Database Users

Nub question

Sorry if this is asked constantly, i tried searching and couldn't see any threads about it.
Basically what i'm wanting to know is if it's possible to unlock a phone that's still locked to a specific carrier (eg, optus or telstra if you're in australia). is this what CID unlocking is?
If so, then i guess i can grab a hermes / jasjam from ebay that's selling for less because it's carrier locked, unlock it, and use it with my current sim card?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

You're definately new with a question like that
Basically CID unlocking allows you to flash a ROM from any carrier and use it.
SIM unlocking allows you to use any SIM card with your existing (or any other) ROM.
If all you want to do is use a stock phone with any carrier I suggest you use POF's CID and SIM unlocker http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Hermes_SimUnlock.
If you want to get better ROMS you'll need to do a whole pile more reading, and before flashing anything else start with Olipro's Hard-SPL 2.10 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=296722 and Mrvanx's Upgrade Guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299462.
Other useful upgrade info can be found in this sticky http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=295751
mkerr said:
Sorry if this is asked constantly, i tried searching and couldn't see any threads about it.
Basically what i'm wanting to know is if it's possible to unlock a phone that's still locked to a specific carrier (eg, optus or telstra if you're in australia). is this what CID unlocking is?
If so, then i guess i can grab a hermes / jasjam from ebay that's selling for less because it's carrier locked, unlock it, and use it with my current sim card?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

so all i'd need to do, assuming i keep the stock rom, is to sim unlock it?

Yep, if you SIM unlock you can use the phone as supplied but with any carriers SIM card.
Oh yes, welcome to XDA-developers - I think if you read a bit more you will realise the benefits of the cooked ROMs here and later want to upgrade - it's highly addictive
mkerr said:
so all i'd need to do, assuming i keep the stock rom, is to sim unlock it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

One further bit of advice if buying one of these phones from ebay - ask the seller for a picture of the phone when switched on so you can check it has a radio signal - also get him to confirm that it doesn't display NO GSM on the bottom right when it is booting. The NO GSM indicates a brick which may or may not be fixable by the tools we have here.
mkerr said:
Sorry if this is asked constantly, i tried searching and couldn't see any threads about it.
Basically what i'm wanting to know is if it's possible to unlock a phone that's still locked to a specific carrier (eg, optus or telstra if you're in australia). is this what CID unlocking is?
If so, then i guess i can grab a hermes / jasjam from ebay that's selling for less because it's carrier locked, unlock it, and use it with my current sim card?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

cheers for the reply
at the moment i've got an imate k-jam, and have been reading up about cooked roms etc, but didn't realise exactly what the unlocking involved (except that it let you play with the roms).

Are all Polaris CID-locked?

Seeing how Bepe's WM6.1 ROM requires HardSPL, does this mean all Polaris are CID locked?
Are there any issues when upgrading (like IPL/SPL problems on G3 vs G4 Wizards) that I should be aware of?
Thinking about getting a Polaris but just want to see what I'm getting myself into first. I personally have a G3 Wizard so I never really had to worry as much about bricking my phone.
If not all Polaris are CID locked, is there a way to tell if it is on the spot?
Also have some general questions on purchasing in the General Polaris forum here (600 for a LNIB Polaris Too good to be true?)

Polaris is not CID locked, basically.
If you buy a Polaris marked by a carrier (like O2 or Telecom) that should be CID locked, but where's the problem again? We have CID unlocker!

wonderiuy said:
Polaris is not CID locked, basically.
If you buy a Polaris marked by a carrier (like O2 or Telecom) that should be CID locked, but where's the problem again? We have CID unlocker!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not true... Polaris is not SIM locked, basically.
But... all devices are CID-locked, until you use hard-SPL of course!

athanaso77 said:
This is not true... Polaris is not SIM locked, basically.
But... all devices are CID-locked, until you use hard-SPL of course!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few of us fortunate ones were able to get a pre-release Polaris which were not CID locked, but this was very limited quantities shipped to distributors for initial evaluations. The way to tell on the spot, as per your original questin is to invoke bootloader and read the SPL. Mine came with a MFG SPL, not a fixed version. It is highly unlikely that any unit bought from general retail woul be such a device, but that is how you would check it.

Excuse me mates, but he is asking about CID locked, not SIM locked.
CID = Carrier ID that means that if the phone is CID locked it is linked to a Carrier (ie Vodafone, Orange, etc etc) and you can use only that carrier's SIM
I bought my Polaris from Mediamarkt (they have tons of) and is NOT linked to any carrier (i can put whatever SIM form whatever carrier in it) so is CID unlocked.
We r saying the same things mates. I call CID what u call SIM.
Farewell

wonderiuy said:
Excuse me mates, but he is asking about CID locked, not SIM locked.
CID = Carrier ID that means that if the phone is CID locked it is linked to a Carrier (ie Vodafone, Orange, etc etc) and you can use only that carrier's SIM
I bought my Polaris from Mediamarkt (they have tons of) and is NOT linked to any carrier (i can put whatever SIM form whatever carrier in it) so is CID unlocked.
We r saying the same things mates. I call CID what u call SIM.
Farewell
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So basically, what's the difference between CID-Unlocker and Sim-Unlocker, because we have thoses 2 here?

