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I think there is a big misunderstanding what locked/unlocked means.

All phones that are made are always assigned to a carrier (yes even the ones that say "Factory GSM Unlocked") to prove that just look up the model of the phone and you will see what carrier it was assigned to.

In order for a phone to have service the company has to know that you want service on this phone.

In the past company's like Sprint and Verizon did not work with a sim card they worked with the id of the phone to recognize what kind of phone / what carrier it was assigned to. This is know as CDMA. Yet company's like att/t-mobile did that too but the service was applied by using a sim.

Once LTE came out for what ever reason all company switched to the "Sim technology". There is still one thing that did not change, each carrier has their assigned bands that they have from the FCC that they are allowed to use.

Being that there are standard bands that every one uses (for international or the like) these are included in every phone. So.... All verizon phones will work on att, BUT will only have the bands for slower internet since those are standard bands.

Now verizon's LTE band is NOT a standard nor is their CDMA a standard so an att or a t-mobile phone will NOT be able to accept a Verizon sim.

Now lets go to sprint phones,

All other company's when they had the phones made for them all they do is have it customized for its own use (Read: their own LTE bands). Sprint on the other hand not only did they have them customize it they put a lock in the software blocking all local USA bands (Verizon ATT and Tmobile).

They even go a step farther and they still do the old way of checking the device ID to see if its a sprint phone or not.

Hope this explains a few things feel free to ask any questions.

Att has an easy way to ask for an unlock https://att.com/deviceunlock

How to check a Sprint iPhone (only): You cannot check it with an american sim you must put in a foreign sim. You DO NOT have to backup and restore as sprint sends in the email! Connect to wifi before starting this procedure.

When you put the sim in one of 3 things will happen.
1. It will say no service in the top right corner = Unlocked
2. It will do a soft restart and ask you for your apple id password = Almost unlocked, after putting in the password its unlocked
3. It will do a soft restart and say "Sim not valid" = Phone is locked

If you got number 2. and you dont know the password just put in your old sim and all will return. When you find out the password repeat the steps.

Willmyphonework.net Can check if the phone will work
« Last edited by yakov116 on June 29, 2016, 01:34:42 PM »

Author Topic: cell phone unlocking  (Read 157835 times)

Offline Chaikel

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #40 on: August 26, 2010, 01:06:52 PM »
You didn't quote, so I'm not sure who/what you're responding to.

Are you saying VZW will be GSM in a year???
Verizon will have a GSM network within the year
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Offline Dan

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #41 on: August 26, 2010, 01:23:50 PM »
Verizon will have a GSM network within the year
No, they'll have an LTE data network, which is where GSM and CDMA are both heading.
It's technically incorrect to call LTE a GSM network AFAIK.

And they'll still be using CDMA for voice for many more years, although that will go LTE as well eventually.
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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #42 on: August 26, 2010, 01:45:15 PM »
If anyone wants a palm centro gsm which could be unlocked very easily ( around 2 bucks on ebay) I have for $69 pm me if interested.

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #43 on: August 26, 2010, 01:46:46 PM »
If anyone wants a palm centro gsm which could be unlocked very easily ( around 2 bucks on ebay) I have for $69 pm me if interested.
What condition is it in?
If it's so easy to unlock, maybe you should unlock it yourself and just charge more?
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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #44 on: August 26, 2010, 01:57:40 PM »
I should never got around to it. I have a bunch some in very good condition.

Offline AsherO

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #45 on: August 26, 2010, 04:57:17 PM »
Verizon will have a GSM network within the year
No, they'll have an LTE data network, which is where GSM and CDMA are both heading.
It's technically incorrect to call LTE a GSM network AFAIK.

And they'll still be using CDMA for voice for many more years, although that will go LTE as well eventually.

