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Removing the Nexus S Simlock

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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There have been numerous complaints of the back button, but I haven't seen (m)any about the menu button.

[Q] Unlockability and use of Anrdoid phones

I'm in a bit of a situation. I live in Canada. I leave to the US and Poland in about 17 hours on a two month trip. I have spent the better part of two weeks trying to unlock my iPhone to no avail. I now need a phone. I have turned to my city's classified adds where there are several android phones for sale. My issue is this: I am fast approaching the point at which I will no longer be able to meet someone to buy a phone today, but I don't know what I need.
I am aware that the answer to my question is out there on the intersphere and forunets, but I'm not confident that I'll be confident enough to buy a $250 phone at the end of my research. Therefore, I'm turning to to forums to see if someone knowledgeable can quickly answer my questions so that I'll be able to run out and buy a phone right now.
The phones on the classifieds that I'm looking at are:
A Galaxy S2 on contract with Bell Mobility (Canada) - $350
A Galaxy S 4G factory unlocked - $280
An unlocked and rooted Nexus S - $300
HTC Desire broken proximity detector - $100
Nokia Lumia 710 - $200
HTC Wildfire S unlocked - $220
My questions:
Is the phone unlockable?
Will it work with a pre-paid SIM in the US? (which carriers, if known)
Will it work in Poland, France and Italy?
I'm computer savvy but sadly my knowledge is deficient in this area. If anyone can answer these questions, it would be much appreciated.

Get an unlocked phone
You said you need an unlocked one, You also said "A Galaxy S 4G factory unlocked - $280" why don't you just buy that then it will work with any sim, then just get an pay as you go sim with 3g for your trip?
Or if you want to unlock your iPhone, Jailbreak it then do this (youtube.com/watch?v=mB_L5gi94Cc) it might work.

hcaz301 said:
You said you need an unlocked one, You also said "A Galaxy S 4G factory unlocked - $280" why don't you just buy that then it will work with any sim, then just get an pay as you go sim with 3g for your trip?
Or if you want to unlock your iPhone, Jailbreak it then do this (youtube.com/watch?v=mB_L5gi94Cc) it might work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My question is whether an 'unlocked' Galaxy S will work in both the US and Europe with a pay as you go SIM that I buy?

I would say yes it would, if it is unlocked, it should be unlocked to any network anywhere, i may be wrong, but i would think it should work for you

The S2 and the S should work, but I'll let others confirm that. I believe that both have Sim card slots.

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Moving to Q&A

[Qs] XT926 - Questions Regarding Root

Hi all,
My SGS2 recently just died all of a sudden and while trying to flash a new firmware it bricked. =( Hence I'm currently looking for a replacement phone and have always wanted to get the Razr Maxx HD simply for it's battery life (a phone that has to be continuously plugged in to use all features is so pointless). Unfortunately, I am from Singapore which means the purchase is rather "risky" since it's expensive to ship and return is not an option. Hence I have some questions that will help me make a decision. Hope you guys can help me out. That fact that the 2 models are in the same forum doesn't really help make things clear.
1) Boot Loader
I've read that Dev version comes unlocked while Consumer (Verizon) version comes locked. I've also seen instructions on rooting the Verizon version; I'm a little confused. Can I or can I not root the consumer version?
2.i) Rooting
This is actually quite similar to (1). There are some apps that I use that requires rooting (e.g. Titanium Backup); rooting is essential to me. If I were to lay my hands on a non-Dev version, can I root it?
2.ii) Rooting
The current "procedure" for rooting is to downgrade to ICS 4.0.4 and then root, right? Is it safe to update to JB after that? There appears to be several posts claiming that they've lost their root after update. I assuming they didn't follow the post linked below? Also, rooting will not be possible (yet) if the firmware is on 4.1.2?
Ensuring Root After Updates?
3) Carrier Unlocked
I need to get an unlocked version for it to work with anything else other than Verizon - am I right? I've seen someone post that the XT926 is only locked in the US; it'll work on any other GSM carrier in the rest of the world. Is this true? Or did the guy mix it up with the XT925? There are many such posts.
4) Where to buy
Since return and shipping is an issue, I'm trying to stay away from eBay (unless the seller has good record). Unfortunately, many online retailers seem to be out of this phone! Can someone recommend a place where I can purchase the phone from? It does not have to ship internationally as I am able to arrange for courier services.
Thanks for the help!
P.S. I'm really dying to get this phone. I just need to have those questions answered before I splurge a rather large amount of money to ship it over.