Ther eis no difference, they r the same.
Really do we have a CID and a SIM unlocker?
I bet we have only 1

This is all utter bull****!
CID lock is completely different to a SIM lock. All devices coming from HTC are CID locked to prevent you from loading a non-genuine ROM onto the device. SIM lock has nothing to do with CID lock bud. My orbit 2 is CID but not SIM locked, it's not connected. But there are Polaris out there (no orbits/dopods but Touch Cruises) which are sold branded and SIM locked and of course, CID locked.
SIM is NOT the same as CID. It never was and will never be.
dau_xu said:
So basically, what's the difference between CID-Unlocker and Sim-Unlocker, because we have thoses 2 here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are devices which dont feature a SIM lock, they work with all SIMs out there on all networks. But they all are CID locked. Those devices can be unlocked to eat custom ROMs using the HardSPL. The HardSPL skips the check the original loader does when you try to load a ROM onto the device.
But there are devices which are supposed to be locked to the carrier you bought it from. Very much like the American iPhone: it's (well, it should be ) tied to AT&T and doesnt eat custom SIM cards. For that case Olipro created the second unlocker available, is a combined solution. Its the HardSPL (letting you flash a custom ROM) with a SIM-unlocker (which will let you use any SIM) strapped on top. Since I have a CID locked only device, I didnt look into the unlocker that deeply, but I don't even know if it features the function to leave the SPL alone and only SIM-unlock your device... But, to be brutally honest, who around xda-dev is interested in that

schaggo said:
This is all utter bull****!
CID lock is completely different to a SIM lock. ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate...
I was a minute ahead to post the link to the explanations in the WIKI for wonderjuy (sorry, don't take it personal)

Oh no, my post wasnt meant in any offending way. But I'm quite sorry, its kind of hard to nicely explain it after so many very determined wrong statements of wonderjuy. But yeah, don't take it personal and the correct information can be found in the WIKI.

Seems that I used wrong words - so please:
Accept my apologize if I offended somebody!

wonderiuy said:
Ther eis no difference, they r the same.
Really do we have a CID and a SIM unlocker?
I bet we have only 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't bet because you will lose. Sorry... but you have messed things up and you are completely wrong!!!

YEs, sry all...there's always room for knowledge

Not a problem at all buddy, thats right. Theres always room for knowledge and thats in fact why we all gathered here at xda-developers.com

