Bought ebay "unlocked" phone, not from Buyspry - T-Mobile LG G5 Questions & Answers

I ordered from a different seller, it's supposed to be "att tmobile unlocked" but then in the description it says "LG G5 LS992 RS998 VS987 (Latest Model) - 32GB - Gold Titan 4G LTE (GSM Unlocked) " none of those models seem to be ATT or Tmobile so idk what's going on there. I'm guessing it's using the software unlock nonsense that appears to be an issue. Am I going to be able to unlock this thing and put on custom roms? is it even going to work on Tmobile? http://www.ebay.com/itm/182588725106 This is the listing I ordered from.

Why not return it and just use Swappa
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

Hindsight. I suppose I can return it once it arrives, though I'm sure I'll be in it for shipping then as well.

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(Q)Bell or Virgin N5 locked?

I found a good deal for a new n5 on craigslist but the guy thats selling it says they told him its locked to his carrier. I went online and almost everyone says you cant lock a nexus phone to a carrier.
As far as i recall sprint had the nexus locked. He got his directly from bell canada. Does anyone know anything about this?
Thanks!
Sent from SGH-T889v Canadian Wind Mobile
All Nexus 5 phones are factory unlocked some one at Bell probably gave him wrong info as they normally only sell fully locked phones from the other manufactures.
I'm not entirely sure that all Nexus 5's come unlocked - - A lot of folks said that about all previous Nexus devices, i.e., they all come unlocked, but there were one's that came locked (although none of them were from Canada). That said, every Nexus device prior to the Nexus 5 sold by Canadian carriers has come unlocked, if that is any indication.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2
sometimes the carrier locks their own phones. I'm not sure if this was the case though
The carrier probably lied. My dad had a nexus 4 and the fido CSR told him it was locked too.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Well I decided to pass. Not because it might be locked which i really doubt it would be. But because
I would only save about $50 but if something was to go wrong when i get it home or a week down the line
I would be SOL as google wouldnt cover the warranty. It seems that they match the IMEI with the account it
was purchased under to do any returns or fixes. Save 50 bucks or risk 350 ..go figure

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

Hi i'm travelling to the US next month and i want to buy a nexus 5. as i need to use it with my country carrier i need it unlocked.
now as far as i understand, i can't buy it from the play store as i dont have an US credit card (correct me if i'm wrong)
both the t-mobile and best buy support told me that their version of the nexus 5 ($450) are not really unlocked, but i've read a lot that in fact you can use that phones with whatever carrier you want. is that true? has anyone bought the t-mobile / bestbuy(sprint) versions and tried using another carrier SIM?
Thanks guys
serianox said:
Hi i'm travelling to the US next month and i want to buy a nexus 5. as i need to use it with my country carrier i need it unlocked.
now as far as i understand, i can't buy it from the play store as i dont have an US credit card (correct me if i'm wrong)
both the t-mobile and best buy support told me that their version of the nexus 5 ($450) are not really unlocked, but i've read a lot that in fact you can use that phones with whatever carrier you want. is that true? has anyone bought the t-mobile / bestbuy(sprint) versions and tried using another carrier SIM?
Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe there are any carrier-locked N5s being sold in the US. You've checked that the US version of the phone supports the bands that are used in your country? BB will charge $100 more for the phone and likely try to sell you service, but you should be able to get it.
STi_Fanatic said:
I don't believe there are any carrier-locked N5s being sold in the US. You've checked that the US version of the phone supports the bands that are used in your country? BB will charge $100 more for the phone and likely try to sell you service, but you should be able to get it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i checked and the 850/1900 bands are supported. both bestbuy and tmobile support told me that the phone is sold locked to the respective carriers, but i've read that that's actually not true and you can just swap with whatever SIM you have. Also i hope they dont try to force me to sign some plans if i buy the device
I am interested in this info also. I have a Nexus 5 showing up from Sprint and wondering if it will work with my T-Mobile SIM later if I decide to use it.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
No Nexus 5 devices are sold locked. They are all unlocked and if anything you can test it right there in the store/parking lot to be sure.
The only problem however is LTE if you'll ever need that.
shotta35 said:
No Nexus 5 devices are sold locked. They are all unlocked and if anything you can test it right there in the store/parking lot to be sure.
The only problem however is LTE if you'll ever need that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i hope this is true!
they just answered me this:
Hi , If you purchase the device from T-Mobile, it is locked and will only work with a T-Mobile SIM card. Once you've met the requirements, we can help you unlock the device. If you need one unlocked already, we recommend purchasing directly through Google. - Jess
The Sprint and T-Mobile Nexus 5's are unlocked. I have a Sprint one that I purchased at Best Buy and it works just fine with my T-Mobile sim card....2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE...
lowandbehold said:
The Sprint and T-Mobile Nexus 5's are unlocked. I have a Sprint one that I purchased at Best Buy and it works just fine with my T-Mobile sim card....2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply! i'm really glad this is true. can i ask you if they forced to buy some plan or sim, or you just paid the $450?
Thanks again
serianox said:
Thanks for your reply! i'm really glad this is true. can i ask you if they forced to buy some plan or sim, or you just paid the $450?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got them to price match Google the day it came out, so I got it for $350. They may have smartened up to that by now though. The SIM came in the phone. I did not have to pay for the SIM or an activation fee. I didn't let them open the box at all.
lowandbehold said:
I got them to price match Google the day it came out, so I got it for $350. They may have smartened up to that by now though. The SIM came in the phone. I did not have to pay for the SIM or an activation fee. I didn't let them open the box at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm wondering if i can do this. it says in the BB website:
"If you find a lower price on a qualifying product at a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailer, we will match the price. At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com."
it doesn't list google play as an allowed website.
i hope i get a cool seller lol
Thanks again!
Nexus 5's are not locked to any specific carrier. You just need to make sure that the bands are compatible with your carriers' frequency.
I bought my N5 off contract from BestBuy. It is unlocked. I am running mine on Simple Mobile. I only had to put my SIM in and program the APN for data access.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
asiandrg0n said:
I bought my N5 off contract from BestBuy. It is unlocked. I am running mine on Simple Mobile. I only had to put my SIM in and program the APN for data access.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the replies, i'm sure this will help a lot of people.
i'm trying to see if i can get Best buy to match the play store price

Find out original carrier?

I have a Moto G, and I just ordered an unlock code from CellUnlocker.net for it ... but they haven't been able to get me a code.
I believe the original carrier was either Bell, or Virgin, because it works with both of these carriers and no others.
Is there a definitive way of finding out who the original carrier is? There are no indications on the box, and it's using the stock US-en Retail firmware.
Thanks!
What moto g is it? Xt?
Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk
I took a picture of the Moto G's box label for insurance purposes and can tell you where to look.
Mine came from Koodo, a Telus subsidiary, which also sells the 8GB XT1032 like Bell and VMC do. Also worth mentioning, Wind and Videotron sell the 16GB XT1034.
00314NATLS is the one way to tell it came from either Telus or Koodo. I expect Bell and VMC to have another code accordingly.

S7 AT&T or TMobile Model

Hey guys im going to be pre-ordering tomorrow and want to know your thoughts on which carrier variant to go with. I have AT&T where I live but I have heard that tmobiles phone are usually easier to get bootloader unlocked, or they come pre unlock. Which one do you think is a better choice?
I'm sure the tmobile one will have all. The band's requires for att.. Or at least the main ones. If you're looking at modding, go the tmobile route. But Idk how easy it will be to get the tmobile one and have them unlock it for you. I went through hell with my s6 edge and getting them to unlock it
Sent from my SM-N920G using Tapatalk
I am debating the same thing. Last time I got a TMOB, and paid for a 3rd party unlock which took a week. Then canceled the TMOB service before the 30 days were up.
TMOB won't unlock phones until they are on plan after two payment cycles and the phone is fully paid off.
Now TMOB unlocks via app and I understand there is a 3rd party vendor that might be able to get them unlocked, but might be troublesome. I asked my sister who is a TMOB customer if she could just outright buy the phone for me but she said under her plan they require her to surrender her old phone so I have to put it on their stupid plan.
Not sure if you can get the phone via MetroPCS as a pre-paid plan and avoid this nonsense but it seems their phone choices are severely limited.
Definitely looking for a better way to get an unlocked bootloader.
I'm in the same boat. Have an AT&T S4 and finally looking to upgrade but after the hell AT&T gave with the S4 locked bootloader I think T-mobile is the way to go. Just hope unlocking it for AT&T will be a straight forward process.
The guy that unlocked an S6 for me emailed me back that he was not sure yet if he could unlock a TMOB S7.
I believe AT&T has more bands than T-Mobile.
Will get the AT&T model as will use with prepaid carriers and AT&T supports most T-Mobile bands. T-Mobile does not support all AT&T bands.
Nextstep said:
I believe AT&T has more bands than T-Mobile.
Will get the AT&T model as will use with prepaid carriers and AT&T supports most T-Mobile bands. T-Mobile does not support all AT&T bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only bands that are missing from the 930T (t-mobile version) versus the 930A (AT&T) are bands 29 and 30 which don't appear to be used in the US at all. I found the bands on the product pages on both sites. You are better off getting the t-mobile one and hope for an unlocked bootloader. AT&T will be locked down for sure.
zcubed said:
The only bands that are missing from the 930T (t-mobile version) versus the 930A (AT&T) are bands 29 and 30 which don't appear to be used in the US at all. I found the bands on the product pages on both sites. You are better off getting the t-mobile one and hope for an unlocked bootloader. AT&T will be locked down for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news, thanks for checking.
What I'm currently debating is preordering the AT&T S7 from Best Buy to get in on the VR and MicroSD, then just selling once an unlocked T-Mobile variant becomes available No other way to preorder a 930T without an account right?
The TMOB preorder is up. You need to subscribe to a plan to order it. It does not let you pre-order it on a post paid or prepaid plan.
I am really hesitant to preorder it since TMOB sucks and won't unlock until after 2 billing cycles. And you have to unlock it using their app verses typing in a code provided by a 3rd party unlocker after you turn the phone on when a non-TMOB sim is inserted.
Guess I'll have to wait until some unlocked ones appear on Swappa or Fleabay. Hate doing that as I was just burned with a phone that that eventually popped up with a blacklisted IMEI.
