When i first purchased my Nexus S from Best Buy for AT&T, I was informed by the sales guy that I could call AT&T and get it unlocked by AT&T for free since Best Buy didn't have unlocked units at the time . I called and AT&T informed me that I would have to wait 90 days from the day of activation to be eligible for an unlocked code for my device. I called 100 days later and I am now being told by the AT&T support rep that AT&T does not offer an unlock code for my particular device . Has anyone encountered a similar problem or knows of a free solution to having the Nexus S GSM version unlocked? Open to any explanation or interpretation.
damambt said:
When i first purchased my Nexus S from Best Buy for AT&T, I was informed by the sales guy that I could call AT&T and get it unlocked by AT&T for free since Best Buy didn't have unlocked units at the time . I called and AT&T informed me that I would have to wait 90 days from the day of activation to be eligible for an unlocked code for my device. I called 100 days later and I am now being told by the AT&T support rep that AT&T does not offer an unlock code for my particular device . Has anyone encountered a similar problem or knows of a free solution to having the Nexus S GSM version unlocked? Open to any explanation or interpretation.
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It's already unlocked. Every Nexus device sold has always been sim unlocked (even those sold subsidized by the carriers).
Thank you! I guess that would explain the 35 minute phone call with AT&T trying to figure out why the phone didn't have an unlock code. At one point during the call i was asked if the manufacturer was really samsung. I told the lady it was a Nexus S and she said that the manufacturer didn't exist. I had to explain it to her but she was very polite.
Haha, its great isn't it! I went as far as to order the unlock code from one of the many online services, which they obviously couldn't generate.
To my delight, tried a foreign similar card when I went on vacation and BLAM!
I threw my sim (telus) in my friends (wind mobile) Nexus s and his was emergency calls only, while mine worked with his sim. Interesting note. After putting the telus card in the wind phone, his phone was unable to receive service again. I had to randomly google a dial code thingy to connect to his mobile network
The Rogers/Bell/Telus/AT&T version of the Nexus S (i9020A) supports different frequency bands than the Wind/Mobilicity/Videotron/T-Mobile version (i9020T). That would explain why you weren't able to exchange SIM cards. Fortunately the upcoming Galaxy Nexus will support all frequency bands in a single phone, so it won't have this problem.
Related
Using AT&T with the Nexus S GT-i9020T?
Has anyone successfully done this?
I bought this model of the Nexus S recently, and have been really enthusiastic about the build quality of the device. However, actually setting up phone service has presented a few challenges.
I have found nothing but conflicting information about this all over the internet. The official Nexus S manual spec sheet seems to imply that the phone can play either the tri-band or the quad-band game. Some folks report that the phone will work with AT&T but will only allow you to use EDGE and not 3G service. There are websites which say that the phone can be unlocked, however, many posters here on the xda-developers forum say that the phone is always unlocked anyway.
I bought both a T-mobile simcard and an AT&T simcard. The T-mobile one works just great. After inserting the AT&T card, the phone sees the local AT&T cell tower, but when trying to connect, it says "Your sim card does not allow a connection on this network."
I took the phone into an AT&T store this afternoon and the customer service rep replaced my sim card - but the phone acted just the same. He told me that the phone was probably carrier locked - and that I could look for a shop to help me unlock it.
So what can be done? Will T-mobile give me an unlock code? Do I need to buy an unlocking code from some vendor on the internet? I am familiar enough with Linux to edit files on the phone using a hex editor if there's a way to unlock it that way (I read about this method in a conversation on xda-developers.com pertaining to the Galaxy S I9000).
Not sure about unlocking, but I do know the 9020t will only do voice and Edge on At&t.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Hardware is not capable of ATT 3G but all nexus devices should already be sim unlocked. Idk why you're experiencing that issue.
I really doubt the att Rep has any knowledge on the tmo nexus s, but I'm really suspecting att's similar card as the culprit, despite the fact that u replaced it.
Sorry I couldn't be of much help.
Sent from my Nexus S
So... An update on the progress of my quest:
I called T-mobile today (on the phone: "611") where a customer service person tried and failed to authorize the unlock code. She then gave me a service number at Samsung to call: (888) 987 4357. Samsung took the information from me about the cell's phone number and the carrier... and after a bit, bounced me back, saying that I needed to call T-mobile again to see whether I could get them to issue the 8 digit "network control code" which can be derived from the IMEI number.
This time, the T-mobile rep said that she would submit a formal request for me that might take between two days and two weeks to process. She warned me that because I had not had the T-mobile account for 60 days there might be a problem with the approval - but that they might be able to do it, if I offered proof of purchase for the phone (proving that I paid full price for it). She took my email address, my landline number and some other bits of information from me, and promised I'd hear back in a few days.
For those who are interested in all the gory details... here's an update on the hoops I've been trying to jump through:
www . christophervandyck . com / o / node / 412
Im thinking of buying an at&t version of this phone to use with rogers here in canada and i wanted to know whether it can be unlocked to be used with any gsm carrier?
yes you can but from what I hear, you cannot use the unlock tool from the market so you'll have to get the unlock code from AT&T or online after a small fee.
hmmm why?
from what i have been reading the Rogers one (which is the SGS2 LTE) is the international version and probably get the ICS upgrade before the AT&T Skyrocket.
