Database Info

Best sim unlock method

Hi,
I've just used revolutionary to get S-OFF. I had the HBOOT 1.44.0007. (Do you confirm the best solution with this hboot was to use revolutionnary?)
Ok so, now, which is the best method to unlock sim? There are too many ones
- reading a partition to get the unlock code in return (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20203905&postcount=3)
- downloading a zip file to use from bootloader (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1272085)
- other, older ones.
I heard the 1st one sometimes gives connectivity troubles, i'd like the second one, but it's old. So, any answer?
Thank you!
Edit : i post a new thread, because nothgin's said about sim unlocking in the resume (sticky post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1254518)

The 1st one is the safest one and does not cause connectivity errors. Cause basically your just extracting the unlock code from the partition itself. You would be using the same unlocking method as tmobile instructs you.
2nd one is probably the one which will cause problems since basically your overwriting files there which might render your phone unstable.
But take note the 1st one might not work so you're stuck with the 2nd option if you can't get a code from tmobile.

Thank you,
Ok so i applied method 1 successfully (i was lucky, i had the code). I didn't want too much to go with method 2...
Now i remember the cons of method 1: it may keep asking you for unlock code from time to time :| We'll see...

Ninj said:
Thank you,
Ok so i applied method 1 successfully (i was lucky, i had the code). I didn't want too much to go with method 2...
Now i remember the cons of method 1: it may keep asking you for unlock code from time to time :| We'll see...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Well not happening on me... Already had the device for almost 3 weeks now. Using it outside US and unlocked using method 1 also.

I don't recall anyone for our device not having the code - though I know on some other models of phones this is the case.
Anyone out there not have the code on their device?
...And glad you got it working!

Riyal said:
Really? Well not happening on me... Already had the device for almost 3 weeks now. Using it outside US and unlocked using method 1 also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked mine using the code I got from T-Mobile. It has been 3 months now, it has never required entering the code again even though I've flashed other ROMs, swapped SIM several times. By entering the correct code, it should never need to do that again unless you somehow overwrite the partition containing the code with an "unlocked" image. You would have to go to some lengths to do that, it wouldn't be accidental.

Blue6IX said:
I don't recall anyone for our device not having the code - though I know on some other models of phones this is the case.
Anyone out there not have the code on their device?
...And glad you got it working!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I actually don't have the code on my device. I tried the first method some time ago and couldn't get it so I gave up. It wasn't anything I needed, it would have just been nice to be sim unlocked
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk 2

Blue6IX said:
I don't recall anyone for our device not having the code - though I know on some other models of phones this is the case.
Anyone out there not have the code on their device?
...And glad you got it working!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well guys, I'm beginning to feel a little remiss in not having even fooled with unlocking the sim card. Will that mean I will be able to bounce off other carrier's towers/signals when I'm in an area that TMobile doesn't carry or pick up a 3G signal where someone else has that & Tmo doesn't?? (There is quite a bit of that out here where I'm at)!

WeekendsR2Short said:
Well guys, I'm beginning to feel a little remiss in not having even fooled with unlocking the sim card. Will that mean I will be able to bounce off other carrier's towers/signals when I'm in an area that TMobile doesn't carry or pick up a 3G signal where someone else has that & Tmo doesn't?? (There is quite a bit of that out here where I'm at)!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it will still be the same. Your phone can detect cell signals from any network it's just that it won't allow itself to connect. And if you unlock it you would be allowing the phone to connect to any cell signal but problem is your sim card won't accept it so still the same. Won't have any effect on you if your a tmobile subscriber.

IS there a way then? Could I just go out and buy another sim card that isn't locked into a carrier, per se? Or is that even a possibility? And if not, is the only real benefit the fact that I won't be roaming. As you can see, I'm a bit confused. I did a Google search and read a few articles about it & was under the impression I understood somewhat. I guess I was wrong. That happens alot! LOL

WeekendsR2Short said:
IS there a way then? Could I just go out and buy another sim card that isn't locked into a carrier, per se? Or is that even a possibility? And if not, is the only real benefit the fact that I won't be roaming. As you can see, I'm a bit confused. I did a Google search and read a few articles about it & was under the impression I understood somewhat. I guess I was wrong. That happens alot! LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No there's no generic sim card which would allow you to connect to any network. Unless ofcourse 2 networks team up to each other and decided to let each use their corresponding cellsites(happened here on our country).

SIM unlock will simply allow the use of another carrier's SIM card. Say you decided to travel to Ulan Bator. T-Mo roaming there would be horrendously expensive. But since you SIM unlocked your device you can pop in the SIM card you bought on the T-Mongolia network and proceed to order a pizza without spending $150 in roaming and long distance charges.
It's great for traveling internationally. The device will still be limited by the bands it can receive and may get only EDGE or lower speeds (sorry T-Mongolia) but you still get to use the device. Same domestically on AT&T.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement

Coug76 said:
SIM unlock will simply allow the use of another carrier's SIM card. Say you decided to travel to Ulan Bator. T-Mo roaming there would be horrendously expensive. But since you SIM unlocked your device you can pop in the SIM card you bought on the T-Mongolia network and proceed to order a pizza without spending $150 in roaming and long distance charges.
It's great for traveling internationally. The device will still be limited by the bands it can receive and may get only EDGE or lower speeds (sorry T-Mongolia) but you still get to use the device. Same domestically on AT&T.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankfully, I discovered that China Unicom here in mainland China uses the same frequencies for HSPA+ that T-Mobile US uses. So, I'm getting the high-speed data here, though it isn't nearly as fast as T-Mobile back home.

WeekendsR2Short said:
IS there a way then? Could I just go out and buy another sim card that isn't locked into a carrier, per se? Or is that even a possibility? And if not, is the only real benefit the fact that I won't be roaming. As you can see, I'm a bit confused. I did a Google search and read a few articles about it & was under the impression I understood somewhat. I guess I was wrong. That happens alot! LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't be possible to get a sim card that isn't locked to any carrier. Carriers are in fact the ones who sell the simcards so I don't really think they would allow their simcards to connect to other networks not unless they are on a roaming service.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda app-developers app

Thanks guys! Now I finally understand. It's for when I go on vacation and want to be billed like a "local yokel".

