as a company and I also really like the monthly 4g plans that t-mobile offers. My problem is that according to t-mobile's prepaid coverage map, I won't have data service for most of the area I travel back and forth in (upper midwest USA). And as much as I dislike AT&T, they have good 3g service almost everywhere I go. So, I'd like to be able to take my current sim card and switch it and a t-mobile sim at will while I test out both service providers.
Therefore, my questions are as follows:
1) Where is the best place to buy a blaze off contract? I'd like to get one on ebay because of the price (~$200 is what I have set aside for a new phone), but there aren't that many there, and even fewer that specifically say they are unlocked - which leads to question 2.
2) Can I unlock any phone that is not on a contract (basically anything I would buy used online)? I spoke with a rep from T-mobile and he seemed to indicate that I could only unlock a phone if I was the original purchaser of it and the plan (and account) to go with it. Therefore, according to him, I would have to make sure the phone I bought was already unlocked, otherwise there would be no chance of unlocking it in the future. I would think (possibly incorrectly) that as long as I have a t-mobile account (I plan on buying and activating the $30 monthly 4g plan as soon as I receive the device to compliment my current ATT service), they shouldn't have a problem with giving me the unlock code because they did not subsidize the phone. Could anyone clear this up?
3) There are a number of sites claiming to sell unlock codes for a myriad of devices. I would consider something like that if there was no other way to unlock a second hand phone, but only if I was sure it would work and the site was legit. Are any of these sites legitimate and have you had experience with any of them?
It would be considerably cheaper and easier to find a used device that isn't unlocked, but like I said, I'm not sure if that would bite me in the rear because there is a strong chance that I will stick with AT&T due to them having service where I travel. Thanks for taking the time to read this text wall, and I can't wait to join the Blaze community! Keep up the good work!
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Hello all, and first off, let me say congratulations on getting official CM10 and CWM support!
Here's my story (and before anyone asks, I have searched the forums for an answer, but was unsuccessful with finding my specific questions): I am currently on AT&T (was Alltel before they were bought out) with an HTC Aria and my contract for a grandfathered plan was up long ago. It is time for me to upgrade to something a little more modern and I have settled on the Blaze because of its size (I'd like a GNex, but my hands are too small) and a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that, as I understand, it has full compatibility with both AT&T and T-mobile's 3g (4g for t-mobile) and 2g/EDGE networks.
I don't really like AT&T as a company and I also really like the monthly 4g plans that t-mobile offers. My problem is that according to t-mobile's prepaid coverage map, I won't have data service for most of the area I travel back and forth in (upper midwest USA). And as much as I dislike AT&T, they have good 3g service almost everywhere I go. So, I'd like to be able to take my current sim card and switch it and a t-mobile sim at will while I test out both service providers.
Therefore, my questions are as follows:
1) Where is the best place to buy a blaze off contract? I'd like to get one on ebay because of the price (~$200 is what I have set aside for a new phone), but there aren't that many there, and even fewer that specifically say they are unlocked - which leads to question 2.
2) Can I unlock any phone that is not on a contract (basically anything I would buy used online)? I spoke with a rep from T-mobile and he seemed to indicate that I could only unlock a phone if I was the original purchaser of it and the plan (and account) to go with it. Therefore, according to him, I would have to make sure the phone I bought was already unlocked, otherwise there would be no chance of unlocking it in the future. I would think (possibly incorrectly) that as long as I have a t-mobile account (I plan on buying and activating the $30 monthly 4g plan as soon as I receive the device to compliment my current ATT service), they shouldn't have a problem with giving me the unlock code because they did not subsidize the phone. Could anyone clear this up?
3) There are a number of sites claiming to sell unlock codes for a myriad of devices. I would consider something like that if there was no other way to unlock a second hand phone, but only if I was sure it would work and the site was legit. Are any of these sites legitimate and have you had experience with any of them?
It would be considerably cheaper and easier to find a used device that isn't unlocked, but like I said, I'm not sure if that would bite me in the rear because there is a strong chance that I will stick with AT&T due to them having service where I travel. Thanks for taking the time to read this text wall, and I can't wait to join the Blaze community! Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.) Good luck. Not many people are willing to sell their blaze, especially after the past couple weeks three weeks ago you could have had a lot of takers ebay would be your best bet
2.) Tmobile rep led to you like they're supposed to. anybody can request an unlock code for their phone. Naturally if you're on their plan, they'll verify that you are the owner of the account, but still. That being said, just because you can ask doesn't mean they'll give out. If you had a plan (not prepaid) for a year or two in good standings with no late payments and said you were going out of the country for a couple months and want to use your phone on a foreign gsm network, they'd bee more inclined. As a brand new prepaid customer, good luck. Best of buying it unlocked or getting the unlock code elsewhere.