Skyrocket is something AT&T made.
Also Carrier IQ is installed in the AT&T ones out of the box...
i could be all wrong since i am new to the android scene, but this is what i gathered from reading around..
The Rogers one is nice IMHO
The reason i was asking was because i found some at&t versions on ebay which were selling for less than the rogers version on craigslist.
ahhhh makes sense ; >
When I called AT&T the told me they can't give me the unlock code for my Skyrocket "you will have to pay a third party" (sic) !!!
I would love to get some feedback if you are able to get the unlock code from AT&T
I have the Rogers Galaxy S2 LTE and purchased an unlock code from cellularunlock for 9 dollars and it worked perfectly. Also rooted my phone with the Super One Click app. Worked like a charm. Zeide
floppy__ said:
When I called AT&T the told me they can't give me the unlock code for my Skyrocket "you will have to pay a third party" (sic) !!!
I would love to get some feedback if you are able to get the unlock code from AT&T
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I have AT&T in the US and I called them to unlock the Skyrocket. At first the lady said it wasn't possible. Then I explained that I travel overseas frequently and there are some countries that don't have any AT&T signal or service. She said OK and then did some more digging: you have to have purchased the phone at full price, not be an abuser of data roaming, and submit the original receipt. Once they send you this form to fill out it takes a few days to receive the code. I avoided all that mumbo jumbo by complaining and finally the lady said she would send my case to the "technicians". Three days later I got an email with the unlock code and instructions. It depends on who you get on the phone. Don't give up. Or just pay the $20-$30 for the unlock code online.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I unlocked mine using cellunlocker.net It was $28 and they sent me the unlock code in a few hours.
I unlocked it using my wife's T mobile SIM. After unlocking, it took several minutes for the T Mobile network to come on but it works fine. I made several calls with my wife's SIM in my phone. It does get EDGE data speeds which you would expect.
Hello XDA-Developers,
I am at my wits end. I can not for the life of me find a Sim Unlock code for my Samsung Note 3 N900W8.
I will start from the beginning... I purchased this phone from a woman who is the manager of a telecommunications in London ON. She listed the phone on Kijiji as "Brand new in box, unlocked!". I met her at a kiosk for my carrier to test the phone on one of their sim cards. It turned out the phone was sim locked. She seemed nice enough and genuinely surprised when it came up sim locked. She said she had received the phone as a promotional gift from her company, but didn't like the size of it and wanted to use her existing phone. She asked me if I would prefer to have her get it unlocked or she would take 50$ off of our originally agreed price to put towards the unlocking cost. I opted to get it unlocked myself, my mistake lol.
First I had to find out which carrier it was locked to so through a process of elimination I figured out it was locked to Bell. I contacted Bell and asked to get a sim unlock code from them. They said that they have no record of my phone in any of their data bases and that I should contact Samsung and confirm that my phone is locked to Bell. I contacted Samsung who confirmed that my phone is locked to Bell. I contacted Bell again and they put me through to tech support. He was a nice guy, but didn't give me the answer I wanted lol. He said that because my IMEI is not in any of their data bases that there's no way for him to give me a code. He suggested flashing a different kernel and it would remove the sim lock? I'm sorry I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff. Anyways, I have taken the phone to 3 reputable phone repare shops in my area and tried cellun******.net. All have said that they can't find an unlock code?
You guys are my last resort, any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Thank You!
Hi just purchased my idol 3 from koodo in Canada it was locked and was wondering if anyone has a good place for unlocking? Thanks
If it's showing sim locked you should return it. Alcatel would have no reason to lock it since they are not selling the phone via a carrier....if you ended up getting one someone fiddled with previously it's possible they managed to lock it....you won't find any place setup to unlock the idol 3 since it's intended to be sold unlocked.
In Canada they only sell with carriers. Telus koodo and bell. I put my wife's rogers sim in my koodo phone and asked for a unlock code. Even when you go to purchase a phone on alcatel website you can only purchase from the cell companies in Canada that offer the phone. We cannot purchase from Alcatel.
There might be an unlocking company online that will charge to unlock it. Or a company that will ship a US version to CA.
Romman0 said:
There might be an unlocking company online that will charge to unlock it. Or a company that will ship a US version to CA.
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Other canadians here have identified their phones as the 6045i (when everyone was uploading their stock firmware) so it's the same model as USA.
If the Canadian is locked, then it would still be beneficial to get a US version or paying for an unlock code or service.
Thanks for the help guys. Sucks that the Canadian model is locked. But not surprised. Lol
Def locked when bought from a Canadian carrier. They lock everything except the nexus phones...even when bought at full price.
I'd try cell unlocker or some other 3rd party unlock service. Telus/Koodo charges $50 for an unlock code.
scatoclysm said:
Def locked when bought from a Canadian carrier. They lock everything except the nexus phones...even when bought at full price.
I'd try cell unlocker or some other 3rd party unlock service. Telus/Koodo charges $50 for an unlock code.
