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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 157868 times)

Offline hvaces42

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #540 on: September 05, 2017, 11:55:40 AM »
Since when is this "Change in policy" Has always been like this for ALL carriors
June 29
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #541 on: September 05, 2017, 11:56:16 AM »
June 29
Can u point me to a link. I have been in the cell phone world for over 3 years and this has always been the policy
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Offline hvaces42

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #542 on: September 05, 2017, 01:40:37 PM »
Can u point me to a link. I have been in the cell phone world for over 3 years and this has always been the policy
It was that way when i got the phone in April. All you needed was to wait 50 days. Now its 90 plus payoff option. Sprint reps were all surprised by this too. Spent days on the phone with them.
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #543 on: September 08, 2017, 12:53:02 PM »
It was that way when i got the phone in April. All you needed was to wait 50 days. Now its 90 plus payoff option. Sprint reps were all surprised by this too. Spent days on the phone with them.
I have never had sprint unlock a phone if it was not paid off.
The only thing that sounds new about this is the "90 day" part

Is this an android phone?
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Offline sams

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #544 on: September 11, 2017, 08:49:54 PM »
Who can unlock at&t iPhone 6 to use on sprint ?? Willing to pay

Offline hvaces42

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #545 on: September 11, 2017, 08:52:34 PM »
I have never had sprint unlock a phone if it was not paid off.
The only thing that sounds new about this is the "90 day" part

Is this an android phone?
And sprint u locked it. Samsung S8+ still under lease. HUCA HUCA HUCA
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #546 on: September 12, 2017, 12:31:08 PM »
And sprint u locked it. Samsung S8+ still under lease. HUCA HUCA HUCA
That is why.

Ok let me explain what has changed. To my knowledge this has NOTHING to do with a policy change more than a technical change.

Until now when using a sprint phone there was no such a thing as a full unlocking. What they did for you was when you left the US they unlocked the phone for international use. It was not possible to use the phone for another US carrier.
With all the newer phone the manufactures went away with the custom carrier phones, they made it "one size fits all".

Due to that if they would unlock the phone, this would mean the phone is entirely unlocked, allowing you to use the phone on any carrier.
Since you still owe them money (it sound like that you don't even own the phone) they would never in their right mind unlock it for you. Since you can just walk off with the phone and tell them have a nice day!
This also explains why they want 90 days. Since many times they give the phone for less, they need to make their money back, so they require "90 days"

I do not believe this applies to iPhone's, but i can be wrong.

I am very surprised they did it for you. Are you a long time customer?
Money talks...mine says goodbye!

Offline sams

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #547 on: September 12, 2017, 01:15:19 PM »
Who can unlock at&t iPhone 6 to use on sprint ?? Willing to pay
Anyone?

Offline Myccrabbi

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #548 on: September 12, 2017, 06:25:35 PM »
If u work for a living, why kill urself working?

Online cozmohoot

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #549 on: September 12, 2017, 07:22:26 PM »
That is why.

Ok let me explain what has changed. To my knowledge this has NOTHING to do with a policy change more than a technical change.

Until now when using a sprint phone there was no such a thing as a full unlocking. What they did for you was when you left the US they unlocked the phone for international use. It was not possible to use the phone for another US carrier.
With all the newer phone the manufactures went away with the custom carrier phones, they made it "one size fits all".

Due to that if they would unlock the phone, this would mean the phone is entirely unlocked, allowing you to use the phone on any carrier.
Since you still owe them money (it sound like that you don't even own the phone) they would never in their right mind unlock it for you. Since you can just walk off with the phone and tell them have a nice day!
This also explains why they want 90 days. Since many times they give the phone for less, they need to make their money back, so they require "90 days"

I do not believe this applies to iPhone's, but i can be wrong.

I am very surprised they did it for you. Are you a long time customer?
When I wanted to unlock a galaxy s6 they asked if I wanted domestic unlock or both domestic and international. Obviously I took both. But this was 8 months ago.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #550 on: September 12, 2017, 07:27:36 PM »

I am very surprised they did it for you. Are you a long time customer?
13 years so maybe thats it.
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Offline Myccrabbi

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #551 on: September 13, 2017, 10:38:06 AM »
Pm me
Actually don't bother, it can't be used for Sprint. (Or Verizon)
Who can unlock at&t iPhone 6 to use on sprint ?? Willing to pay
If u work for a living, why kill urself working?

Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #552 on: September 13, 2017, 10:39:27 AM »
When I wanted to unlock a galaxy s6 they asked if I wanted domestic unlock or both domestic and international. Obviously I took both. But this was 8 months ago.
Could be. Very possible that with the updates they enabled the US. I do remember hearing such a thing.
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #553 on: September 13, 2017, 10:41:27 AM »
Actually don't bother, it can't be used for Sprint. (Or Verizon)
Are you sure? If i am not mistake it can be used on verizon.
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Offline Myccrabbi

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #554 on: September 13, 2017, 10:45:44 AM »
Are you sure? If i am not mistake it can be used on verizon.
Yes, maybe on Verizon but NOT sprint

ETA: both will not activate since it's missing a CDMA band
« Last Edit: September 13, 2017, 10:49:36 AM by Myccrabbi »
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #555 on: September 13, 2017, 12:55:13 PM »
Yes, maybe on Verizon but NOT sprint

ETA: both will not activate since it's missing a CDMA band

-1 Not the iPhone 6
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Offline Myccrabbi

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #556 on: September 13, 2017, 01:41:01 PM »
-1 Not the iPhone 6
Do you have proof for that -1?
I work with phones ya know...
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #557 on: September 14, 2017, 10:59:54 AM »
Do you have proof for that -1?
I work with phones ya know...
I know it will work from exp. Just may not have the best service. I think only LTE will work on it.

Its not ordeal but it will technically work. Not if it was an apple direct unlocked, then it should work fine on both.
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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #558 on: September 14, 2017, 11:22:37 AM »
I know it will work from exp. Just may not have the best service. I think only LTE will work on it.

Its not ordeal but it will technically work. Not if it was an apple direct unlocked, then it should work fine on both.
Explain to me how it can a GSM band be activated on a CDMA band?
If you can't initially activate it on CDMA it will not work even on the added GSM band since you need the primary band which is again CDMA which AT&T does NOT come with.

I'm just asking for explanation because the knowledge would help me, it's not that I don't trust you but I need facts.
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Offline yakov116

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Re: cell phone unlocking
« Reply #559 on: September 14, 2017, 11:33:31 AM »
Explain to me how it can a GSM band be activated on a CDMA band?
If you can't initially activate it on CDMA it will not work even on the added GSM band since you need the primary band which is again CDMA which AT&T does NOT come with.

I'm just asking for explanation because the knowledge would help me, it's not that I don't trust you but I need facts.

First of all all iphones for verizon since the Iphone 5 CANNOT be activated using CDMA. Actually any phone that can use LTE (a sim in verizons case) will only activate using LTE.
I don't know how many phones you have activated but i am over 500 by now.

That being said, there are standard bands that are used on LTE, if the iPhone (we not talking about android) was made specifically for at&t then it should work on some LTE bands of verizon. They will NOT work if there is only CDMA.
If it was bought directly from apple it should work on all networks (except for sprint) without any issues.

As I said before this whole game it just about over as ALL the new phones are made will all the band's. So they will be able to go from one to the next.

There are some older android phones that will do this too. For example the nexus phones.

Money talks...mine says goodbye!