3.) I've had success and failure here. Most places are what they say, but some won't deliver. Always do research. Google that site or business to see if anybody has complained. And use paypal when you can, you could always claim you didn't get the service you paid for. Same goes with ebay buyer protection.
that chapter book out of the way, always always always research as much as you can. For all you know, I could be lying through my teeth right now
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
jparnell8839 said:
1.) Good luck. Not many people are willing to sell their blaze, especially after the past couple weeks three weeks ago you could have had a lot of takers ebay would be your best bet
2.) Tmobile rep led to you like they're supposed to. anybody can request an unlock code for their phone. Naturally if you're on their plan, they'll verify that you are the owner of the account, but still. That being said, just because you can ask doesn't mean they'll give out. If you had a plan (not prepaid) for a year or two in good standings with no late payments and said you were going out of the country for a couple months and want to use your phone on a foreign gsm network, they'd bee more inclined. As a brand new prepaid customer, good luck. Best of buying it unlocked or getting the unlock code elsewhere.
3.) I've had success and failure here. Most places are what they say, but some won't deliver. Always do research. Google that site or business to see if anybody has complained. And use paypal when you can, you could always claim you didn't get the service you paid for. Same goes with ebay buyer protection.
that chapter book out of the way, always always always research as much as you can. For all you know, I could be lying through my teeth right now
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. I would also consider buying one brand new from t-mobile if I knew I could unlock it right away. Do you think they would unlock a prepaid blaze if I bought it brand new and at full price from them through this link? http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/Samsung-Galaxy-S-Blaze-4G-No-Annual-Contract
Otherwise I'll be sure to buy one unlocked off ebay, as it seems that most unlock codes are $25 to $50, which would negate pretty much any cost savings by buying one off ebay that wasn't unlocked.
Code:
[INDENT][/INDENT]
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Thanks for the advice. I would also consider buying one brand new from t-mobile if I knew I could unlock it right away. Do you think they would unlock a prepaid blaze if I bought it brand new and at full price from them through this link? http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/Samsung-Galaxy-S-Blaze-4G-No-Annual-Contract
Otherwise I'll be sure to buy one unlocked off ebay, as it seems that most unlock codes are $25 to $50, which would negate pretty much any cost savings by buying one off ebay that wasn't unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like the other reply. If you bought it from t mobile and said you had to go out of county for work. And would appreciate the unlock code to use other GSM networks. While away. They get commission, so if unlock is the deal breaker, they'll prob give it to you. Or if you ask enough pple. Nicely I'm sure someones bound to give it to you.
I don't recall an unlock code thread here on xda
I've been with t mobile for 12 years if I happen to stop at a t mobile (which I plan too) ill ask for code
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Hello all, and first off, let me say congratulations on getting official CM10 and CWM support!
Here's my story (and before anyone asks, I have searched the forums for an answer, but was unsuccessful with finding my specific questions): I am currently on AT&T (was Alltel before they were bought out) with an HTC Aria and my contract for a grandfathered plan was up long ago. It is time for me to upgrade to something a little more modern and I have settled on the Blaze because of its size (I'd like a GNex, but my hands are too small) and a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that, as I understand, it has full compatibility with both AT&T and T-mobile's 3g (4g for t-mobile) and 2g/EDGE networks.
I don't really like AT&T as a company and I also really like the monthly 4g plans that t-mobile offers. My problem is that according to t-mobile's prepaid coverage map, I won't have data service for most of the area I travel back and forth in (upper midwest USA). And as much as I dislike AT&T, they have good 3g service almost everywhere I go. So, I'd like to be able to take my current sim card and switch it and a t-mobile sim at will while I test out both service providers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered a carrier like StraightTalk? StraightTalk is a MVNO which resells both T-Mobile AND AT&T service. You can specify what kind of SIM you want when you order it online. Their service prices are pretty good, and in theory their network is basically either AT&T or T-Mo depending on which one you pick.
I've seen mixed reviews on their service and whether or not they'd throttle you on excessive service... some great, some bad, so it'd be caveat emptor, but if your usage pattern doesn't change, you'll likely be fine. Either way, it's up to you to do your own research (as someone else mentioned).
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Therefore, my questions are as follows:
1) Where is the best place to buy a blaze off contract? I'd like to get one on ebay because of the price (~$200 is what I have set aside for a new phone), but there aren't that many there, and even fewer that specifically say they are unlocked - which leads to question 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like eBay. Craigslist can be a little scary because the phone may or may not be stolen. T-Mobile and AT&T have already started disabling phones by their IMEI that have been reported stolen by the user or by the insurance. Soon they'll also start sharing that database, so the phone won't work anywhere in North America if that's the case. There are plenty of scams when it comes to craigslist where a "brand new phone" is purchased and then suddenly reported stolen because it was noticed missing from a back room.
This was my biggest fear in buying my S3. On eBay you get to see things like ratings on the sellers so you can find someone trustworthy, like I did Also, make sure to exercise common sense. If something's too good to be true, it very well may be.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
2) Can I unlock any phone that is not on a contract (basically anything I would buy used online)? I spoke with a rep from T-mobile and he seemed to indicate that I could only unlock a phone if I was the original purchaser of it and the plan (and account) to go with it. Therefore, according to him, I would have to make sure the phone I bought was already unlocked, otherwise there would be no chance of unlocking it in the future. I would think (possibly incorrectly) that as long as I have a t-mobile account (I plan on buying and activating the $30 monthly 4g plan as soon as I receive the device to compliment my current ATT service), they shouldn't have a problem with giving me the unlock code because they did not subsidize the phone. Could anyone clear this up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can unlock any phone you buy, legal or otherwise. T-Mobile has never cared if I was the original purchaser or not, and they shouldn't. They'll only care if it's an original T-Mobile phone or not. T-Mobile will give you an unlock code for a phone as long as you've had 90 days of uninterrupted service. On prepaid they want you to have 60 days (I think) with enough of a balance in your account to pay for another month's service. Not sure about the prepaid requirements, but you can look those up online.
Also, if you just wanna test service, I wouldn't do the monthly 4g $30, I'd do a daily. $3/day gets you relatively unlimited access, and you only need a few days worth to make a decision. Plus, you likely wanna switch to one of the better all-you-can-eat plans, and wouldn't want to be stuck for a month with the cheaper plan. It isn't easy to switch until the month is up.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
3) There are a number of sites claiming to sell unlock codes for a myriad of devices. I would consider something like that if there was no other way to unlock a second hand phone, but only if I was sure it would work and the site was legit. Are any of these sites legitimate and have you had experience with any of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had good luck purchasing codes from eBay. Never had them not work. But with everything eBay, make sure you're using someone reputable.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
It would be considerably cheaper and easier to find a used device that isn't unlocked, but like I said, I'm not sure if that would bite me in the rear because there is a strong chance that I will stick with AT&T due to them having service where I travel. Thanks for taking the time to read this text wall, and I can't wait to join the Blaze community! Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's cheaper to find it locked, then just get it locked and buy an unlock code later. If you aren't going to use AT&T service, then you don't need to SIM unlock the phone anyways. The phone will automatically work on t-mobile, unlocked or not. Finding a good carrier is difficult, I know.
If you decide to try straight talk, you could probably go with a T-Mobile SIM that wouldn't require unlocking the phone. If you find the service lacking, you could switch to an AT&T sim and then deal with unlocking the phone.
Hope this helps.
Good point about Straight Talk. I didn't mention it in my original post, but that was my third option for service. As for getting an unlocked device, I'll probably have to buy one whether it's locked or not pretty soon, after seeing how much activity has been going on here lately, lol. Ebay again seems to be the cheapest route for getting an unlock code, and I'll have their buyer protection and Paypal in case the code does not work. (I will first, of course, call and/or online request t-mobile for an unlock after I get my T-mo account setup. Maybe I'll get lucky about unlocking before their traditional 60 days of prepaid service - if not, off to ebay it is cause I need to get my current ATT sim + number on it asap)
As for ebay codes, I've seen some cheap services that promise to unlock a phone by setting up some software on my computer and plugging the phone into the computer. They then do the unlock online. They are a lot cheaper than the regular "give us carrier and IMEI and we email code" services also found on ebay and the like. Can I trust this unknown software to be running on my computer and hacking into my phone?
I have not seen or heard of T-mobile's daily plans (like the $3/day you mention). Could you provide a link to where I can find more info on these plans? Also, if you think the $30/monthly unlimited text, data, and 100 minutes plan isn't that great, what plan(s) would you recommend? I am certainly never going to sign another contract, so prepaid or monthly is the only long term option if I decide to kill my grandfathered AT&T data plan (which is looking less likely as I know that I can expect good service where I go). I'm thinking you may be pointing me to one of their plans that allows data roaming on T-mobile affiliates? Because their post-paid data map looks a lot better, even comparable to AT&T.
If it's a T-Mobile phone and you have T-Mobile as your carrier, you can call customer care and tell them you just got service with them and are going overseas and need it unlocked so you can use a foreign sim card in it. Thay usually works well.