Complete Noob Guide To The Wizard

Okay folks, this here guide is to alleviate some of the aggravation that us senior members and mods have every day with n00bs not wanting to search and read in order to find answers to stuff. So I am gonna make it really easy for ya'll. I am going to provide links and information to the top questions and concerns that noobs have here at XDA-Devs.
And before I start, yes, I know that this is a futile attempt at gettin some order around here, but it makes me feel better, so there!
Also, yes, I know that this is in the Wiki, but no one reads that either...so thats another reason why I am making this.
DISCLAIMER!!!-Neither I, nor XDA-Developers, nor any of the authors or programmers of any the programs contained herein shall be held accountable or responsible for damage done to you, you Wizard, your wife/husband, dog/cat/bird/gerbil etc because of the mis-use or dumbassary that YOU ALONE cause. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Mods/other members, PLEASE correct me or add to this as you see fit!
Ahem, now onto the guide!
QUESTION 1-How do I tell what type of Wizard I have?
ANSWER=Whether your device is called an O2 XDA, T-Mobile MDA, Qtek 9100 etc, you have an HTC model name Wizard mobile telephone device. There are however 2 versions of said device. They are called G3 and G4 devices, and their differences are as follows:
G3=The G3 type Wizard was the original type available. It can be both SIM and CID unlocked, and most any ROM can be applied to it. You can both CID and SIM unlock a G3 model with the Wizard Service Tool, available from here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=329170 . READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO BOTH SIM AND CID UNLOCK YOUR WIZARD! More detail on ROM upgrades is below.
G4=The G4 type Wizard was introduced some time after the original G3 model came out. It can be SIM unlocked for free, but not CID. It features a different bootloader(a little program that loads Windows) type, that we currently cannot unlock. You can however get a G4 CID unlock by visiting http://www.imei-check.eu, and by paying them 25 or so USD. Most any ROM can be applied to a G4 Wizard by what is called "HardSPL'ing it". HardSPL is a specially made SPL by Olipro that fakes the HTC Rom Upgrade Tool(RUU) into thinking that the Wizard has no CID lock placed on it, when in reality it does. If you go the IMEI check route, you do not need to HardSPL your device. HardSPL can be downloaded from this thread:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=332320 . READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!! You can SIM unlock your G4 Wizard by using either the Wizard Service Tool(WST) or by using Lokiwiz 0.3, available from here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=265928 . MORE INFO ON ROM UPGRADING BELOW.
QUESTION 2-Okay, so what does SIM and CID mean anyways?
ANSWER=SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module(most of the time, some people have different definitions), and its the little piece of plastic that you put into your Wizard under the battery that lets you make phone calls, use the internet etc. You get one when you sign up for GSM phone service from a company. If your current phone DOES NOT use SIM cards, then you are on a CDMA network(in the US they are Sprint, Alltel, Verizon and others) and the Wizard WILL NOT work with your cellular service. Whenever you buy a GSM phone, it is usually "locked" to a specific carrier, meaning that you cannot put a different carriers SIM card into the handset and makes calls with it. SIM unlocking means taking away this lock, and enabling you to use a SIM card from any GSM provider to make calls etc.
CID stand for Carrier Identification. Basically it is a little file contained within the bootloader of the phone that says what carrier the phones ROM, or OS is signed to. For example, a CID locked T-Mobile MDA can only be upgraded with an official T-Mobile ROM upgrade package. Trying to use an un-official one, or one from another carrier will result in an error message, and a failed upgrade. CID unlocking, or for G4 devices, HardSPL'ing simply re-writes this file to read that the device is not signed to ANY carrier, and that it may accept any and all ROM upgrades, regardless of who they come from. Carriers do this to protect liscensing agreements that they may have with software providers, since most carrier ROMs contain a bunch of bloatware and un-neccesary software out of the box, and if you use a different carriers ROM, than that carrier is not making the money they should. Also, different carrier ROMs have different settings for things like voicemail numbers, and internet connections.
QUESTION 3-Okay, thats all well and good, now, how do I tell what kind of device I have? Is mine a G3 or G4?
ANSWER=The best way is to use the Wizard Service Tool(WST) and have it check your bootloaders. There is an option to do this on the main WST window. Follow the instructions within the WST thread to find out how to do this. Alternitavely, you can check your device version by looking at your bootloader versions. You can see them by turning your phone off, then turning it back on. After the initial HTC or carrier brand screen, you will see a screen with red writing in the upper left hand corner. Check your IPL/SPL against these here:
If your IPL/SPL is this format:2.26.00x, where (x) can be any number, than you have a G3 Wizard.
If your IPL/SPL is this format:2.26.000x, where (x) can be any number, than you have a G4 Wizard.
After you find out which Wizard version you have, simply follow the CID or HardSPL guide, whichever one may apply to you and BAM, CID unlocked Wizard.
QUESTION 4-Okay, I have my Wizard CID unlocked, now, which ROM is the best?
ANSWER=There is no ROM that is "the" best, only the one that is the best for you. I have written a thread the gives some information about most of the newer ROMs that can be found on the Wiki here:http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Wizard_Compatible_ROMS . It needs to be updated, but most of the big ones are there. My suggestion is to flash to one and try it out. If it doesnt work for ya, then flash to a different one and try it out instead.
END OF DOCUMENT AS OF 11:00PM EST 12/16/2008, MORE TO FOLLOW IN THE COMING DAYS!

Using my Artemis in the USA?

Hey guys, please excuse my noobness, I have read thoroughly but I am still confused!
I have an O2 Orbit (ie Artemis) and I am going to the USA soon.
I've become a bit confused as to what I need to do to my Artemis to get it working with a prepay sim in the states.
I've seen the posts about cid unlocking, but I'm not sure if that's the same as a sim unlock, and I don't want to brick my phone!
I'm not too bothered about cooked roms etc, I have updated to WM6 and I'm reasonably happy with it, I just want to be able to use my phone in the USA.
Would someone be kind enough to take the time to explain what I need to do?
Thanks

I forgot to add, I tried this tutorial to perform a sim unlock:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=400445
but unfortunately the 'artemis sim unlock' download link is broken

I think it should already work in the US. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that only phones bought in the US from a provider are SIM-locked. CID unlocking is only used to help you flash your phone to a different ROM, which, as you already mentioned, you are not interested in doing.

I see, so CID unlocking is nothing to do with what I want, I simply need a SIM unlock, assuming my phone is SIM locked.
SIM locking is normal practice for UK service providers, so I assume it is locked.
Is there any way I can tell if my phone is SIM locked, or do I have to test it by putting a SIM card from a different provider in it?

HTC Magic SIM Lock Doubt [I don't want unlock code]

Hi,
Although I have a HTC Dream, unlocked, I'm considering to buy a Magic since it has more RAM (Vodafone/TMN Portugal sells 32A Boards).
My question is, isn't rooting enough to remove the Sim Lock?
I mean, we flash new SPL, new recovery, and new ROM. How and where is the SIM Lock status retained?
Isn't it overwritten by the flash process? Does the operator checks in real time the IMEI against their allowed IMEI database?
Thanks for the patience.
Best regards,
Anthon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have found a nice thread in the Hero section that explains, sort of, my questions in detail:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=559806
Thanks

I believe that rooting, does nothing to the SIM code. You have to get the unlock code from your current carrier, in order to use another carrier's SIM card. But, once it's unlocked, it will stay unlocked. (unlike the iPhone) I got my unlock code by calling the carrier, and they emailed it to me. It keeps the resale value up