Fuzi0719 said:
Thankfully, I discovered that China Unicom here in mainland China uses the same frequencies for HSPA+ that T-Mobile US uses. So, I'm getting the high-speed data here, though it isn't nearly as fast as T-Mobile back home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are they 2G/3G/4G frequencies this phone can't handle? I'm speaking about frequencies around the world.

Ninj said:
Are they 2G/3G/4G frequencies this phone can't handle? I'm speaking about frequencies around the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on the frequencies the provider operates on. If they match what the phone is capable of utilizing you will probably be good to go.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement

Ninj said:
Are they 2G/3G/4G frequencies this phone can't handle? I'm speaking about frequencies around the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For 2G (and 2.5G "EDGE") you are good anywhere there is a GSM signal. That means most everywhere in the world. For 3G (and HSPA+ "4G"), the MT4GS can use the 1700 and 2100 MHz spectrum. Not all GSM carriers use those (for instance AT&T uses 850 and 1900). Here in China, China Telecom uses the 1900MHz spectrum for HSPA+, but China Unicom uses the 1700MHz spectrum so my MT4GS can use the high speed data on that carrier.
So, just check beforehand the country you plan to visit and see what frequencies the carriers there use. Then you will know which one to buy a SIM from.

Argh.
Why don't they simply make phones capable on any used frequency. I'm sure the list remains short, and it wouldn't cost 3$ more.

Ninj said:
Argh.
Why don't they simply make phones capable on any used frequency. I'm sure the list remains short, and it wouldn't cost 3$ more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are some phones that are more easily used in a multi spectrum demand situation. The unbranded GSM GNEX I think is pentaband and is quite a capable international phone. It is just not able to run on any freq (governments like to regulate stuff like electromagnetic spectrum).
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement

Rooted phone, trying to unlock 4g/LTE

Hey guys. This should be a relatively easy one for some of the people here I think.
I recently bought a Verizon GS3, the i535. I'm in Canada, and was unaware this phone did not access the 3g/4g/lte bands here.
Quick question: I have my phone rooted and I'm looking at installing custom roms. I've been lead to believe some roms can unlock the bands that I need on this phone. Is this true?
I have obviously tried searching but the results always come up with EVERYTHING lol. I would just like a clear decisive answer, from someone who has possibly done it?

Ok so maybe it's not an easy one? ...
btw there are way too many image verifications on this forum, holy moly lol

2KXJ said:
Ok so maybe it's not an easy one? ...
btw there are way too many image verifications on this forum, holy moly lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A rom will not change any of those settings, the best you're going to get is probably edge data, but 3g is possible under some circumstances.
Are you on Verizon's network? If not you're going to have to change the apn to get it to work on your carrier.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

No I'm not with Verizon. I'm not even in the US lol.
I bought a phone stupidly and believe I am now paying for it. The phone technically has all the bands and settings. You can do the #*2263# thing and get into options to select / "force" them...but they just dont take or something?
I only have edge connectivity right now, you are correct.
This whole APN thing is very confusing or I'm very stupid. I"ve entered my carrier, Fido's APN settings and it does nothing because the phone isnt using the correct bands.

The Verizon phone is technically an international, or global phone whatever you wanna call it. in the hidden menus of the phone there is a place where you can manually select the CMDA, GSM and LTE frequencies.
Does this not mean that the phone -has- these frequencies and that its just something Verizon has done to keep the phone on THEIR network?

2KXJ said:
The Verizon phone is technically an international, or global phone whatever you wanna call it. in the hidden menus of the phone there is a place where you can manually select the CMDA, GSM and LTE frequencies.
Does this not mean that the phone -has- these frequencies and that its just something Verizon has done to keep the phone on THEIR network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theoretically it should be able to work, but the development for that feature never took off and all the bands weren't unlocked for all carriers. But changing your apn might enable a band you need for your specific carrier to give you 3g data.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809314
This might work, and the simplified method might open a band that you need.
Edit: and yes, locking down other bands is Verizon's way of keeping it on their carrier. You can pay them a hefty fee to unlock the band you need if you're traveling, but this isn't really an option for you. There's a bounty thread trying to unlock these bands in the general section, but it's pretty much dead nowadays because most of the devs capable of figuring it out are on newer phones.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I have found both of these threads mentioned. The bounty thread was very interesting, but unfortunately came to an end.
Every other option I've read is installing 16 apps, 1000 people saying "how do i do this??", and one guy saying "i did it"
I think i'm just going to sell this thing...
BadUsername said:
Theoretically it should be able to work, but the development for that feature never took off and all the bands weren't unlocked for all carriers. But changing your apn might enable a band you need for your specific carrier to give you 3g data.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809314
This might work, and the simplified method might open a band that you need.
Edit: and yes, locking down other bands is Verizon's way of keeping it on their carrier. You can pay them a hefty fee to unlock the band you need if you're traveling, but this isn't really an option for you. There's a bounty thread trying to unlock these bands in the general section, but it's pretty much dead nowadays because most of the devs capable of figuring it out are on newer phones.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

2KXJ said:
I have found both of these threads mentioned. The bounty thread was very interesting, but unfortunately came to an end.
Every other option I've read is installing 16 apps, 1000 people saying "how do i do this??", and one guy saying "i did it"
I think i'm just going to sell this thing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, yes basically that's what that entire thread says, but the basis of it is converting an apn manager to a system app. That will allow you to make an apn stick, which should force enable the bands you weren't able to get working in the first place.
Selling the phone isn't a bad idea either, then you can do a little more research and find something that might give you 4G signal. There's no way you're getting anything that good with this phone.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Well when you say that you make it seem so easy LOL. I've had the same blackberry for four years and just 3 days ago bought this S3. I had no idea companies would still be doing this locking bands nonsense. If I do sell the phone, anyone I sell it to will just be in the same boat I am right now... and theres no way I can sell this things to an American for what I paid for it.
Sigh
BadUsername said:
Haha, yes basically that's what that entire thread says, but the basis of it is converting an apn manager to a system app. That will allow you to make an apn stick, which should force enable the bands you weren't able to get working in the first place.
Selling the phone isn't a bad idea either, then you can do a little more research and find something that might give you 4G signal. There's no way you're getting anything that good with this phone.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Another thing that is very confusing to me is a lot of people are posting that they need APN manager to be able to edit APN settings. My phone allowed me to do that out of the box, and like I mentioned, I was able to add my carriers APN stuff, but only get 2G speed.