If not, ask to speak to a supervisor. When transferred, ask the person if they are a supervisor or just an escalation rep. If they are not a supervisor, ask them if they can help you still.
If they won't, ask to speak to an actual supervisor and try again. If all else fails, you do have a window of time to cancel, so you can always tell them you are thinking of canceling and they will probably transfer you to a retention rep. That one's a gamble since you're bluffing.
If retention won't help, hang up in the middle of a sentence and call back. Chances are, you will get a different call center and you can say you got disconnected and try the process again.
That gives you up to 6 potential reps who can help... and they can. I was customer care for a couple years and then in corporate engineering for several years. They are flexible, you just have to play the game.
Probably not the answer you want, but it's what you will have to do to get it unlocked quickly
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Good point about Straight Talk. I didn't mention it in my original post, but that was my third option for service. As for getting an unlocked device, I'll probably have to buy one whether it's locked or not pretty soon, after seeing how much activity has been going on here lately, lol. Ebay again seems to be the cheapest route for getting an unlock code, and I'll have their buyer protection and Paypal in case the code does not work. (I will first, of course, call and/or online request t-mobile for an unlock after I get my T-mo account setup. Maybe I'll get lucky about unlocking before their traditional 60 days of prepaid service - if not, off to ebay it is cause I need to get my current ATT sim + number on it asap)
As for ebay codes, I've seen some cheap services that promise to unlock a phone by setting up some software on my computer and plugging the phone into the computer. They then do the unlock online. They are a lot cheaper than the regular "give us carrier and IMEI and we email code" services also found on ebay and the like. Can I trust this unknown software to be running on my computer and hacking into my phone?
I have not seen or heard of T-mobile's daily plans (like the $3/day you mention). Could you provide a link to where I can find more info on these plans? Also, if you think the $30/monthly unlimited text, data, and 100 minutes plan isn't that great, what plan(s) would you recommend? I am certainly never going to sign another contract, so prepaid or monthly is the only long term option if I decide to kill my grandfathered AT&T data plan (which is looking less likely as I know that I can expect good service where I go). I'm thinking you may be pointing me to one of their plans that allows data roaming on T-mobile affiliates? Because their post-paid data map looks a lot better, even comparable to AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always stayed away from anything that requires a cable. If they can't get you a code based on your IMEI, I don't bother. I used one of those once and I don't remember if it ever worked or not.
The daily plans don't seem to be well advertised on the site. I found them this time around by going to the "no annual contract plans" and then scrolling down to the bottom for daily and other services. Check it out here. I believe their prepaid coverage map hasn't been updated in ages on the site. Supposedly their prepaid coverage map is about 98-99% like their postpaid one. The main difference between the two is that prepaid doesn't allow you to do conditional call forwarding. This is necessary if you want to use another service for voice mail instead of T-Mobile's crappy voicemail.
When I signed up for Tmo they gave me 30 days to confirm if I wanted the contract. You can get a plan and if you dont like it you can just return it before the first 30 days are up and only pay for the minutes you used. This was a big deal for me as I cam from ATT like you, but needed to knwo how well the Tmo service was. I would suggest getting the unlimited everything for $60 a month. Tmo I must say has pretty good customer service. I have had a few problems with them but all it takes is a little social engineering on the phone (saying sprint/whoever will pay your ETF) and you can get some pretty good stuff
I got $10 knocked off my bill for the duration (18months or so) off my bill for an overcharge I got. I also got two free blazes 2 months before my contract was up for free as well. Plus, when/if they are bought out there is a good chance contracts will be altered/changed allowing you to get out of your contract early
Thanks for all the advice, guys. I feel like I have all the knowledge I need to go ahead with my plans. Now I just have to play the waiting game for the "right" one to pop up on Ebay. I will report back to this thread when I receive my blaze and whether I was successful with unlocking it, and any first impressions.
On a side note, does anyone know if the new 64 GB microSDXC cards are supported by the blaze? I just know that I'm gonna feel the pinch of 32 GB eventually, lol. (I already had to be picky and choosy about what was on my 16 GB card before it died)
dispozable said:
When I signed up for Tmo they gave me 30 days to confirm if I wanted the contract. You can get a plan and if you dont like it you can just return it before the first 30 days are up and only pay for the minutes you used. This was a big deal for me as I cam from ATT like you, but needed to knwo how well the Tmo service was. I would suggest getting the unlimited everything for $60 a month. Tmo I must say has pretty good customer service. I have had a few problems with them but all it takes is a little social engineering on the phone (saying sprint/whoever will pay your ETF) and you can get some pretty good stuff
I got $10 knocked off my bill for the duration (18months or so) off my bill for an overcharge I got. I also got two free blazes 2 months before my contract was up for free as well. Plus, when/if they are bought out there is a good chance contracts will be altered/changed allowing you to get out of your contract early
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when I had tmo a couple years ago it was 30 days. I just signed up early september, its down to 7 days :/
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Thanks for all the advice, guys. I feel like I have all the knowledge I need to go ahead with my plans. Now I just have to play the waiting game for the "right" one to pop up on Ebay. I will report back to this thread when I receive my blaze and whether I was successful with unlocking it, and any first impressions.