Just started looking because I need a new phone and I'm not sure I can last till the GS4 comes out, the DNA has weak battery and poor storage and the note 2 is too much so late after it's release
1. The boot-loader for the verizon model is locked
2. You can root on ICS then upgrade with voodoo root keeper to 4.1.1; however there are reports that 4.1.2 has some issues with doing that. Verizon's can only downgrade to ICS from 4.1.1; if it comes with 4.1.2 it isn't rootable (yet)
3. Supposedly, verizon's works out of the box on all GSM except AT&T and Tmobile but I've seen some people have had some issues or at least someone did in india though
4. have you looked at like amazon wireless 650 no contract in us
Wirefly also has some in stock and on sale. I'm not sure of places that offer international shipping, though a bunch offer free shipping so it probably offsets anyways
There is only the T926 in a maxx version
This place might ship to singapore phone price 700

Hi! Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I am looking for the "Maxx HD", aka the XT926.
Anyway, can I summarize that, if I were to lay my hands on a "consumer" version,
1) Bootloader is locked; I won't be able to flash custom ROMs
2) Rooting is possible if the phone ships with ICS. Can also possibly upgrade to 4.1.1 after rooting.

I have the MAXX HD and to answer as I can:
Bootloader is locked on the consumer version. I believe the developer edition is unlocked.
The consumer version can be rooted if it is not on the 4.1.2 release. Earlier releases can be back-leveled to 4.0.4 which can be rooted. Once rooted, root can be preserved with OTA Root Keeper. SuperSU seems to survive updates as well if it is set to preserve itself.
I believe you can use custom ROMs if you have root (I started fiddling with Safestrap when I had issues with the update and had to fastboot my phone to stock.)
Once at 4.1.2 the phone cannot be back-leveled and cannot be rooted (yet hopefully).
As I understand it: GSM is locked domestically (US). Unlocked internationally if the phone has been activated domestically first.

Hey,
To add on to what others have said -- yes the phone is SIM unlocked, though it will *not* work on ATT/TMobile in the US without a firmware tweak (search around, it's an easy thing to do -- though I haven't done it myself.) The most recent update fixed the issue with roaming in India, though I haven't verified that myself. But the phone will definitely work in Australia as that's where I have been using it.
The phone works fine with the following caveats:
1. There is annoying "This SIM card is from an unknown source" warning when you turn the phone on. Easily bypassed by pressing "OK"
2. Tethering will not work on foreign SIMs, it tries to communicate back to the VZW network to verify your eligibility, which of course fails on a foreign SIM.
3. If you actually care about using the phone internationally on VZW's network, you need to call and have your account setup to allow for 4G international roaming (this is different then the 3G intl feature)
-- Dan

Thanks for the reply guys.
With regards to what dbeedle said, it means that I just can't grab the phone off AmazonWireless and ship it out of the US because it has to be activated domestically?
As for the caveats mentioned by Dan,
1) Yea, I can definitely live with that. I don't turn my phone on/off frequently.
2) Tethering will be an issue (I use it sometimes)
3) Not a concern for me.

Also, the Dev edition is not available with the maxx battery

University of Pi said:
Just started looking because I need a new phone and I'm not sure I can last till the GS4 comes out, the DNA has weak battery and poor storage and the note 2 is too much so late after it's release
1. The boot-loader for the verizon model is locked
2. You can root on ICS then upgrade with voodoo root keeper to 4.1.1; however there are reports that 4.1.2 has some issues with doing that. Verizon's can only downgrade to ICS from 4.1.1; if it comes with 4.1.2 it isn't rootable (yet)
3. Supposedly, verizon's works out of the box on all GSM except AT&T and Tmobile but I've seen some people have had some issues or at least someone did in india though
4. have you looked at like amazon wireless 650 no contract in us
Wirefly also has some in stock and on sale. I'm not sure of places that offer international shipping, though a bunch offer free shipping so it probably offsets anyways
There is only the T926 in a maxx version
This place might ship to singapore phone price 700
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader has been unlocked on the non dev. edition xt926 Verizon phone!!!