2KXJ said:
Another thing that is very confusing to me is a lot of people are posting that they need APN manager to be able to edit APN settings. My phone allowed me to do that out of the box, and like I mentioned, I was able to add my carriers APN stuff, but only get 2G speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somebody will take it, if it's brand new then $400 isn't unreasonable. You'd do better with the i9300 model.
Any phone tied into a carrier is going to have issues like that, but I'd look into either getting the international versions of phones, or possibly a nexus 5 if it works on your carrier. That phone looks pretty amazing.
Again, trying those settings wouldn't hurt anything and might give you what you're looking for, post 108 has the simplified procedure in only like 5 steps.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

BadUsername said:
Somebody will take it, if it's brand new then $400 isn't unreasonable. You'd do better with the i9300 model.
Any phone tied into a carrier is going to have issues like that, but I'd look into either getting the international versions of phones, or possibly a nexus 5 if it works on your carrier. That phone looks pretty amazing.
Again, trying those settings wouldn't hurt anything and might give you what you're looking for, post 108 has the simplified procedure in only like 5 steps.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found that post, and read a few following pages and there didnt seem to be any input. Its almost like no one saw his post. I did go into my phone, and all of those settings are there. The GS3 they dole out up here is the i747.
This things could go for upwards of $400 in the states? I only paid 315 up here, and it had all the protective stickers and nothings been opened lol.

Well I bricked the phone playing around with it...
Installed CWM for some reason, cant remember why. First thing I click was backup current rom, phone rebooted and now says software not authorized by verizon. I hope some of you more mentally capable folk out there find some comedy in my errors, because I have no clue what im doing

[Q] Phone Thinks I Am Roaming

Hello,
I bought my HTC Sensation about a year ago on Ebay. The seller claimed the phone was purchased outright and paid off. I checked the imei and it showed clean. When I got it, I popped my Airfire sim card into it and it worked fine. A month ago, I switched to Cricket as Airfire was going out of business. Cricket made me enter my imei. It said it was bad. I called T-Mobile and they said the seller defaulted on payments. They refused to help in any way. They told me to buy the phone direct from them next time. I told them I had proof I was buying it in good faith. They didn't care and apparently have no problem punishing the victim.
Anyways, when I got my Cricket sim and popped it in, my phone said I was roaming. It has said I was roaming for a full month now. I can send and receive calls, but my data is stuck at EDGE and some of the programs don't work since the phone thinks its roaming. I need to have "data roaming" enabled for data to work. Cricket ran some tests and eventually said I needed to do a factory reset.
So, I switched from the Android Revolution rom to the ViperS 5.2.1 rom. I did a full dalvik and cache wipe and reformatted everything but the sd card. I installed the new rom and kernal. Same thing. Phone still says I am roaming. Odd thing is, when I go to manually select carrier, my options are Cricket (current carrier), Airfire (previous carrier) and TMobile (stock carrier). Also, when I am using data, it has an "E" above the data. E is what Airfire used. Is there somehow somewhere a place that the phone is storing info through wipes?
I am s-off, rooted and debranded. I sim unlocked the phone myself. I am so stuck and think that only one of the geniuses on XDA are my only hope. I have went mental spending hours and hours on this. Some XDA peeps are smarted than HTC and Cricket combined, so please help me out here.
Thanks,
Grant

SuperGrant said:
Hello,
Thanks,
Grant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi grant, this is a very odd situation your in. With my sensation when I leave the UK and connect to another EU "partner network" is the only time my phone would jump into roaming mode. Is it possible that cricket is not directly supported in your area? Maybe they rent their local connection from another carrier and thats why your getting connected as roaming? Have you tried any other sim cards to see if they come up as roaming?
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

Hi heavy_metal_man
I am quite sure that At&t is Cricket's parent company so all of the towers should be At&t's networks. Also, I have checked it when in other cities and I get the same message, though I haven't traveled more than 30 miles away.
The previous sim with AirFire worked fine. I also popped out the sim for Cricket and put it in my mom's phone to see if it was the sim. Her's worked fine. She got the automatic Cricket update settings right away and was not roaming. Mine never got the Cricket pop-up so I had to manually enter all of the data info. Yes, odd indeed and I am lost.

SuperGrant said:
I am quite sure that At&t is Cricket's parent company so all of the towers should be At&t's networks. Also, I have checked it when in other cities and I get the same message, though I haven't traveled more than 30 miles away.
The previous sim with AirFire worked fine. I also popped out the sim for Cricket and put it in my mom's phone to see if it was the sim. Her's worked fine. She got the automatic Cricket update settings right away and was not roaming. Mine never got the Cricket pop-up so I had to manually enter all of the data info. Yes, odd indeed and I am lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, the info your adding manually, is that the same info as is registered when the card is in your mums phone? Same APN etc?
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk

heavy_metal_man said:
OK, the info your adding manually, is that the same info as is registered when the card is in your mums phone? Same APN etc?
Hi heavy_metal_man. Yup. Same info. Only difference is that the info all loads automatically on hers. I do get automated texts from Cricket when I put the sim in my phone as did she, but I had to get the APN info from Cricket the first time because it didn't auto load. I am still wondering if it is a sim issue, but I expected my mom's phone to be roaming when I put the sim in hers. I was shocked when it wasn't. She just has a free stock phone from Airfire btw. Nothing fancy and nothing done to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