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For that much would be cheaper to purchase in usa...have shipped to friend in usa then reshipped to canada....can then flash the stock canadian firmware we have online.
Yeah, Canada's wireless is borked... The CRTC did change all the rules and did force the carriers to provide a way to unlock in a contract and immediately unlock when you purchase the device in full, the only problem is, the morons forgot to add the part where the carriers should have to do it for free, when you own the device. So, now they can still charge... looks a lot like it did before, with just more pointless words in the act.
The free part was unlikely to be an oversight. It was probably the most requested part of the code of conduct. They stopped short of free and price controls when it came to unlocks.
Bit of a shame, I think if a contract has been fulfilled, they should do it for free.
At least there's a trend lately of affordable high performance phones... Hopefully that leads to fewer phones bought on contract up here. Many normal customers just aren't aware if the "device balance" mark up, and plan mark ups. Better off paying outright.
Hello,
I owned a Verizon Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that I bought shortly after release. I got bored with it, as often happens, so I paid it off in full and sold it, to someone who uses T-Mobile. They cannot activate the phone, when they put their T-Mobile SIM in it, it gives the message "SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless". The facts:
I owned and used the phone for well over the 60 day automatic unlock period.
It was active on my Verizon account for the entire time until a week before I sold it.
It was paid off IN FULL, and my account said the line was paid in full and ready for an upgrade.
My Verizon account is never behind or not paid on time (Auto-Pay)
Is there something I needed to do to the phone besides factory reset it? Is there anything that can be done? Should I call Verizon customer service? To further complicate matters, the person I sold it to lives in another state. I may need to have them send me the phone back and refund them their money if I can't figure this out.
Thank you so much for any help that can be provided.
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days?
Rtiberius said:
Hello,
I owned a Verizon Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that I bought shortly after release. I got bored with it, as often happens, so I paid it off in full and sold it, to someone who uses T-Mobile. They cannot activate the phone, when they put their T-Mobile SIM in it, it gives the message "SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless". The facts:
I owned and used the phone for well over the 60 day automatic unlock period.
It was active on my Verizon account for the entire time until a week before I sold it.
It was paid off IN FULL, and my account said the line was paid in full and ready for an upgrade.
My Verizon account is never behind or not paid on time (Auto-Pay)
Is there something I needed to do to the phone besides factory reset it? Is there anything that can be done? Should I call Verizon customer service? To further complicate matters, the person I sold it to lives in another state. I may need to have them send me the phone back and refund them their money if I can't figure this out.
Thank you so much for any help that can be provided.
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Are you sure you used the device for 60 days? Did you check with another carrier sim before you sold the device?
SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless is a common message for all Verizon branded phones. May be buyer is confused with this message.
dadmi said:
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days?
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days? Did you check with another carrier sim before you sold the device?
SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless is a common message for all Verizon branded phones. May be buyer is confused with this message.
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Thanks for your reply.
Yes, it was activated in late August 2020 and was active up until the end of December 2020. No, I didn't realize I should try a different carrier's SIM first.
I asked them if they are able to call or text despite the SIM card message and they said no.
You need(ed) to request VZW to carrier (SIM) unlock the device prior to selling it.
cam30era said:
You need(ed) to request VZW to carrier (SIM) unlock the device prior to selling it.
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I'm so confused, Verizon says devices are automatically unlocked in their policies listed here: https://www.verizon.com/support/device-unlocking-policy/
I'm going to call Verizon, and see if there's anything they can do.
Update: Called Verizon tech support, and the agent confirmed that the device IS unlocked. He said I should have the buyer contact T-Mobile customer service and add the device to their database. Hopefully that works.
Rtiberius said:
Update: Called Verizon tech support, and the agent confirmed that the device IS unlocked. He said I should have the buyer contact T-Mobile customer service and add the device to their database. Hopefully that works.
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Adding to database is a Verizon thing, Tmobile is gsm. There is no way to sim unlock it if you don't do it on your phone line and request the unlock as if you're using the phone yourself.
Verizon will not unlock it unless it's currently on the line and met the other criteria you already have. For some reason verizon can't read if its really unlocked unless it's on their network, I went through it with an iphone earlier this year. They're a mess.
damn, i thought me getting a new phone annually is bad. you get a new phone every quarter? lol, actually i was thinking about trading mine for a fold 2 but no s-pen, no exp storage and a step down camera array, i decided to keep my note and see if they fix the fold 2's shortcomings.
what's in your pocket now?
It is quite possible that the buyer was not using an existing active sim. He was probably trying to activate a new sim which failed. I had the same issue with AT&T when activating a new sim. AT&T was not recognizing Unlocked model imei and I had to use a very old phone imei for activating sim after which I was able to use the same sim with with AT&T.
It also possible the buyer is lying to you. Either way it looks like the deal is going tits up for you. Perhaps next time check with a T-Mobile SIM before selling it or sell it as verizon locked. Feel for you.
Hello, i know this is a old thread but did you find the solution? i bought a verizon note 20 ultra and it doesnt work on any carrier, just work for a minute and it stops.
You guys found a way to unlock this? I just got the same phone and its a very expensive paperweight atm