Hello all, and first off, let me say congratulations on getting official CM10 and CWM support!
Here's my story (and before anyone asks, I have searched the forums for an answer, but was unsuccessful with finding my specific questions): I am currently on AT&T (was Alltel before they were bought out) with an HTC Aria and my contract for a grandfathered plan was up long ago. It is time for me to upgrade to something a little more modern and I have settled on the Blaze because of its size (I'd like a GNex, but my hands are too small) and a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that, as I understand, it has full compatibility with both AT&T and T-mobile's 3g (4g for t-mobile) and 2g/EDGE networks.
I don't really like AT&T as a company and I also really like the monthly 4g plans that t-mobile offers. My problem is that according to t-mobile's prepaid coverage map, I won't have data service for most of the area I travel back and forth in (upper midwest USA). And as much as I dislike AT&T, they have good 3g service almost everywhere I go. So, I'd like to be able to take my current sim card and switch it and a t-mobile sim at will while I test out both service providers.
Therefore, my questions are as follows:
1) Where is the best place to buy a blaze off contract? I'd like to get one on ebay because of the price (~$200 is what I have set aside for a new phone), but there aren't that many there, and even fewer that specifically say they are unlocked - which leads to question 2.
2) Can I unlock any phone that is not on a contract (basically anything I would buy used online)? I spoke with a rep from T-mobile and he seemed to indicate that I could only unlock a phone if I was the original purchaser of it and the plan (and account) to go with it. Therefore, according to him, I would have to make sure the phone I bought was already unlocked, otherwise there would be no chance of unlocking it in the future. I would think (possibly incorrectly) that as long as I have a t-mobile account (I plan on buying and activating the $30 monthly 4g plan as soon as I receive the device to compliment my current ATT service), they shouldn't have a problem with giving me the unlock code because they did not subsidize the phone. Could anyone clear this up?
3) There are a number of sites claiming to sell unlock codes for a myriad of devices. I would consider something like that if there was no other way to unlock a second hand phone, but only if I was sure it would work and the site was legit. Are any of these sites legitimate and have you had experience with any of them?
It would be considerably cheaper and easier to find a used device that isn't unlocked, but like I said, I'm not sure if that would bite me in the rear because there is a strong chance that I will stick with AT&T due to them having service where I travel. Thanks for taking the time to read this text wall, and I can't wait to join the Blaze community! Keep up the good work!
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Hello all, and first off, let me say congratulations on getting official CM10 and CWM support!
Here's my story (and before anyone asks, I have searched the forums for an answer, but was unsuccessful with finding my specific questions): I am currently on AT&T (was Alltel before they were bought out) with an HTC Aria and my contract for a grandfathered plan was up long ago. It is time for me to upgrade to something a little more modern and I have settled on the Blaze because of its size (I'd like a GNex, but my hands are too small) and a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that, as I understand, it has full compatibility with both AT&T and T-mobile's 3g (4g for t-mobile) and 2g/EDGE networks.
I don't really like AT&T as a company and I also really like the monthly 4g plans that t-mobile offers. My problem is that according to t-mobile's prepaid coverage map, I won't have data service for most of the area I travel back and forth in (upper midwest USA). And as much as I dislike AT&T, they have good 3g service almost everywhere I go. So, I'd like to be able to take my current sim card and switch it and a t-mobile sim at will while I test out both service providers.
Therefore, my questions are as follows:
1) Where is the best place to buy a blaze off contract? I'd like to get one on ebay because of the price (~$200 is what I have set aside for a new phone), but there aren't that many there, and even fewer that specifically say they are unlocked - which leads to question 2.
2) Can I unlock any phone that is not on a contract (basically anything I would buy used online)? I spoke with a rep from T-mobile and he seemed to indicate that I could only unlock a phone if I was the original purchaser of it and the plan (and account) to go with it. Therefore, according to him, I would have to make sure the phone I bought was already unlocked, otherwise there would be no chance of unlocking it in the future. I would think (possibly incorrectly) that as long as I have a t-mobile account (I plan on buying and activating the $30 monthly 4g plan as soon as I receive the device to compliment my current ATT service), they shouldn't have a problem with giving me the unlock code because they did not subsidize the phone. Could anyone clear this up?
3) There are a number of sites claiming to sell unlock codes for a myriad of devices. I would consider something like that if there was no other way to unlock a second hand phone, but only if I was sure it would work and the site was legit. Are any of these sites legitimate and have you had experience with any of them?
It would be considerably cheaper and easier to find a used device that isn't unlocked, but like I said, I'm not sure if that would bite me in the rear because there is a strong chance that I will stick with AT&T due to them having service where I travel. Thanks for taking the time to read this text wall, and I can't wait to join the Blaze community! Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.) Good luck. Not many people are willing to sell their blaze, especially after the past couple weeks three weeks ago you could have had a lot of takers ebay would be your best bet
2.) Tmobile rep led to you like they're supposed to. anybody can request an unlock code for their phone. Naturally if you're on their plan, they'll verify that you are the owner of the account, but still. That being said, just because you can ask doesn't mean they'll give out. If you had a plan (not prepaid) for a year or two in good standings with no late payments and said you were going out of the country for a couple months and want to use your phone on a foreign gsm network, they'd bee more inclined. As a brand new prepaid customer, good luck. Best of buying it unlocked or getting the unlock code elsewhere.
3.) I've had success and failure here. Most places are what they say, but some won't deliver. Always do research. Google that site or business to see if anybody has complained. And use paypal when you can, you could always claim you didn't get the service you paid for. Same goes with ebay buyer protection.
that chapter book out of the way, always always always research as much as you can. For all you know, I could be lying through my teeth right now
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
jparnell8839 said:
1.) Good luck. Not many people are willing to sell their blaze, especially after the past couple weeks three weeks ago you could have had a lot of takers ebay would be your best bet
2.) Tmobile rep led to you like they're supposed to. anybody can request an unlock code for their phone. Naturally if you're on their plan, they'll verify that you are the owner of the account, but still. That being said, just because you can ask doesn't mean they'll give out. If you had a plan (not prepaid) for a year or two in good standings with no late payments and said you were going out of the country for a couple months and want to use your phone on a foreign gsm network, they'd bee more inclined. As a brand new prepaid customer, good luck. Best of buying it unlocked or getting the unlock code elsewhere.
3.) I've had success and failure here. Most places are what they say, but some won't deliver. Always do research. Google that site or business to see if anybody has complained. And use paypal when you can, you could always claim you didn't get the service you paid for. Same goes with ebay buyer protection.
that chapter book out of the way, always always always research as much as you can. For all you know, I could be lying through my teeth right now
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. I would also consider buying one brand new from t-mobile if I knew I could unlock it right away. Do you think they would unlock a prepaid blaze if I bought it brand new and at full price from them through this link? http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/Samsung-Galaxy-S-Blaze-4G-No-Annual-Contract
Otherwise I'll be sure to buy one unlocked off ebay, as it seems that most unlock codes are $25 to $50, which would negate pretty much any cost savings by buying one off ebay that wasn't unlocked.
Code:
[INDENT][/INDENT]
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Thanks for the advice. I would also consider buying one brand new from t-mobile if I knew I could unlock it right away. Do you think they would unlock a prepaid blaze if I bought it brand new and at full price from them through this link? http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/Samsung-Galaxy-S-Blaze-4G-No-Annual-Contract
Otherwise I'll be sure to buy one unlocked off ebay, as it seems that most unlock codes are $25 to $50, which would negate pretty much any cost savings by buying one off ebay that wasn't unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like the other reply. If you bought it from t mobile and said you had to go out of county for work. And would appreciate the unlock code to use other GSM networks. While away. They get commission, so if unlock is the deal breaker, they'll prob give it to you. Or if you ask enough pple. Nicely I'm sure someones bound to give it to you.
I don't recall an unlock code thread here on xda
I've been with t mobile for 12 years if I happen to stop at a t mobile (which I plan too) ill ask for code
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Hello all, and first off, let me say congratulations on getting official CM10 and CWM support!
Here's my story (and before anyone asks, I have searched the forums for an answer, but was unsuccessful with finding my specific questions): I am currently on AT&T (was Alltel before they were bought out) with an HTC Aria and my contract for a grandfathered plan was up long ago. It is time for me to upgrade to something a little more modern and I have settled on the Blaze because of its size (I'd like a GNex, but my hands are too small) and a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that, as I understand, it has full compatibility with both AT&T and T-mobile's 3g (4g for t-mobile) and 2g/EDGE networks.
I don't really like AT&T as a company and I also really like the monthly 4g plans that t-mobile offers. My problem is that according to t-mobile's prepaid coverage map, I won't have data service for most of the area I travel back and forth in (upper midwest USA). And as much as I dislike AT&T, they have good 3g service almost everywhere I go. So, I'd like to be able to take my current sim card and switch it and a t-mobile sim at will while I test out both service providers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered a carrier like StraightTalk? StraightTalk is a MVNO which resells both T-Mobile AND AT&T service. You can specify what kind of SIM you want when you order it online. Their service prices are pretty good, and in theory their network is basically either AT&T or T-Mo depending on which one you pick.
I've seen mixed reviews on their service and whether or not they'd throttle you on excessive service... some great, some bad, so it'd be caveat emptor, but if your usage pattern doesn't change, you'll likely be fine. Either way, it's up to you to do your own research (as someone else mentioned).
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Therefore, my questions are as follows:
1) Where is the best place to buy a blaze off contract? I'd like to get one on ebay because of the price (~$200 is what I have set aside for a new phone), but there aren't that many there, and even fewer that specifically say they are unlocked - which leads to question 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like eBay. Craigslist can be a little scary because the phone may or may not be stolen. T-Mobile and AT&T have already started disabling phones by their IMEI that have been reported stolen by the user or by the insurance. Soon they'll also start sharing that database, so the phone won't work anywhere in North America if that's the case. There are plenty of scams when it comes to craigslist where a "brand new phone" is purchased and then suddenly reported stolen because it was noticed missing from a back room.
This was my biggest fear in buying my S3. On eBay you get to see things like ratings on the sellers so you can find someone trustworthy, like I did Also, make sure to exercise common sense. If something's too good to be true, it very well may be.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
2) Can I unlock any phone that is not on a contract (basically anything I would buy used online)? I spoke with a rep from T-mobile and he seemed to indicate that I could only unlock a phone if I was the original purchaser of it and the plan (and account) to go with it. Therefore, according to him, I would have to make sure the phone I bought was already unlocked, otherwise there would be no chance of unlocking it in the future. I would think (possibly incorrectly) that as long as I have a t-mobile account (I plan on buying and activating the $30 monthly 4g plan as soon as I receive the device to compliment my current ATT service), they shouldn't have a problem with giving me the unlock code because they did not subsidize the phone. Could anyone clear this up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can unlock any phone you buy, legal or otherwise. T-Mobile has never cared if I was the original purchaser or not, and they shouldn't. They'll only care if it's an original T-Mobile phone or not. T-Mobile will give you an unlock code for a phone as long as you've had 90 days of uninterrupted service. On prepaid they want you to have 60 days (I think) with enough of a balance in your account to pay for another month's service. Not sure about the prepaid requirements, but you can look those up online.
Also, if you just wanna test service, I wouldn't do the monthly 4g $30, I'd do a daily. $3/day gets you relatively unlimited access, and you only need a few days worth to make a decision. Plus, you likely wanna switch to one of the better all-you-can-eat plans, and wouldn't want to be stuck for a month with the cheaper plan. It isn't easy to switch until the month is up.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
3) There are a number of sites claiming to sell unlock codes for a myriad of devices. I would consider something like that if there was no other way to unlock a second hand phone, but only if I was sure it would work and the site was legit. Are any of these sites legitimate and have you had experience with any of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had good luck purchasing codes from eBay. Never had them not work. But with everything eBay, make sure you're using someone reputable.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
It would be considerably cheaper and easier to find a used device that isn't unlocked, but like I said, I'm not sure if that would bite me in the rear because there is a strong chance that I will stick with AT&T due to them having service where I travel. Thanks for taking the time to read this text wall, and I can't wait to join the Blaze community! Keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's cheaper to find it locked, then just get it locked and buy an unlock code later. If you aren't going to use AT&T service, then you don't need to SIM unlock the phone anyways. The phone will automatically work on t-mobile, unlocked or not. Finding a good carrier is difficult, I know.
If you decide to try straight talk, you could probably go with a T-Mobile SIM that wouldn't require unlocking the phone. If you find the service lacking, you could switch to an AT&T sim and then deal with unlocking the phone.
Hope this helps.
Good point about Straight Talk. I didn't mention it in my original post, but that was my third option for service. As for getting an unlocked device, I'll probably have to buy one whether it's locked or not pretty soon, after seeing how much activity has been going on here lately, lol. Ebay again seems to be the cheapest route for getting an unlock code, and I'll have their buyer protection and Paypal in case the code does not work. (I will first, of course, call and/or online request t-mobile for an unlock after I get my T-mo account setup. Maybe I'll get lucky about unlocking before their traditional 60 days of prepaid service - if not, off to ebay it is cause I need to get my current ATT sim + number on it asap)
As for ebay codes, I've seen some cheap services that promise to unlock a phone by setting up some software on my computer and plugging the phone into the computer. They then do the unlock online. They are a lot cheaper than the regular "give us carrier and IMEI and we email code" services also found on ebay and the like. Can I trust this unknown software to be running on my computer and hacking into my phone?
I have not seen or heard of T-mobile's daily plans (like the $3/day you mention). Could you provide a link to where I can find more info on these plans? Also, if you think the $30/monthly unlimited text, data, and 100 minutes plan isn't that great, what plan(s) would you recommend? I am certainly never going to sign another contract, so prepaid or monthly is the only long term option if I decide to kill my grandfathered AT&T data plan (which is looking less likely as I know that I can expect good service where I go). I'm thinking you may be pointing me to one of their plans that allows data roaming on T-mobile affiliates? Because their post-paid data map looks a lot better, even comparable to AT&T.
If it's a T-Mobile phone and you have T-Mobile as your carrier, you can call customer care and tell them you just got service with them and are going overseas and need it unlocked so you can use a foreign sim card in it. Thay usually works well.
If not, ask to speak to a supervisor. When transferred, ask the person if they are a supervisor or just an escalation rep. If they are not a supervisor, ask them if they can help you still.
If they won't, ask to speak to an actual supervisor and try again. If all else fails, you do have a window of time to cancel, so you can always tell them you are thinking of canceling and they will probably transfer you to a retention rep. That one's a gamble since you're bluffing.
If retention won't help, hang up in the middle of a sentence and call back. Chances are, you will get a different call center and you can say you got disconnected and try the process again.
That gives you up to 6 potential reps who can help... and they can. I was customer care for a couple years and then in corporate engineering for several years. They are flexible, you just have to play the game.