SuperGrant said:
heavy_metal_man said:
OK, the info your adding manually, is that the same info as is registered when the card is in your mums phone? Same APN etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi heavy_metal_man. Yup. Same info. Only difference is that the info all loads automatically on hers. I do get automated texts from Cricket when I put the sim in my phone as did she, but I had to get the APN info from Cricket the first time because it didn't auto load. I am still wondering if it is a sim issue, but I expected my mom's phone to be roaming when I put the sim in hers. I was shocked when it wasn't. She just has a free stock phone from Airfire btw. Nothing fancy and nothing done to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. Are those 3 carriers the only ones available to you? I think the imei may be key here, if cricket know its a T-Mobile phone they may register that you are roaming. I think your previous carrier (airfire) was a Virtual mobile network, much like giffgaff in the UK ( which runs on the o2 network.) As such they may not have inforced the same imei policy's that cricket does. But this is just a hunch as I am on UK networks and we do things much differently. If you could ask about any friends and colleges that have different carrier simcards from our previous 3 you could gauge what carriers your phone is compatible with.
Worst case scenario you could maybe buy another broken htc sensation and perform a motherboard swap. This would solve your imei issue, assuming that it was the primary issue. But check the simcards first and report back
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

heavy_metal_man said:
Hmm. Are those 3 carriers the only ones available to you? I think the imei may be key here, if cricket know its a T-Mobile phone they may register that you are roaming. I think your previous carrier (airfire) was a Virtual mobile network, much like giffgaff in the UK ( which runs on the o2 network.) As such they may not have inforced the same imei policy's that cricket does. But this is just a hunch as I am on UK networks and we do things much differently. If you could ask about any friends and colleges that have different carrier simcards from our previous 3 you could gauge what carriers your phone is compatible with.
Worst case scenario you could maybe buy another broken htc sensation and perform a motherboard swap. This would solve your imei issue, assuming that it was the primary issue. But check the simcards first and report back
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm... There are only 3 carriers available. Should there be more? It's not tied to the sim? Everyone I know either still has Airfire and plans on switching to Cricket or has cdma so I have been out of luck with trying another sim. The only other thing I thought about was 4ext recovery. No matter what I flash; roms, kernals, firmware or radios, the recovery always survives of course. So, if the previous carriers are surviving the flashes, perhaps there is a place on the phone like the recovery where they are surviving.

SuperGrant said:
Hmm... There are only 3 carriers available. Should there be more? It's not tied to the sim? Everyone I know either still has Airfire and plans on switching to Cricket or has cdma so I have been out of luck with trying another sim. The only other thing I thought about was 4ext recovery. No matter what I flash; roms, kernals, firmware or radios, the recovery always survives of course. So, if the previous carriers are surviving the flashes, perhaps there is a place on the phone like the recovery where they are surviving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its unlikely to be to do with the recovery, no reason for it to keep anything like that. It's most likely the phones imei at this point, though im unsure as to why this was not an issue for airfire.
Do you know what firmware version you have? Have you flashed 3.33 by yourself?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

heavy_metal_man said:
Its unlikely to be to do with the recovery, no reason for it to keep anything like that. It's most likely the phones imei at this point, though im unsure as to why this was not an issue for airfire.
Do you know what firmware version you have? Have you flashed 3.33 by yourself?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, I flashed 3.33 universal after doing a super Cid. Well, maybe its time to just get a new phone, although I would really like to figure out this problem first. I am not the kind of person who can just drop things, lol.

SuperGrant said:
Yup, I flashed 3.33 universal after doing a super Cid. Well, maybe its time to just get a new phone, although I would really like to figure out this problem first. I am not the kind of person who can just drop things, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how you feel. Maybe its because they cricket know the sensation 4g is a T-Mobile device and force you into roaming mode by default. I think its possible to overwrite the devices mid and cid, flash a sensation XE rom and effectively have a sensation XE. But such things can be quite dangerous and i couldn't say for definite if it would work to fix your issue :/ (not recommending anyone tries this without proper research and understanding :/)
Can you get access to another cricket sim without a contract? Just for testing?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

heavy_metal_man said:
I know how you feel. Maybe its because they cricket know the sensation 4g is a T-Mobile device and force you into roaming mode by default. I think its possible to overwrite the devices mid and cid, flash a sensation XE rom and effectively have a sensation XE. But such things can be quite dangerous and i couldn't say for definite if it would work to fix your issue :/ (not recommending anyone tries this without proper research and understanding :/)
Can you get access to another cricket sim without a contract? Just for testing?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe I have already done that. When I go into info about my phone, it says Sensation XE. It also registers as Sensation XE in the Google play store. I was thinking about telling Cricket to send me a new sim. Otherwise, I have no access to one at this time.

SuperGrant said:
I believe I have already done that. When I go into info about my phone, it says Sensation XE. It also registers as Sensation XE in the Google play store. I was thinking about telling Cricket to send me a new sim. Otherwise, I have no access to one at this time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that it would be your best bet, although your device is probably showing up on the play store as an XE because of its build.prop from your custom rom, not any advanced MID changes. although you can check by using the command
Code:
fastboot getvar all
this will show your your mid, cid and your imei among other things.

SuperGrant said:
I believe I have already done that. When I go into info about my phone, it says Sensation XE. It also registers as Sensation XE in the Google play store. I was thinking about telling Cricket to send me a new sim. Otherwise, I have no access to one at this time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've worked it out! Its a frequency issue. Cricket apparently only support cdma frequency's, while the sensation only uses gsm frequency's. So in order to connect your phone is bunnying onto a local gsm service, which is then redirecting you to cricket. Hence the roaming! If you want off the data roaming you will need to either swap to a different phone carrier or buy a cdma phone
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Hi heavy_metal_man,
Cricket did use CDMA for most of the time, but they have switched to GSM. They send a sim now and are trying to switch all of their old customers to GSM. What I am having trouble figuring out is what frequencies they use. Perhaps my phone is not quite compatible. I am having trouble with that as well. GSM arena, Phonescoop and the other major sites kind of have different data as far as my phone goes. My phone is called "HTC Sensation 4G" as far as I know. Yet, they list no 4g capability or frequencies. Of course, I believe that would only affect data and I still should not show as roaming.
I have been unable to figure out fastboot since switching to the viper rom. It doesn't use usb mass storage anymore. It uses the new system in which the whole phone is recognized as a storage device by the computer. Forgot what they called it. I wish they hadn't changed it, and apparently Windows 7 should recognize it by default, but it does not. I am sure if I get enough time to put into it I will figure out how to use the fastboot commands again.
I am ready to give up and just get a new phone pretty soon. Would be nice if Cricket's customer service wasn't so worthless. It could still be the IMEI or something on their end that I can do nothing about but they have failed to provide any solution.