Like Flame Red said, there's no way to get the T-Mobile one without signing up for a plan but you also get a year of Netflix with the t-mobile one that's worth WAY more than the microSD from Best Buy. You can cancel the plan immediately though and hope for a third party unlocking service to unlock the phone for a fee.
---------- Post added at 10:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------
Bands detail links:
https://support.t-mobile.com/community/phones-tablets-devices/android/samsung_galaxy_s_7#id_1299991
https://www.att.com/cellphones/samsung/galaxy-s7.html#sku=sku7840239 (Click Details)
Is there a place to order the 930F Global version? Will that have all the bands required for ATT & TMO?
Are there any Galaxy S7 that will support CDMA and GSM.
I looking to go prepaid route and Sprint prepaid MVNO and T-Mobile prepaid MVNO with maybe some AT&T prepaid.
Any assistance greatly appreciated.
According to this thread, the underlying hardware is the same for all S7 variants and the bands are turned on/off via the radio files. http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/how-to/finally-single-hardware-variant-carriers-t3308040
Should be interesting if I decide to get a t-mobile S7 and possibly being able to "turn on" the extra bands at a later date.
Looks like it doesn't matter which one you get anymore: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Cert...the-carrier-of-the-first-SIM-inserted_id78809
The S7 should "lock" to the first carrier's sim you insert. Would love confirmation of this if someone gets the T-Mobile one and puts in an AT&T sim.
Will see, hoping some users will get the phone soon, and confirm before I purchase.
clove.co.uk is now showing pre-orders for the unlocked international s7 (and edge). Interestingly enough, they're showing it having the SD820 whereas I thought EU was getting the Exynos!?
zcubed said:
Looks like it doesn't matter which one you get anymore: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Cert...the-carrier-of-the-first-SIM-inserted_id78809
The S7 should "lock" to the first carrier's sim you insert. Would love confirmation of this if someone gets the T-Mobile one and puts in an AT&T sim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So technically speaking, no matter what version ill get it will be locked to att after I put in that sim card?
I wonder if that means the bootloaders will be the same on all the models, since they are all the same except for the radio differences?
Neither for me. International versions only
As far as unlocking goes, I've been in that scene for about 6 months. If it's an app unlock, no biggie, it'll just cost about $30 more than without the app unlock. You should expect to pay about $20-50 for the unlock once the phone comes out. No sweat!
The big difference between att and tmobile is not the sim lock, but the fact that att phones come with locked bootloaders thereby severely limiting their attractiveness to the mod community.

Buying Google Pixel VZW off eBay

Hi!
Thanks to VZW deals on Google Pixel, eBay is currently full of listing for brand new Pixels for less that $600. Most sellers claim phones to be factory sealed.
Question is: Can I buy this never opened Pixel and successfully activate and use overseas?
Thanks for your wisdom!
bige93 said:
Hi!
Thanks to VZW deals on Google Pixel, eBay is currently full of listing for brand new Pixels for less that $600. Most sellers claim phones to be factory sealed.
Question is: Can I buy this never opened Pixel and successfully activate and use overseas?
Thanks for your wisdom!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't receive my Pixel yet, but I bought an unlocked device from google's website. I did talk to a seller on eBay who has many Verizon Pixel phones and he claim that they are unlocked. Another thing he mentioned that these phones may have Verizon's bloatware apps. So if phone you are trying to purchase is unlocked, then it should work, but check the GSM bands if they are compatible with your carrier.
All Pixel phones are unlocked (we're not talking bootloader unlocked) no matter where you get it from. But good point in checking GSM bands to see if it's compatible in your country and carrier. As for bloatware there are only 2 apps from VZW and you can delete them easily.
So, no need for first activation with vzw SIM or something like that?
bige93 said:
So, no need for first activation with vzw SIM or something like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need. Just take it out if the box and put your sim in. I bought mine from best buy and it's technically for Verizon but I just took out the Verizon sim that was in it, put my T-Mobile sim in and booted it up.
If you plan on using it overseas I suggest you unlock the bootloader and flash the international system images.

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