Probably not the answer you want, but it's what you will have to do to get it unlocked quickly
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Good point about Straight Talk. I didn't mention it in my original post, but that was my third option for service. As for getting an unlocked device, I'll probably have to buy one whether it's locked or not pretty soon, after seeing how much activity has been going on here lately, lol. Ebay again seems to be the cheapest route for getting an unlock code, and I'll have their buyer protection and Paypal in case the code does not work. (I will first, of course, call and/or online request t-mobile for an unlock after I get my T-mo account setup. Maybe I'll get lucky about unlocking before their traditional 60 days of prepaid service - if not, off to ebay it is cause I need to get my current ATT sim + number on it asap)
As for ebay codes, I've seen some cheap services that promise to unlock a phone by setting up some software on my computer and plugging the phone into the computer. They then do the unlock online. They are a lot cheaper than the regular "give us carrier and IMEI and we email code" services also found on ebay and the like. Can I trust this unknown software to be running on my computer and hacking into my phone?
I have not seen or heard of T-mobile's daily plans (like the $3/day you mention). Could you provide a link to where I can find more info on these plans? Also, if you think the $30/monthly unlimited text, data, and 100 minutes plan isn't that great, what plan(s) would you recommend? I am certainly never going to sign another contract, so prepaid or monthly is the only long term option if I decide to kill my grandfathered AT&T data plan (which is looking less likely as I know that I can expect good service where I go). I'm thinking you may be pointing me to one of their plans that allows data roaming on T-mobile affiliates? Because their post-paid data map looks a lot better, even comparable to AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always stayed away from anything that requires a cable. If they can't get you a code based on your IMEI, I don't bother. I used one of those once and I don't remember if it ever worked or not.
The daily plans don't seem to be well advertised on the site. I found them this time around by going to the "no annual contract plans" and then scrolling down to the bottom for daily and other services. Check it out here. I believe their prepaid coverage map hasn't been updated in ages on the site. Supposedly their prepaid coverage map is about 98-99% like their postpaid one. The main difference between the two is that prepaid doesn't allow you to do conditional call forwarding. This is necessary if you want to use another service for voice mail instead of T-Mobile's crappy voicemail.
When I signed up for Tmo they gave me 30 days to confirm if I wanted the contract. You can get a plan and if you dont like it you can just return it before the first 30 days are up and only pay for the minutes you used. This was a big deal for me as I cam from ATT like you, but needed to knwo how well the Tmo service was. I would suggest getting the unlimited everything for $60 a month. Tmo I must say has pretty good customer service. I have had a few problems with them but all it takes is a little social engineering on the phone (saying sprint/whoever will pay your ETF) and you can get some pretty good stuff
I got $10 knocked off my bill for the duration (18months or so) off my bill for an overcharge I got. I also got two free blazes 2 months before my contract was up for free as well. Plus, when/if they are bought out there is a good chance contracts will be altered/changed allowing you to get out of your contract early
Thanks for all the advice, guys. I feel like I have all the knowledge I need to go ahead with my plans. Now I just have to play the waiting game for the "right" one to pop up on Ebay. I will report back to this thread when I receive my blaze and whether I was successful with unlocking it, and any first impressions.
On a side note, does anyone know if the new 64 GB microSDXC cards are supported by the blaze? I just know that I'm gonna feel the pinch of 32 GB eventually, lol. (I already had to be picky and choosy about what was on my 16 GB card before it died)
dispozable said:
When I signed up for Tmo they gave me 30 days to confirm if I wanted the contract. You can get a plan and if you dont like it you can just return it before the first 30 days are up and only pay for the minutes you used. This was a big deal for me as I cam from ATT like you, but needed to knwo how well the Tmo service was. I would suggest getting the unlimited everything for $60 a month. Tmo I must say has pretty good customer service. I have had a few problems with them but all it takes is a little social engineering on the phone (saying sprint/whoever will pay your ETF) and you can get some pretty good stuff
I got $10 knocked off my bill for the duration (18months or so) off my bill for an overcharge I got. I also got two free blazes 2 months before my contract was up for free as well. Plus, when/if they are bought out there is a good chance contracts will be altered/changed allowing you to get out of your contract early
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when I had tmo a couple years ago it was 30 days. I just signed up early september, its down to 7 days :/
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Thanks for all the advice, guys. I feel like I have all the knowledge I need to go ahead with my plans. Now I just have to play the waiting game for the "right" one to pop up on Ebay. I will report back to this thread when I receive my blaze and whether I was successful with unlocking it, and any first impressions.
On a side note, does anyone know if the new 64 GB microSDXC cards are supported by the blaze? I just know that I'm gonna feel the pinch of 32 GB eventually, lol. (I already had to be picky and choosy about what was on my 16 GB card before it died)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope. there's not many devices out there that support SDXC yet. As time goes on, it'll gain more popularity, but lets face it, as awesome as it is, the blaze is only a mid range device. I wouldnt trade it for any other phone out there, i love my blaze, but still.
jparnell8839 said:
when I had tmo a couple years ago it was 30 days. I just signed up early september, its down to 7 days :/
nope. there's not many devices out there that support SDXC yet. As time goes on, it'll gain more popularity, but lets face it, as awesome as it is, the blaze is only a mid range device. I wouldnt trade it for any other phone out there, i love my blaze, but still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's mildly disappointing, but it doesn't affect my decision making about the phone. I'll have to somehow get by with only 32GB of storage. Speaking of which, how close is a solution to the camera only being able to save to the paltry internal storage? I do like to take lots of pictures with my phone, so this is obviously something I would hope to find a solution to.
Goodbye_Alltel said:
Well, that's mildly disappointing, but it doesn't affect my decision making about the phone. I'll have to somehow get by with only 32GB of storage. Speaking of which, how close is a solution to the camera only being able to save to the paltry internal storage? I do like to take lots of pictures with my phone, so this is obviously something I would hope to find a solution to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do that with cm9. Idk why cm10 doesn't have it :/
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
jparnell8839 said:
You can do that with cm9. Idk why cm10 doesn't have it :/
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. In a sense, CM9 has a bunch more features. When CM10 started, they basically started from scratch, and the focus was on project butter and some other things. Then they had to start forward porting their CM9 additions into CM10. There are a bunch of things in CM10 now that weren't there just a week or two ago. I think the camera thing will come, just like other features. It seems like the features are starting to come quicker too.
Keep an eye on the changelog. It lists the changes with each release
Goodbye_Alltel said:
On a side note, does anyone know if the new 64 GB microSDXC cards are supported by the blaze? I just know that I'm gonna feel the pinch of 32 GB eventually, lol. (I already had to be picky and choosy about what was on my 16 GB card before it died)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a 64gig card off Newegg about 3 months ago and it's been working just fine in this phone. In fact, what I read online indicated that just about every "recent" Android phone had no problems reading them at all.
So hey, ther'es that.
And yeah, having 64gigs is nice, especially since this phone has such small amount of user storage on the phone.
Cirkustanz said:
I bought a 64gig card off Newegg about 3 months ago and it's been working just fine in this phone. In fact, what I read online indicated that just about every "recent" Android phone had no problems reading them at all.
So hey, ther'es that.
And yeah, having 64gigs is nice, especially since this phone has such small amount of user storage on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it standard sd or sdxc? I read the specs said it doesn't support it :/ but, trial and error trumps all I suppose
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
jparnell8839 said:
Is it standard sd or sdxc? I read the specs said it doesn't support it :/ but, trial and error trumps all I suppose
Sent from my CM10 powered Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all 64gb microsd are categorized as sdxc, and most of recent android phones do work with them.
I just switched to T-Mobile and got 3 Blaze phones. They should arrive today. I only took them because they were free, and I didn't want to pay for GS3's. I'll be selling one right away after the Note 2 is released. If your still looking for one in a couple weeks, lemme know.
Rob the plumber said:
I just switched to T-Mobile and got 3 Blaze phones. They should arrive today. I only took them because they were free, and I didn't want to pay for GS3's. I'll be selling one right away after the Note 2 is released. If your still looking for one in a couple weeks, lemme know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, can I ask a HUGE favor? can you not root them immediately?
I'm trying to help the dude that's been helping me with the CM access. He wants to get a copy of a partition in a virgin state (ie... not rooted or modified at all). He's trying to find a way to reset the flash counter. I'm trying to assemble a stock ROM that will be pre-rooted and won't trigger the counter.
If you can avoid rooting 1 (or better yet, 2 in case more testing necessary), I'd really appreciate it. And it'll help the community in the end
I won't root them. What do you need?
Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2
I was just reading an Engadget post about how unlocking a carrier locked phone is illegal now, in the US anyway. It was long, but really didn't answer the question I had. I am on T-mobile with no contract and like to switch phones every few months. My most frequent stop for phones is eBay, although recently I've gotten unlocked phones from Amazon and Newegg as well. On eBay, I usually buy a locked carrier version (usually At&t) because they are usually cheaper than straight unlocked ones (carrier branded) and much cheaper than international unlocked ones. Then I buy an unlock code from eBay for a few bucks and voila. For some phones that are carrier exclusive or have no international variant yet, this is the only way to get them.
Does this new rule apply to me? I'm thinking no since it is second hand after all and I'm not the one who signed the contract, but they are vague about second-hand unlocking. I also sell my phone on eBay once I'm done using it.
I think of you as you are to unlock the phone which actually was first locked.
This is my opinion, now expect others to comment on
I think as long as the original contract has been satisfied it doesn't matter.
ruangle you
This is so Verizon,Contact phones and other junk. I have a unlocked phone from ebay on simple mobile which is gsm can use it anywhere in the world and no contract, I just rooted my sisters new S3 on the same phone carrier its under contract,lets see what happens I dont expect anything its my phone in so many words as long as I pay the bill Right ?
xtnelson said:
This is so Verizon,Contact phones and other junk. I have a unlocked phone from ebay on simple mobile which is gsm can use it anywhere in the world and no contract, I just rooted my sisters new S3 on the same phone carrier its under contract,lets see what happens I dont expect anything its my phone in so many words as long as I pay the bill Right ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As i know in europe and maybe also in US it is not illegal to unlock your phone - if you have no contract anymore with any provider !
Because it's "YOUR PHONE" and if you make the choice to cut it in small slices - why not - it is yours (when paid) !
But one decision - you have to unlock yourself - as i know it is not allowed by companies in US !
I read the actual text of the decision and it's pretty clearly spelled out (and not even that long). Sorry to be that guy. :silly:
Yeah I have no idea what some of you people are talking about. Or understand the Engrish. The phone is sold to an end user and the software is also licensed to them. This is the relationship between the carrier and the user entering a contract. However, I don't buy direct from the carrier or sign any contracts. Thus, I am not a license holder at all. Furthermore, the ruling allows for "legacy" devices to be unlocked and sold. Legacy device would be loosely understood as second hand, basically what I am buying and unlocking.
delete
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7
They'll have to respond to this issue now so hopefully it gets changed and you won't have to worry.
how to other country?
If you have the carrier unlock it, it is not illegal.
If you use your upgrade to get a cheaper phone with a contract and then use a 3rd party SIM unlocker to use on another carrier then it IS illegal.
Start with asking the carrier it is locked by for an unlock code
Very easy process. I bought a phone off contract. Called tmobile, they let me unlock it instantly. Simple process, give them the imei and Sim card number (tmobile), and have an activated Sim from the service you want to use.
Turn phone off, replace Sim with working Sim, turn phone on. Profit.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
So in other words, keep calling back until they quit with the "your device isn't eligible" nonsense.
They didn't tell me that once. They did tell me I could use this phone abroad, on their network. They were very accommodating with me. Bought the phone on Monday, called yesterday, but didn't have phone with me. Called back today and it took 20mins.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
When you buy the V10 form TMO, did they ask you to join any plan?
I got V10 at $630 and on a pay as you go plan.
and they need me to add another $100 to that account and wait for 14 days to unlock.
didn't these apply to you?
I had to get a prepaid plan, which was $40 I believe. Also, I believe they did the unlock as a courtesy since I already am a customer, and have been for several years.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
fghxu said:
When you buy the V10 form TMO, did they ask you to join any plan?
I got V10 at $630 and on a pay as you go plan.
and they need me to add another $100 to that account and wait for 14 days to unlock.
didn't these apply to you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, same story, I need find a way to unlock the phone. but the TMO put a "device unlock app" on this phone. making it really hard to unlock.
youtube showes ATT version of this phone can be unlocked online pretty easily.
regret bought from TMO
Warrior1975 said:
I had to get a prepaid plan, which was $40 I believe. Also, I believe they did the unlock as a courtesy since I already am a customer, and have been for several years.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've been a customer for several years. Those of us that are with other carriers are the people that are having a problem. I would hope if your a established customer they wouldn't give you a hard time about it.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA Free mobile app
2 weeks to wait isn't that bad though. You have the prepaid service. They told me originally I had to wait 2 weeks as well due to the buyers remorse deal.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
I was able to get them to unlock it without all of that. Just got it permanently unlocked. No $100 refill. No 14 days. It's only been 2 days since I bought it and I'm already unlocked.
I simply kept asking over and over, said please, asked them to make an exception, explained to them that I know it is not true that the $100 is a requirement because I have had T-Mobile unlock a phone for me without all that in the past. Then I finally asked him to elevate this to his supervisor. That's when the magic happened.
If you aren't getting anywhere, try that. If the rep is being super stubborn, just call back. You'll get someone different.
The key here is to be super nice, polite, sincere, and to use the magical key words: "please make an exception."
I'm telling you. Works every time.
Hi Guys
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
But I just got the LG V10 unlocked from T Mobile!!!!!! You guys can do the same too!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I bought this phone with pre-paid plan. called two days ago, the TMO representative said me three rules to unlock a prepaid phone are:
1) you use the phone with a TMO phone number:
2) passed the 14 days since you first make a call (passed the 14 days return period)
3) add another $100 to your prepaid account.
This is not same thing that I was told before I bought the phone!! Before I bought the phone, I actually called the TMO unlock department to make sure they can unlock the phone for me if I pay the full device only price.
Alright, Here are the steps to unlock the phone today:
1) call the T mobile pre-paid department. tell them I bought the phone for a few days and found out the t-mobile signal is extreme bad at work and also not good at home (this is true to me!). So I want to cancel the pre-paid plan. The TMO representative says if you don't use the phone for 180 days. the account will automatically expired and cancelled.
2) then I said I want to get the $10 on my account refunded because it is tmo's signal issue. I also told them I am more concerned on the device that paid in full can't work with other carriers.
3) the TMO representative asked: if they can unlock the device, will I still concerned about the credit in my prepaid account? I said if you can unlock the phone, I don't care about the $10 in my account.
4) TMO rep then asked my email account and send in the instructions to unlock the phone. followed the email. the phone is instantly unlocked.
The whole process took only about 15~20 minutes. very easy.
tips: try to call in the evenings, their offshore representative is more easy to talk with
hope this helps you guys!
I believe same strategy can be apply to you guys with post-paid plans.
Cheers!
Call tmobile and ask them, it's simple really. Just get a prepaid sim, activate it and put $100 on account. They say wait 7 days, but you can usually call and unlock within instant to 3 days. You can do this with any phone.
clockcycle said:
Call tmobile and ask them, it's simple really. Just get a prepaid sim, activate it and put $100 on account. They say wait 7 days, but you can usually call and unlock within instant to 3 days. You can do this with any phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
best and simply way
It still requires you to become a T-Mo customer and pay 100$ in advance though. It's hardly a great method unless you're already on T-Mo or find a way to get back that 100$ credit.
I've tried the "human" factor; called 2 shops and talked with 2 chat operators on support with no success; they haven't granted me any exception even though my cause was legit.
BTW, what would happen in this scenario:
I buy the phone. Put "someones" T-Mo sim-card and that person calls the support right away. Would they unlock the phone assuming that person is on T-Mo for 1+ year?
tersagun said:
It still requires you to become a T-Mo customer and pay 100$ in advance though. It's hardly a great method unless you're already on T-Mo or find a way to get back that 100$ credit.
I've tried the "human" factor; called 2 shops and talked with 2 chat operators on support with no success; they haven't granted me any exception even though my cause was legit.
BTW, what would happen in this scenario:
I buy the phone. Put "someones" T-Mo sim-card and that person calls the support right away. Would they unlock the phone assuming that person is on T-Mo for 1+ year?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that will work if the person has not unlocked over 2 phones in the previous year. The sim card must be in the phone for at least 2-3 days to register the phone on the person's T-Mobile account. For more details check out the official T-Mobile unlock policy.
https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1588
This looks like a loophole in the t-mobile unlock policy. Has anyone tried that? If the device is associated with a canceled account, the account balance must be zero, including all pending charges
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Crazy to see this whole unlock thing again. It first started out with the galaxy s6 when they introduced that unlocking app. Went through hell with tmobile to get my s6 edge unlocked to work with cricket (AT&T). You cannot unlock any phone anymore without the app and getting around the whole 40 days thing was highly annoying. After I got my phone unlocked, all worked nice and dandy until my phone decided not to make or take calls on lte.. While on lte all incoming calls will not come through and outgoing will not go out. Had to force the phone to stay on hspa for get and receive calls. Sucked. Sold thag phone and just got the international version downside of international version (at least for Samsung) is that the radio isn't optimized so I always have very low bars of lte and often jump to hspa... Most times I have 1 bar of lte. Unless I'm really close to a tower where the signal goes go 3 or 4 bars.
Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk
So I finally got some clarity as to why I can't unlock yet. I have to wait the 14 day demise period?!
I have been struggling to get this phone. Since I'm in Canada I have to either buy from Swappa or ebay and none of the sellers are willing to pick up the phone and ask tmo to unlock it for me which is ridiculous. Is anyone aware of any 3rd party sites that can unlock this device? One's like cellunlocker say they cannot do it due to the tmo unlock app or whatever it is. If anyone knows of a site to make it happen that would save me a lot of headaches and I could just buy one already!
markbencze said:
I have been struggling to get this phone. Since I'm in Canada I have to either buy from Swappa or ebay and none of the sellers are willing to pick up the phone and ask tmo to unlock it for me which is ridiculous. Is anyone aware of any 3rd party sites that can unlock this device? One's like cellunlocker say they cannot do it due to the tmo unlock app or whatever it is. If anyone knows of a site to make it happen that would save me a lot of headaches and I could just buy one already!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No there is no current vendor or method to unloc other than tmobile directly..
3 months ago there was, all 3rd party vendors with remote access to tmobile activations were able to inject imei and have them made eligible for unlock via the device unlock app.
That loophole has since been closed. It now requires direct contact with tmobile and must meet the requirements.
I just bought walmart tmobile $30 kit activated. Bought $100 refill off ebay for $53. Called for 3 days until my phone showed up on the network. They unlocked after having supervisor authorize exemption.
You can close / cancel the account, after they refund you with a master card with remaining funds. Ymmv
clockcycle said:
No there is no current vendor or method to unloc other than tmobile directly..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there is. It just costs a lot. https://www.unlockbase.com/phone-unlocking-service/tmobile-device-unlock-app-official-unlock/
As the title would suggest, I going give my opinion on buying S9+. Again this is my experience and my opinions. I understand most of the community here is smart and don't need financial advice about how to spend their cash. I'll try to break it down into parts so people understand my opinion. So let's start:
So as many as you know S9 and S9+ was release 3/16/2018. There is 2 version of this phone you can get bloat or no bloatware. What do I mean? In San Diego where I live, my carrier is AT&T. They sell the S9+ at $789.99 if you do one of their payments plans. However if you want buy the device out right then the price is $940.99 this is the att version. I believe the same for Verizon and Tmoblie. But Tmoblie sell it at $839.99. If you are willing g to buy the unlocked version without carrier then it $839.99 however you have to buy it from a retailer like bestbuy or amazon.
My suggestion is to buy the phone out right and unlocked. The main reason is there is no bloatware. If you buy carrier version of the device out right from they add $100 more just to have bloatware. There is no difference hardware specs on the device. So why pay more just to have the carrier bloatware?
Now if that is not an option and you want to make payments, still buy the unlocked version and do payments with credit card. If you cant do that and you have to go thru your carrier then understand the payment plan and I advise against it. Right now all of the major carriers have deal where you can trade in your old Samsung up to $350 towards the S9 & + and its good. The catch is that credit goes towards your bill and not the device. That is crazy. Plus they give you an $150 Visa gift card. So in reality they are only giving $150 for the phone. I'm talking about AT&T. I'm pretty sure it's the same for the other carriers as well. Now my advice is to sell your device yourself and use that money towards the phone or come with at least half when you upgrade setup the payments wait a bill cycle and payoff the other half.
Honesty, buying this phone unlocked is the way to go. There is no reason to buy the carrier version since they just add bloatware and slow down performance. Plus you have the option of leaving your current carrier if they **** up your bill or there is a better deal out there.
I bought the ATT carrier locked version. The only "bloat" I see is a couple of games which I was able to uninstall. Not just deactivate, but actually uninstall. The ATT apps themselves I either uninstalled or use. Again, not disable but uninstall.
If you have the money to buy unlocked, good for you. However, the payment plans are 0% interest. Buying a 800-900 dollar phone on credit, your now paying more than what your claiming to save by buying it unlocked. Again, all the "bloat" I've noticed is uninstallable. On my last phone you could only disable them.
In my case I was able to sell my old device and only pay the difference. I considered just going through the carrier. Honestly I don't want to be held to a two year contract of paying off the device. Your right, buying a device on credit compaired to the carrier is cheaper with 0% interest. That not always going to be the case in the future. Again I'm just suggesting there options out there.
Certain cards, like best buys, offer 0% over 12 months. I upgrade every year with that and sell past generations phone and it covers about ⅔ the cost of the new phone
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Though this doesn't apply to everyone, I agree with OP on going the unlocked route to ensure faster official updates directly from Samsung. I am actually going a step further and getting international unlocked model (with unlocked bootloader) as I can't imagine buying a phone that has manufacturer/carrier enforced locked boot loader.
Not really followed the Galaxy Series as of late but I'm thinking of importing the SD 845 variant (for emulation) and wondering how long until bootoader can be unlocked? Would love project treble ROMs on it.
And does the Google camera work on the SD 845 variant?
There are ups and downs to each way of doing it. Though you mention the upside of doing unlocked, there is a downside if you want to use some functions too.
One upside you didn't mention on the unlocked versions is you get the Caller ID function stock! Most carriers will charge $3 a month for their "supreme" service.
Downside of doing unlocked is you might miss out on additional carrier features as well.
- HD Calling (hit and miss on this odd one at least with Verizon on past phones)
- Wifi / VoLTE Calling
- Hotspot (there can be work around to this)
I am looking to buy a Pixel 3a after my original Pixel went swimming. I use Verizon, but I want to buy from the Google Store vs. the Verizon store because I want to be able to unlock the bootloader. The monthly price at both the Google and Verizon stores are nearly equal. But I have a few questions, if anyone could help.
1. I see on the Google Store, I can buy a carrier-unlocked phone or a phone with the Verizon sim card. Is this the same model phone for both options, or is the pone with the Verizon sim card the same as buying directly from Verizon?
2. If I need to get the carrier-unlocked model, how difficult is it to get the phone activated through Google?
3. I am leaving for vacation on July 31st. The Google Story offers free shipping, but how long does it really take?
Thanks!
1. It would be the same as unlocked, but the option to unlock bootloader is disabled in Developers options.
2. Unlocked model could be activated on any supported Carrier by inserting SIM card. It can't be simpler than that.
3. Both 3a models I ordered from Google came in less than 4 business days.
I am in Canada, and ordered from Google Store instead of my carrier.
Google shipped it really quickly. I think I got it in 2 business days from what I recall, if not, it was 3. The only downside I saw from Google Store is that if you want to return the phone, you need to cash out some restock fee and only gives you 15 days (I see this on both US and Canadian Google Store site policies).
I didn't get it from the carrier, as I discovered that purchasing your phone give you more benefits, such as:
- Well, as you noted, fully unlocked.
- No ugly carrier logo on the device.
- Negotiating power on your plan, at any time, as you are not under a yearly contract, and you can switch to the competitor with great ease the next day, pretty much. (This is more important to me, as in Canada our mobile service operators, is just as bad the US internet service providers. Backed by a government institution that say that competition is bad for Canadians, and some carriers chargers 10$ just for calling, and hope you don't get disconnected or hang up on you). Thanks to this, I have a plan and price that is simply unmatched.
Hope this helps
So I ordered the unlocked Pixel 3a. Last question. Will inserting the Verizon SIM card before I unlock the bootloader make the bootloader unable to get unlocked?
Bramton1 said:
So I ordered the unlocked Pixel 3a. Last question. Will inserting the Verizon SIM card before I unlock the bootloader make the bootloader unable to get unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It shouldn't but I wouldn't chance it.