SuperGrant said:
Hi heavy_metal_man,
Cricket did use CDMA for most of the time, but they have switched to GSM. They send a sim now and are trying to switch all of their old customers to GSM. What I am having trouble figuring out is what frequencies they use. Perhaps my phone is not quite compatible. I am having trouble with that as well. GSM arena, Phonescoop and the other major sites kind of have different data as far as my phone goes. My phone is called "HTC Sensation 4G" as far as I know. Yet, they list no 4g capability or frequencies. Of course, I believe that would only affect data and I still should not show as roaming.
I have been unable to figure out fastboot since switching to the viper rom. It doesn't use usb mass storage anymore. It uses the new system in which the whole phone is recognized as a storage device by the computer. Forgot what they called it. I wish they hadn't changed it, and apparently Windows 7 should recognize it by default, but it does not. I am sure if I get enough time to put into it I will figure out how to use the fastboot commands again.
I am ready to give up and just get a new phone pretty soon. Would be nice if Cricket's customer service wasn't so worthless. It could still be the IMEI or something on their end that I can do nothing about but they have failed to provide any solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for my delayed reply, I noticed that cricket swapped out to gsm and I discovered that their gsm tech is actually supplied at&t as they bought them out.
So I looked at their coverage map for the area airfire operated and I noticed that they had 2 or 3 area that were only providing 3g support via a partner, so I assume that would put you into roaming. It might be worth a look at their map and confirm if you reside on one of these black areas ?
Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

Sprint HTC A9 Sim Unlock

Hello I have a Sprint HTC A9 that has been successful unlocked for domestic use, but I have voice with no data. I have S-Off, boot loader unlocked, running stock os. Has anyone else ran into this problem? Can someone please advise?

A friend mentioned that the Sprint variant might not have correct bands installed to be compat with other carriers. I'm wondering if replacing the radio firmware with the developer edition version would work, but I can't get around simlock to test.

HTC A9 Sprint Unlock success!!

Please share? I've been trying for days and made little progress.

There is a guy from Craigslist in my area that did it and he will not tell me, I asked. If there is any kind of way that I can back it up, screen shot it, or whatever. Someone please let me know. I don't have any personal data on it, because it has no data so I'm not using it yet. I don't care about sharing. Let me know and I'm more than happy to.

Devicerepair said:
There is a guy from Craigslist in my area that did it and he will not tell me, I asked. If there is any kind of way that I can back it up, screen shot it, or whatever. Someone please let me know. I don't have any personal data on it, because it has no data so I'm not using it yet. I don't care about sharing. Let me know and I'm more than happy to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's an MSL code, he should have supplied that for you. I think MSL is unique to the IMEI/MEID/ESN of your device.
About your successful unlock, congrats! Your success let's me know it's do-able. I'm calling a local computer repair shop that offers unlocking services tomorrow. :fingerscrossed:

I've tried a half dozen ways to get this phone unlocked, but so far I've come up empty except for one scenario:
S-OFF
1. Change CID/MID to unlocked and flash unlocked RUU. Phone works fine, radio not functional.
2. Change CID/MID to sprint and flash sprint RUU. Phone will work with T-mobile SIM for one boot-up. As soon as phone is rebooted the SIM locks.
You can't just reflash the sprint RUU either. If you want to get another successful boot, you have to flash the unlocked RUU, then the sprint RUU and you'll get one boot. My only guess is something in the partitions is zero'd out by the unlocked RUU. I've also tried using the CM13 build immediately after the sprint RUU, and again I get one boot, but as soon as I reboot, CM13 shows sim not inserted.
Perhaps someone can make sense of this.

Attached screenshot proof unlock A9 Sprint, this unlock successfull :laugh:

Lussardi said:
Attached screenshot proof unlock A9 Sprint, this unlock successfull :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That not unlocked! I used mine in mexico to! Call sprint, they will unlock it for UMTS and HSP for free! Put a US AT&T sim in it and show me....
Cheers,
disco

disco_y2k said:
That not unlocked! I used mine in mexico to! Call sprint, they will unlock it for UMTS and HSP for free! Put a US AT&T sim in it and show me....
Cheers,
disco
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i live in overseas and its worked for me :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Lussardi said:
i live in overseas and its worked for me :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which method you have used to unlock it?

hmmm.....I am seeing exactly the same thing. put in T-Mobile's sim card. the phone is working fine but no data. anybody got Sprint version of HTC A9 to work on GSM network?

scsc168 said:
hmmm.....I am seeing exactly the same thing. put in T-Mobile's sim card. the phone is working fine but no data. anybody got Sprint version of HTC A9 to work on GSM network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
put the correct APN and DATA works fine

Lussardi said:
put the correct APN and DATA works fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow.... you are a life saver Lussardi! Thank you very much!
My HTC A9 has delivered APN setting, which cannot be modified. However, I was able to create a new APN manually and use that one. After that, data started to work. So far, I see it was able to connect to 4G and also LTE. At one place with strong LTE signal, i tested the download speed, and it was 82mbps. I have never seen that kind of download speed on my iPhone.
Thanks,
Sean