It's not just incorrect, it's simply untrue. From what I understand, I'm quite sure you won't be able to use a GSM phone on VZW.
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Offline Chaikel

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #46 on: August 26, 2010, 05:31:40 PM »
I spoke to a journalist who is tight with a Verizon CEO, he said GSM. Maybe the technical term got lost in translation, but do a search for "verizon gsm iphone" and I'm unsure
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Offline lazalaz

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #47 on: August 30, 2010, 06:17:44 PM »

Offline AsherO

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #48 on: August 30, 2010, 06:25:41 PM »
This may be what he was referring to: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizons-Officialy-Now-A-GSM-Carrier-109003

AFAIAC, Verizon will only be considered a GSM carrier once I can put a VZW sim in an unlocked GSM phone and use their domestic GSM network for voice and data (at least GPRS/EDGE).
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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #49 on: August 30, 2010, 06:31:51 PM »
AFAIAC, Verizon will only be considered a GSM carrier once I can put a VZW sim in an unlocked GSM phone and use their domestic GSM network for voice and data (at least GPRS/EDGE).

Agreed. This seems to be a "political" rather than practical move.

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #50 on: November 11, 2010, 07:16:15 PM »
I have a sprint bb tour (which has a sim card slot). I want to unlock it to use it with t-mobile. Anyone know how I can do it/where I can bring it to have it unlocked?

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #51 on: November 12, 2010, 01:10:56 AM »
I have a sprint bb tour (which has a sim card slot). I want to unlock it to use it with t-mobile. Anyone know how I can do it/where I can bring it to have it unlocked?
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Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #52 on: November 14, 2010, 02:32:20 PM »
Sometimes its not even locked.

Put in any other sim card, and switch to gsm (settings, mobile settings), and if you get in with or without your 4 digit pin, its not locked.

If not locked it will work with any gsm operator in the world.
(The latter is true only with quad bands, but phones that are tri, or dual, will be more limited with the operator available)

Offline elikay

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #53 on: November 14, 2010, 02:59:56 PM »
sprint 9650 comes unlocked out of box.

Offline jack12

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #54 on: November 14, 2010, 06:59:46 PM »
Thanks

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #55 on: November 14, 2010, 07:18:20 PM »
With att and t mobile  tell them your going to israel for a week and wanna use your phone with an israeli sim card. I never had a problem i always got the code from them without any problems.

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #56 on: May 01, 2011, 09:51:21 AM »
I need some help unlocking my AT&T F160 (zte)
I called AT&T and they will not give it to me and that I need to wait 6 months.
After persisting they checked and said that they the code does not become avaiable to them untill 6 months pass.

Any ideas?
« Last Edit: May 01, 2011, 10:06:38 AM by Aben »

Offline Monsey

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #57 on: May 01, 2011, 10:44:22 AM »
I need some help unlocking my AT&T F160 (zte)
I called AT&T and they will not give it to me and that I need to wait 6 months.
After persisting they checked and said that they the code does not become avaiable to them untill 6 months pass.

Any ideas?
That is not true i have unlocked att phones by getting the code from att within a few days of purchasing the phone. Call back a few times till you get someone to help

Offline Aben

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #58 on: May 01, 2011, 01:07:22 PM »
That is not true i have unlocked att phones by getting the code from att within a few days of purchasing the phone. Call back a few times till you get someone to help
I tried a bunch of times and they said that they do not have any codes he tried every round about way and when he types in for the unlock code it is blank and says wait till Nov.

Offline BAHayman

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Re: Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #59 on: May 01, 2011, 01:11:40 PM »
I need some help unlocking my AT&T F160 (zte)
I called AT&T and they will not give it to me and that I need to wait 6 months.
After persisting they checked and said that they the code does not become avaiable to them untill 6 months pass.

Any ideas?

I have the exact same issue with my F160... apparently there unlock system puts a hold on unlock codes for 6 months if it was purchased as a gophone (this is what the after hours supervisor told me). In any case I have unlocked 5 or 6 att phones and have never had this issue but they have never been gophones... they said they can put a case in to escalate and get the code but it takes a few days and I'm leaving in a few hours :-/