On a side note, does anyone know if the new 64 GB microSDXC cards are supported by the blaze? I just know that I'm gonna feel the pinch of 32 GB eventually, lol. (I already had to be picky and choosy about what was on my 16 GB card before it died)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope. there's not many devices out there that support SDXC yet. As time goes on, it'll gain more popularity, but lets face it, as awesome as it is, the blaze is only a mid range device. I wouldnt trade it for any other phone out there, i love my blaze, but still.
jparnell8839 said:
when I had tmo a couple years ago it was 30 days. I just signed up early september, its down to 7 days :/
nope. there's not many devices out there that support SDXC yet. As time goes on, it'll gain more popularity, but lets face it, as awesome as it is, the blaze is only a mid range device. I wouldnt trade it for any other phone out there, i love my blaze, but still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's mildly disappointing, but it doesn't affect my decision making about the phone. I'll have to somehow get by with only 32GB of storage. Speaking of which, how close is a solution to the camera only being able to save to the paltry internal storage? I do like to take lots of pictures with my phone, so this is obviously something I would hope to find a solution to.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Well, that's mildly disappointing, but it doesn't affect my decision making about the phone. I'll have to somehow get by with only 32GB of storage. Speaking of which, how close is a solution to the camera only being able to save to the paltry internal storage? I do like to take lots of pictures with my phone, so this is obviously something I would hope to find a solution to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do that with cm9. Idk why cm10 doesn't have it :/
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
jparnell8839 said:
You can do that with cm9. Idk why cm10 doesn't have it :/
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. In a sense, CM9 has a bunch more features. When CM10 started, they basically started from scratch, and the focus was on project butter and some other things. Then they had to start forward porting their CM9 additions into CM10. There are a bunch of things in CM10 now that weren't there just a week or two ago. I think the camera thing will come, just like other features. It seems like the features are starting to come quicker too.
Keep an eye on the changelog. It lists the changes with each release
Goodbye_Alltel said:
On a side note, does anyone know if the new 64 GB microSDXC cards are supported by the blaze? I just know that I'm gonna feel the pinch of 32 GB eventually, lol. (I already had to be picky and choosy about what was on my 16 GB card before it died)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a 64gig card off Newegg about 3 months ago and it's been working just fine in this phone. In fact, what I read online indicated that just about every "recent" Android phone had no problems reading them at all.
So hey, ther'es that.
And yeah, having 64gigs is nice, especially since this phone has such small amount of user storage on the phone.
Cirkustanz said:
I bought a 64gig card off Newegg about 3 months ago and it's been working just fine in this phone. In fact, what I read online indicated that just about every "recent" Android phone had no problems reading them at all.
So hey, ther'es that.
And yeah, having 64gigs is nice, especially since this phone has such small amount of user storage on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it standard sd or sdxc? I read the specs said it doesn't support it :/ but, trial and error trumps all I suppose
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
jparnell8839 said:
Is it standard sd or sdxc? I read the specs said it doesn't support it :/ but, trial and error trumps all I suppose
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all 64gb microsd are categorized as sdxc, and most of recent android phones do work with them.
I just switched to T-Mobile and got 3 Blaze phones. They should arrive today. I only took them because they were free, and I didn't want to pay for GS3's. I'll be selling one right away after the Note 2 is released. If your still looking for one in a couple weeks, lemme know.
Rob the plumber said:
I just switched to T-Mobile and got 3 Blaze phones. They should arrive today. I only took them because they were free, and I didn't want to pay for GS3's. I'll be selling one right away after the Note 2 is released. If your still looking for one in a couple weeks, lemme know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, can I ask a HUGE favor? can you not root them immediately?
I'm trying to help the dude that's been helping me with the CM access. He wants to get a copy of a partition in a virgin state (ie... not rooted or modified at all). He's trying to find a way to reset the flash counter. I'm trying to assemble a stock ROM that will be pre-rooted and won't trigger the counter.
If you can avoid rooting 1 (or better yet, 2 in case more testing necessary), I'd really appreciate it. And it'll help the community in the end
I won't root them. What do you need?
Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2