// , Did you unlock an HTC One A9 [Sprint] for complete LTE on T-Mobile or on AT&T?
// , Let me make sure I understand this correctly.
Can I do the following:
1. Unlock a Sprint HTC One A9.
2. Buy a data-enabled T-Mobile SIM card or AT&T SIM card.
3. Enter APN & Data settings.
4. Use that same HTC One A9 with T-Mobile or AT&T, with no loss in performance?
If this is true, that surprises and pleases me.
I assume that one can unlock an AT&T HTC One A9 for use with T-Mobile with no loss in performance, as well?
I found the following for my research about this question:
https://unlocklocks.com/blog/how-to-unlock-htc-one-a9-by-unlock-code/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sitesearch.php?q=htc one a9 unlock
http://forum.xda-developers.com/one-a9/general/sim-unlock-free-help-to-help-t3307036

Adjutant said:
// , Let me make sure I understand this correctly.
Can I do the following:
1. Unlock a Sprint HTC One A9.
2. Buy a data-enabled T-Mobile SIM card or AT&T SIM card.
3. Enter APN & Data settings.
4. Use that same HTC One A9 with T-Mobile or AT&T, with no loss in performance?
If this is true, that surprises and pleases me.
I assume that one can unlock an AT&T HTC One A9 for use with T-Mobile with no loss in performance, as well?
I found the following for my research about this question:
https://unlocklocks.com/blog/how-to-unlock-htc-one-a9-by-unlock-code/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sitesearch.php?q=htc one a9 unlock
http://forum.xda-developers.com/one-a9/general/sim-unlock-free-help-to-help-t3307036
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Sprint version of HTC A9 has been working on T-Mobile's network for almost a week now. I see no issues so far. Data connection is still good with connecting to LTE most of the time.

scsc168 said:
My Sprint version of HTC A9 has been working on T-Mobile's network for almost a week now. I see no issues so far. Data connection is still good with connecting to LTE most of the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What process did you go through? Can you provide a little more detail? Thanks...

motoelliot said:
What process did you go through? Can you provide a little more detail? Thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am not sure if my experience is any different from others here. but, here's the detail of what i went through....
My Sprint variant of HTC A9 was purchased directly off htc.com back in 11/2015. Since the phone was paid in full, I believe the phone was not locked to begin with. I had been using it on Sprint for the past 10 months. Just recently i switched my plan to T-Mobile. With T-Mobile's sim, I see the phone picked up the sim card. Phone started to work (i can make/receive calls) but data would not work. I talked to a couple of HTC rep for support. Both of them told me it should work. From their understanding, A9 and the new HTC 10 should work on all US major carriers...especially mine is a CDMA phone. According to them, CDMA ones can work on GSM....but GSM would not work on CDMA network. Anyways, they were no help for me.
I started doing research on my own and found many people experiencing the same. Phone would work but data would not connect. It was not working until a member on this board, Lussardi, came to rescue. He suggested to manually put in APN. So, I started to check out the APN setting. I see with t-mobile's sim card in, the phone is using a delivered T-Mobile APN setting. I went ahead and created one myself named T-Mobile Manual. I put in APN: fast.t-mobile.com and MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc and left everything else default. After I selected to use this new APN, the phone started to pick up mobile data. Now, depending on the area that i am in, i can see it's using either 4G or LTE. At one place with strong LTE signal, i did a speed test. It was over 80mbps.
Anyways, that's all. Good luck everyone.

// , Thank you!
// , Thanks for the thorough response, and for not just giving up.
The large corporations generally don't care too much about usability for this sort of outlier customer experience.

Can you give any instructions on how you unlocked the sprint version of the HTC A9?
Thanks.

Unlocked or not?

I got a Metro by T-Mobile phone unlocked on eBay and while the phone no longer rejects MVNO sims, it won't connect to any network either. It still connects when I put the Metro sim back in but it won't connect with sims from Lyca, Tello or Hello Mobile, all T-Mobile MVNOs. The phone is a TCL 30 XE 5G (T767W) and I bought two of them new and they both have the same problem. I'm new to the T-Mobile network and I don't know if I'm missing something. I've never had this kind of trouble on Verizon or AT&T. Has anyone else run into a problem like this? I appreciate any help anyone can offer.
Thanks!

Look inside here:
How to Check If Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked
Before buying a new Android Phone, it is best to check if Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked. Here are 2 ways to check the Simlock status of your Android phone.
www.unlockboot.com

xXx yYy said:
Look inside here:
How to Check If Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked
Before buying a new Android Phone, it is best to check if Android Phone is Unlocked or Locked. Here are 2 ways to check the Simlock status of your Android phone.
www.unlockboot.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to that site my phone is unlocked but it still won't connect to any network unless the original Metro sim is installed.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
According to that site my phone is unlocked but it still won't connect to any network unless the original Metro sim is installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you need to enter service menu and change your radio settings or maybe you need to flash a different modem for your specific model number.
I know you said you bought them new but can you confirm that their IMEI is intact?

Droidriven said:
Maybe you need to enter service menu and change your radio settings or maybe you need to flash a different modem for your specific model number.
I know you said you bought them new but can you confirm that their IMEI is intact?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your reply! Both phones were shipped to me from Metro by T-Mobile. The phones were able to connect with an MVNO sim when I set the radio to 2G only mode but that option disappeared when the phones updated to Android 12 and now they can't connect at all. Even before the update, the phones would frequently disconnect and I had to set them back to 2G only mode to get service back so there was always something wrong. I'm pretty good with computers but I've never flashed a phone before and I've been suspecting that I would have to do that with these phones. I'll be happy to check their IMEI numbers if you could let me know what I'm looking for. I'd also like to learn more about flashing a new modem as you mentioned above that sounds like it might address the problem. And if you wouldn't mind letting me know where I could find the service menu?
Thanks in advance!!

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
Thank you for your reply! Both phones were shipped to me from Metro by T-Mobile. The phones were able to connect with an MVNO sim when I set the radio to 2G only mode but that option disappeared when the phones updated to Android 12 and now they can't connect at all. Even before the update, the phones would frequently disconnect and I had to set them back to 2G only mode to get service back so there was always something wrong. I'm pretty good with computers but I've never flashed a phone before and I've been suspecting that I would have to do that with these phones. I'll be happy to check their IMEI numbers if you could let me know what I'm looking for. I'd also like to learn more about flashing a new modem as you mentioned above that sounds like it might address the problem. And if you wouldn't mind letting me know where I could find the service menu?
Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After they updated, have you tried booting into recovery and wiping the cache partition(not factory reset)? Sometimes, after updates, wiping cache is necessary to remove conflicts between previously existing data and the new update.
If you are getting a connection of any kind then your IMEI is fine.
Flashing a modem is sometimes necessary but it can have risks if you flash the wrong thing.
I'm not familiar with TCL devices or how they are flashed. Typically, to flash a different modem requires downloading a firmware that has the modem that you want/need then extracting the modem from the firmware then flash the extracted modem onto the device.
Methods to access service/radio menu different from device to device, I don't know how it is done on TCL devices. Most of the time it is done by using your dialer and dialing a specific code, if there is a dialer code for your device, you should be able to find it with a Google search for:
"TCL 30 XE 5G dialer menu code"
Or
"TCL 30 XE 5G service menu"

Droidriven said:
After they updated, have you tried booting into recovery and wiping the cache partition(not factory reset)? Sometimes, after updates, wiping cache is necessary to remove conflicts between previously existing data and the new update.
If you are getting a connection of any kind then your IMEI is fine.
Flashing a modem is sometimes necessary but it can have risks if you flash the wrong thing.
I'm not familiar with TCL devices or how they are flashed. Typically, to flash a different modem requires downloading a firmware that has the modem that you want/need then extracting the modem from the firmware then flash the extracted modem onto the device.
Methods to access service/radio menu different from device to device, I don't know how it is done on TCL devices. Most of the time it is done by using your dialer and dialing a specific code, if there is a dialer code for your device, you should be able to find it with a Google search for:
"TCL 30 XE 5G dialer menu code"
Or
"TCL 30 XE 5G service menu"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to find my phone's service mode or engineering mode (hope they're the same thing) and get service back by setting the phone to 2G only mode again but that doesn't solve the problem of it losing service when LTE or 5G are turned on. Are there any other settings I could try changing?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
I was able to find my phone's service mode or engineering mode (hope they're the same thing) and get service back by setting the phone to 2G only mode again but that doesn't solve the problem of it losing service when LTE or 5G are turned on. Are there any other settings I could try changing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use the service menu to find out which bands/frequencies and network type the current modem/radio is using?
Can you find out which bands/frequencies and network type that your carrier network is using?
Compare them to see if they are compatible.
Or, try calling customer support for your carrier, there may be something they need to do in their system from their end to get your device to connect.

Droidriven said:
Can you use the service menu to find out which bands/frequencies and network type the current modem/radio is using?
Can you find out which bands/frequencies and network type that your carrier network is using?
Compare them to see if they are compatible.
Or, try calling customer support for your carrier, there may be something they need to do in their system from their end to get your device to connect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by network type?
There are a lot of options to choose from, several of them list bands. Is there a specific menu I should look for?
The carrier I have the phone on is Tello which is a T-Mobile MVNO. I've also tried Lyca and Hello Mobile both are also Tmo MVNOs and all three had the same problem. The phones are from Metro by T-Mobile so everything should be compatible. Tello customer service has tried to help but they can't figure it out.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
What do you mean by network type?
There are a lot of options to choose from, several of them list bands. Is there a specific menu I should look for?
The carrier I have the phone on is Tello which is a T-Mobile MVNO. I've also tried Lyca and Hello Mobile both are also Tmo MVNOs and all three had the same problem. The phones are from Metro by T-Mobile so everything should be compatible. Tello customer service has tried to help but they can't figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But, are the bands that are presently available on the device within the range of bands that your carrier uses? Do the network and the device use the same bands? If so, you shouldn't need to flash a different modem, if not, you may need a different modem.
Did you boot into recovery and wipe the cache partition to remove any potential conflicts caused by updating to android 12?
Are you certain that the SIM(s) you are trying to use is/are valid and active? If they have been previously deactivated, they won't work
Don't skip through my posts and only answer part of my questions. Let's cover the bases without skipping an answer to a question. Otherwise, it could lead to a wild goose chase that could have been avoided by answering everything I ask.

Droidriven said:
But, are the bands that are presently available on the device within the range of bands that your carrier uses? Do the network and the device use the same bands? If so, you shouldn't need to flash a different modem, if not, you may need a different modem.
Did you boot into recovery and wipe the cache partition to remove any potential conflicts caused by updating to android 12?
Are you certain that the SIM(s) you are trying to use is/are valid and active? If they have been previously deactivated, they won't work
Don't skip through my posts and only answer part of my questions. Let's cover the bases without skipping an answer to a question. Otherwise, it could lead to a wild goose chase that could have been avoided by answering everything I ask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about the confusion. I did wipe the cache and in the past I've done a full factory reset from recovery mode it didn't help. And this problem already existed before the update to Android 12. It started the moment I changed sims. The phones only ever worked right with the original Metro sim and still do. That's why I wasn't sure if they were unlocked right but they don't reject other sims either.
The sims are active and have never been deactivated and now that I can force the phones back into 2G mode again, I can make and receive calls and use 2G data.
As for the bands I'm finding in the service menu, this is where it gets weird. They're all selected, there must be over a hundred bands turned on including bands I know this phone doesn't support.
I have confirmed the phone supports all the same bands that Tello uses. Tello uses the same bands as T-Mobile.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
Sorry about the confusion. I did wipe the cache and in the past I've done a full factory reset from recovery mode it didn't help. And this problem already existed before the update to Android 12. It started the moment I changed sims. The phones only ever worked right with the original Metro sim and still do. That's why I wasn't sure if they were unlocked right but they don't reject other sims either.
The sims are active and have never been deactivated and now that I can force the phones back into 2G mode again, I can make and receive calls and use 2G data.
As for the bands I'm finding in the service menu, this is where it gets weird. They're all selected, there must be over a hundred bands turned on including bands I know this phone doesn't support.
I have confirmed the phone supports all the same bands that Tello uses. Tello uses the same bands as T-Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks for confirming.
It is weird, everything seems to be in place. Have you made sure your APNs(Access Point Names) are set correctly for the network?
I can't be certain that you have all of your network and radio settings set correctly because I have no idea what settings you have, what the options are or if there are any tucked away somewhere that isn't obvious.
If everything is right on your end, it may be something on their end that they need to get right.

Droidriven said:
Ok, thanks for confirming.
It is weird, everything seems to be in place. Have you made sure your APNs(Access Point Names) are set correctly for the network?
I can't be certain that you have all of your network and radio settings set correctly because I have no idea what settings you have, what the options are or if there are any tucked away somewhere that isn't obvious.
If everything is right on your end, it may be something on their end that they need to get right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the APN was the first thing I checked and Tello confirmed it too.
I can send you screenshots of the service menus if that would help.
Tello is now saying the phone might not be "fully unlocked" I don't know what that means. Is there more than one way to lock a phone? Did T-Mobile come up with another way of locking their phones? A screen in the settings menu does warn the phone is still locked and it isn't yet eligible to be unlocked but it accepts the sim and connects to 2G at least. Could Tello be on to something here?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
Yeah, the APN was the first thing I checked and Tello confirmed it too.
I can send you screenshots of the service menus if that would help.
Tello is now saying the phone might not be "fully unlocked" I don't know what that means. Is there more than one way to lock a phone? Did T-Mobile come up with another way of locking their phones? A screen in the settings menu does warn the phone is still locked and it isn't yet eligible to be unlocked but it accepts the sim and connects to 2G at least. Could Tello be on to something here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are couple of different kinds of "unlocked"
There is SIM/carrier unlock and there is bootloader unlock. They two completely different things and have nothing to do with each other.
Have you tried going through the carrier unlock process yourself to confirm it has been done correctly?

Droidriven said:
Have you tried going through the carrier unlock process yourself to confirm it has been done correctly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how to do that.

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
I don't know how to do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally, there is a website that you go to to get an unlock code.
Google search:
"TCL 30 XE 5G (T767W) SIM unlock"

Droidriven said:
Generally, there is a website that you go to to get an unlock code.
Google search:
"TCL 30 XE 5G (T767W) SIM unlock"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is that Metro phones can't be unlocked with a code. Instead, they're unlocked by a preinstalled carrier app when the phone becomes eligible for an unlock, which my phone isn't. In my case, I bought an unlocking service from eBay which had me hook up my phone to my PC via USB for the unlock. Is there another way to check?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
My understanding is that Metro phones can't be unlocked with a code. Instead, they're unlocked by a preinstalled carrier app when the phone becomes eligible for an unlock, which my phone isn't. In my case, I bought an unlocking service from eBay which had me hook up my phone to my PC via USB for the unlock. Is there another way to check?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got scammed, whether they did it on purpose or not is another question. They probably didn't rob you on purpose, it is just a matter of there never being any kind of guarantee that a 3rd party unlocking service works on every device. You took that chance when you chose to go that route.
If there is an app that is supposed to be used, why is your device not eligible to unlock via the app? You will have to use the official unlock method if/when it is eligible, hopefully the 3rd party unlock service hasn't done anything that conflicts with the official method.
I suggest that, in the future, don't make gambles or look for shortcuts when buying devices without being 100% certain that you are buying from a reputable source that guarantees their products and services. It is best to buy directly from the carrier/manufacturer or from Swappa. I wouldn't buy from eBay unless I could confirm that there was a legitimately proven unlock method for the specific model number that I'm considering purchasing before I actually purchase the device.
If you can return the device and get your money back, I suggest you do it or report it to eBay to see if they will protect your purchase since what you got is not what you agreed to purchase.

Droidriven said:
You got scammed, whether they did it on purpose or not is another question. They probably didn't rob you on purpose, it is just a matter of there never being any kind of guarantee that a 3rd party unlocking service works on every device. You took that chance when you chose to go that route.
If there is an app that is supposed to be used, why is your device not eligible to unlock via the app? You will have to use the official unlock method if/when it is eligible, hopefully the 3rd party unlock service hasn't done anything that conflicts with the official method.
I suggest that, in the future, don't make gambles or look for shortcuts when buying devices without being 100% certain that you are buying from a reputable source that guarantees their products and services. It is best to buy directly from the carrier/manufacturer or from Swappa. I wouldn't buy from eBay unless I could confirm that there was a legitimately proven unlock method for the specific model number that I'm considering purchasing before I actually purchase the device.
If you can return the device and get your money back, I suggest you do it or report it to eBay to see if they will protect your purchase since what you got is not what you agreed to purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the phones new from Metro not eBay. The only thing I got from eBay was the unlocking service which cost me $8. And I didn't pay anything for the phones either as they were free with the purchase of one month of Metro service. So there's really no point in returning the phones and I'm not gonna bother opening a case with eBay over $8.
Metro won't unlock the phones until I've paid for six months of their service.
A quick search on eBay comes up with multiple sellers offering unlocks for my specific phone model locked to Metro. I've been thinking about just trying to get the phones unlocked again by another seller but everything and everyone seems to be telling me the phones are already unlocked so I don't know what I should try next. Is there a way to check if the phones are really unlocked?

WhatsWrongWithThisPhone said:
I got the phones new from Metro not eBay. The only thing I got from eBay was the unlocking service which cost me $8. And I didn't pay anything for the phones either as they were free with the purchase of one month of Metro service. So there's really no point in returning the phones and I'm not gonna bother opening a case with eBay over $8.
Metro won't unlock the phones until I've paid for six months of their service.
A quick search on eBay comes up with multiple sellers offering unlocks for my specific phone model locked to Metro. I've been thinking about just trying to get the phones unlocked again by another seller but everything and everyone seems to be telling me the phones are already unlocked so I don't know what I should try next. Is there a way to check if the phones are really unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've already used methods to check if it is unlocked. Obviously, the service you paid for didn't work, you can't get your money back for that, those services don't come with any guarantee. As I said, you can take another chance and try another 3rd party service that also is not guaranteed or you can wait and do it the official way. I'm betting the unlock service is a waste of time and money and you'll have to wait and do it the right way. That is the cost of blindly taking a shortcut.