an21281 said:
Bootloader has been unlocked on the non dev. edition xt926 Verizon phone!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi! Are you referring to this post?

baineteo said:
Hi! Are you referring to this post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No this one... http://www.droidrzr.com/index.php/topic/15008-motorola-bootloaders-cracked/
http://vulnfactory.org/blog/2013/04/08/motorola-bootloader-unlocking/

an21281 said:
No this one... http://www.droidrzr.com/index.php/topic/15008-motorola-bootloaders-cracked/
http://vulnfactory.org/blog/2013/04/08/motorola-bootloader-unlocking/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well well.. that's definitely good news!
One last question, does the phone has to be activated in the US before it can be used? I don't use to have a USD700 piece of kevlar sitting on my desk..

Will the Motorola XT926 work in Australia
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the info I have a Motorola Verizon XT912 which works fine in Australia but also has the annoying "SIM is from an unknown source" message and I also could not get tethering to work with an Aust SIM.
Now, I would like to buy the XT926 however sellers on ebay are quoting... "* Quad-band GSM and 3G support (available only outside of the United States with Verizon roaming)" That concerns me however I don't believe it's true.
So you have not had any issues with your XT926 working on GSM and 3G in Australia ?
Thanks
David
Cpudan80 said:
Hey,
To add on to what others have said -- yes the phone is SIM unlocked, though it will *not* work on ATT/TMobile in the US without a firmware tweak (search around, it's an easy thing to do -- though I haven't done it myself.) The most recent update fixed the issue with roaming in India, though I haven't verified that myself. But the phone will definitely work in Australia as that's where I have been using it.
The phone works fine with the following caveats:
1. There is annoying "This SIM card is from an unknown source" warning when you turn the phone on. Easily bypassed by pressing "OK"
2. Tethering will not work on foreign SIMs, it tries to communicate back to the VZW network to verify your eligibility, which of course fails on a foreign SIM.
3. If you actually care about using the phone internationally on VZW's network, you need to call and have your account setup to allow for 4G international roaming (this is different then the 3G intl feature)
-- Dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Moto_Dave said:
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the info I have a Motorola Verizon XT912 which works fine in Australia but also has the annoying "SIM is from an unknown source" message and I also could not get tethering to work with an Aust SIM.
Now, I would like to buy the XT926 however sellers on ebay are quoting... "* Quad-band GSM and 3G support (available only outside of the United States with Verizon roaming)" That concerns me however I don't believe it's true.
So you have not had any issues with your XT926 working on GSM and 3G in Australia ?
Thanks
David
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
be cautious of these sellers on ebay. i just helped another member a couple days ago who bought an unlocked 925 from there (or so he thought).
after i had him check a few things for me, i confirmed without a doubt, it was a locked 926. now he has to file a claim.
you would be better off getting it from swappa.
here are the specs for the 926, it will not work on any other frequencies than those listed. others are just not built into the phone, so there is no way they can work, as far as im aware.
im not sure how they apply to your situation. i think you would have to find out what they use in your area, and see if they are listed in the specs.

[Q] How to buy a carrier unlocked nexus 5 outside google play

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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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

[Q] Nexus 5(JA) Differences?

I am going to be moving to Japan in about a month and had a quick question. From what I understand there is only 2 versions of it (820 for us & 821 rotw). I can pick up a Nexus 5 821 here for fairly cheap right now and just wanted to verify that the phone will work in Japan before I did so. I understand that using it in the US I would probably be limited to 3G which I could live with for the next few weeks if it gives me the opportunity to setup my phone before leaving and just swapping the sim & apn settings.
I guess my question is; Are all unlocked LG-D821 models the same or is the LG-D821(JA) different in some way that would affect its usage? Also, would the unlocked D821 be able to access the Japan play store with just the sim change or would I need to re-flash for that?
OR Is all of this just going to cause me a headache and I should just wait until I get there to buy one? :silly: