Database Users

goodbye sidekick 3, hello MDA!

hey everyone.. just signed up and wanted to say hi.
i just ordered my new MDA, and should be here in a few days! ive had the SK3 for a month after upgrading from the SK2, and its just not what it used to be. Im looking for something with way more functionality other than being cool. Not to mention a more mature phone.
anyway, i just wanted to see if you guys could help me. seeing as how i dont have the phone yet, i wanted to read as much as i can about hacking it up. im aware that the stock phone (USA Tmobile MDA) rom isnt very well, so i need some pointers on where to start...
ive tried searching already, but theres only so many "newbie" threads i can sift through... basically can someone point me into the right direction of everything i need to get started? it would be most appreciated! Wink i guess which rom, how to update, which apps, where to go... lol, basically everything!
ill obvisouly be reading until the day the phone comes (and charged for 12 hours) so i should be more knowledgeable by the time the phone arrives.. but i really appreiciate any help!
thanks!

banky said:
im aware that the stock phone (USA Tmobile MDA) rom isnt very well, so i need some pointers on where to start...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing to check is that your MDA has the latest ROM (2.26) - intalling this solved a lot of my problems. I have no other "hacks" on the MDA and am now happy with its performance.

I would definitly start by SIM and CID unlocking the phone with lokiwiz (free and available on this forum) if it has a 1.X and not a 2.x rom (if the comm manager screen has 4 icons not 6...), because once this is done it is permanent, and once you upgrade it is MUCH harder to do.. if you need specific directions let me know.
I would then upgrade to the T-Mo 2.26 rom as suggested above, I am using it now and I really like it.
I personally use Registry Wizard to tweak the wizard, at least for the basics... Some good tweaks to start with are disabeling the go online and unsigned program warnings, enable 802.11g, Enable Indicator (lets you know when CAPS and symbol are on), Different GPRS/EDGE icon, and personally I always enable the IE 4-way nav, engineering mode (type string *#*#364#*#* into phone and hit send to show cool technical info...) I also set GPRS always on... (probably not a good idea unless you have unlimited data, like I do... (if not you also may elect not to disable the go-online warning, so you know when its doing stuff...))
Agile messenger is a good program, total commander is more or less essential, and I have recently been using a program called Hubdog ( I think it can do more than I do with it, but I just use it as an rss reader...) All are free. Novii remote also works well (however with limeted 2-3 meter range) but is not free...
If you want any more info on programs I use, where to get them, ect..., or any other tweaks please just let me know.

i appreciate the help!
ill definitely be coming to you for questions
when you first got your phone, did you charge it for the whole 12 hours before using it?

Starcruiser1229 said:
I would definitly start by SIM and CID unlocking the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I upgraded to a custom 2.24 ROm without SIM unlocking. If I want to SIM unlock now should I downgrade to 1.8, SIM unlock, then upgrade to whatever ROM I want (probably xelecin's custom 2.26 when it's out). I don't really care about the SIM lock since I'm in a contract with Tmo, I'm not changing any time soon. I just don't want to have problems if I upgrade the ROM later on.
Sorry not trying to hijack...I swear

bittermormon said:
Starcruiser1229 said:
I would definitly start by SIM and CID unlocking the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I upgraded to a custom 2.24 ROm without SIM unlocking. If I want to SIM unlock now should I downgrade to 1.8, SIM unlock, then upgrade to whatever ROM I want (probably xelecin's custom 2.26 when it's out). I don't really care about the SIM lock since I'm in a contract with Tmo, I'm not changing any time soon. I just don't want to have problems if I upgrade the ROM later on.
Sorry not trying to hijack...I swear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no problem
so, did everyone here charge their phone for the full 12 hours before using their phones?

also, another question, on the sidekick there was an app called "money clip" where it allowed me to keep track of different accounts such as my checking, savings, and credit cards... are there any apps like that available for the MDA?
i tired to use exel right now to see if i can just do it the ghetto way, but its not really letting me.. ;x

hey good job man (i donno about money clip) about returning the sidekick 3 for the MDA. i did that too. and i upgraded from a sidekick 2 too.
i can tell you the MDA is at least 9 times better (random number?)... but the only thing i haven't gotten to work is setting up outlook email... hopefully you have better luck. (but it is because the free yahoo doesn't support it).

hmmm, i charged phone for maybe two hours out of the box, did the cid unlock and sim unlock, and have been flashing the rom ever since (remember to thank all the folks here who cook up all these lovely roms)

zetajunkie said:
hmmm, i charged phone for maybe two hours out of the box, did the cid unlock and sim unlock, and have been flashing the rom ever since (remember to thank all the folks here who cook up all these lovely roms)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha.. cool, so i dont need to do a full charge on the it?
where can i find the instructions on how to flash the ROM? and also, which ROM is recommeneded?

I'm a newb waiting for my MDA too. I dont see why one should SIM unlock if he/she already has the MDA (US). Can't I just upgrade to the 2.26? Or are there some feautures that I would be noticably be missing?

Starcruiser1229 said:
I would definitly start by SIM and CID unlocking the phone with lokiwiz (free and available on this forum) if it has a 1.X and not a 2.x rom (if the comm manager screen has 4 icons not 6...), because once this is done it is permanent, and once you upgrade it is MUCH harder to do.. if you need specific directions let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of lokiwiz would you recommend using? I noticed there are two different threads, one for 0.2 and one for 0.3. Do they do the same thing? The steps for 0.3 seem to require a second SIM, is that true? Thanks.

Ok, first, the reason to SIM unlock is because then you can swap to a different providers SIM later on, for instance if you dump T-mo or you travel to Europe or something. For me, it simply seems like a good idea to do it now, because then I know I have it if I need it.
CID unlock is for using other providers ROMS. You can just upgrade to the 2.26, but then what happens when you decide you want to upgrade to the cingular 3.xx b/c of some amazing feature... Once you are in a 2.x rom it becomes much harder to do this. It is sooooo simple, why not just do it now? again, your phone, yor decision, and I think flashing an unofficial rom will void the warranty if they can prove it (personally I don't care, some do)
As far as Lokiwiz, I used Lokiwiz 02b, downloaded from this forum. The newer version, .03, is only needed if you have already upgraded to a 2.x ROM.
As far as SIM unlocking after upgrading, I do not know if it is possible to downgrade from a 2.x to a 1.x, especially if you haven't CID unlocked already... I think you may be stuck using the .03 2 sim card method (this is required as the phone dosen't know it needs to prompt for unlock code untill you enter a 'banned (ie from another provider)' sim... get a cheep prepay (NOT T-mo prepay if you have T-mo) from the local drug store/Walmart... This may be easier than downgrading and then upgrading anyway, and since ( I am assuming) you have already CID unlocked, I do not think you will have any problems...
.02 does not need the second sim as it changes the setting directly by accessing some part of the memory on the device, which cannot, apparently be done in the new roms...
O. Brown... SIM, as I mentioned above, is different from CID. You are thinking of CID. I would do it simply b/c you cannot do it later, yet once done it is permanent...
Bittermormon, same idea...
As far as chargeing, I am notorios for taking it out of the box and hitttng the power. If it turns on, well then why should I charge it...? Plus, you can turn it on plugged in, so if you are worried, plug it into the wall and then start playing... but I don't want to promise this won't have some negative effect, do what you feel safe with, all I am saying is what worked for me...
As far as financial software goes, I checked out the PocketPcMag Nominations for best software 2006, in the financial category... Cash Organizer '05 Premium, Pocket Quicken, PocketMoney, Spb Finance, Stock Manager... I have not used any of theese. I do not know if they are what you want... I do not know how much they cost, but it is a place to start at least.
As far as pocket outlook, no problems here, except with gmail pop access, which always seemed kinda... messed up... to me... So, I did something even better... I setup a free exchange account with mail2web.com (I think they call it mail2web live or something...) and my gmail forwards a copy of all incoming mail to the exchange mail address... THis allows me to use PUSH email for my gmail acct (which is my main acct.) If you have a corporate exchange, you can use that instead. The only "Problem" with this is that deleting messages on the phone does not delete them in gmail... I personally like this as I cna then use gmail on my pc to its fullest to label, archive, ect... On the ppc I delete all of the newsletters ect... and only really read personal mail or important stuff. This lets me keep my phone inbok clear, and I can still read all of the other stuff later on the desktop... Or you can always just switch to using the exchange email address as your main...
And as far as the best ROM, well, that is as much opinion as anything else... I am running the T-mo 2.26 with the extended rom installed... I have noit seen any cooked versions of this yet, although I believe someone on the HOFO is working on one... I gotta say, I like this rom. I have a few small glitches, but I think that it is installed software, not the ROM...
A few other tips... I recently discovered microsoft voice command, and I am enjoying it very much... First of all, no setting voice tags, and secondly, for me, I could never remember exactly what the voice tag was for someone, especially when I had one for the house and cell... Now I can just say ther full name ie, Call John Doe on Mobile, and the phone does it... as with any other software, your mileage may vary... PM me if you want me to email the cab...
Also, buying a large miniSD is a great idea, I have a Sandisk 1gb and I love it. Watch out for 2gb cards, a small minority may be valid, most are fakes, and all are probably lower quality...
Any other questions, feel free to ask, or even PM me (especially if I do not seem to be responding fast enough....)
And Uh, SORRY about the length... just trying to answer everythng...

Sim lock

Hello guys,
Does anyone know if the turbo sim will bypass the sim lock on the htc tattoo?

if you have it try it and tell us, but if you don't i would recommend you to unlock it via imei preferable.

Flashing Won't remove CID lock
Hi
I have tried several methods on here to change from my UK Orange branded Tattoo.
I purchased an unlock code, but this was just based on the IMEI from HTC & didn't allow me to use any other sim.
Orange have really butchered the software to stop you using a different network.
I have managed to remove the Orange branding & got back the standard HTC apps.
However the Orange CID (customer ID) still remains & prevents any other sim being used. Even with the HTC software the APN is still greyed out.
Eventually I bought an I-sim2008, a few websites have them but I chose ebay.
With this underneath my sim it bypasses the CID check & allows me to use a different sim card.
Many people have claimed to use the phone with a different sim, but this is the only method I have found to work, I have spent about a week non-stop flashing, I now believe the only way to remove the CID would be on a rooted device with a custom ROM image.
Hope this helps a bit?
Up to now there is no development on the root or rom side, either not many people have the Tattoo or they dont' think it's worth while doing.....
Lets keep our fingers crossed.....

yash08 said:
Hello guys,
Does anyone know if the turbo sim will bypass the sim lock on the htc tattoo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What network is it on?
Codes for Orange UK have been a problem. The codes are correct but you need to flash the right rom.
The Italian locked Tattoo's don't have any problem with regard to unlocking.

jusumgeezer said:
Hi
I have tried several methods on here to change from my UK Orange branded Tattoo.
I purchased an unlock code, but this was just based on the IMEI from HTC & didn't allow me to use any other sim.
Orange have really butchered the software to stop you using a different network.
I have managed to remove the Orange branding & got back the standard HTC apps.
However the Orange CID (customer ID) still remains & prevents any other sim being used. Even with the HTC software the APN is still greyed out.
Eventually I bought an I-sim2008, a few websites have them but I chose ebay.
With this underneath my sim it bypasses the CID check & allows me to use a different sim card.
Many people have claimed to use the phone with a different sim, but this is the only method I have found to work, I have spent about a week non-stop flashing, I now believe the only way to remove the CID would be on a rooted device with a custom ROM image.
Hope this helps a bit?
Up to now there is no development on the root or rom side, either not many people have the Tattoo or they dont' think it's worth while doing.....
Lets keep our fingers crossed.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up dude. Have you tried to enter the code after flashing the rom?still no good?Well, Ive seen a good place on the web where I can get a I-smartsim 2008 and its much cheaper than buying the code.
ferraripassion said:
What network is it on?
Codes for Orange UK have been a problem. The codes are correct but you need to flash the right rom.
The Italian locked Tattoo's don't have any problem with regard to unlocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So ferraripassion you assure me that if I flash the ROM, the code will work?
Ive been in touch with htccode and their prices are really good (compared to others on the web) but problem is that they do not have a money back policy in case the code doesnt work. From the various reviews Ive read here and there, I dnt think I should invest in something that might not work when I have the I-smartsim.
On the other hand there is unlock-now, their prices are a bit higher but they assure me a money back in case that their code does not work on my mobile. I think Ill give it a shot. I have nothing to lose, if it works Ill be very happy if it doesnt ill have my money back
Well, thank for your comments guys. Have a merry christmas 2009 and a happy new year 2010
Cheers

yash08 said:
Thanks for the heads up dude. Have you tried to enter the code after flashing the rom?still no good?Well, Ive seen a good place on the web where I can get a I-smartsim 2008 and its much cheaper than buying the code.
So ferraripassion you assure me that if I flash the ROM, the code will work?
Ive been in touch with htccode and their prices are really good (compared to others on the web) but problem is that they do not have a money back policy in case the code doesnt work. From the various reviews Ive read here and there, I dnt think I should invest in something that might not work when I have the I-smartsim.
On the other hand there is unlock-now, their prices are a bit higher but they assure me a money back in case that their code does not work on my mobile. I think Ill give it a shot. I have nothing to lose, if it works Ill be very happy if it doesnt ill have my money back
Well, thank for your comments guys. Have a merry christmas 2009 and a happy new year 2010
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It worked for me, bought the code in htccode.com, flashed my device and everything ok.

MiSSigNNo when you enter HBOOt, do you have an option <simlock>?

ferraripassion said:
What network is it on?
Codes for Orange UK have been a problem. The codes are correct but you need to flash the right rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What would the correct ROM be for one on Orange UK?
I have used the RUU Click HTC WWE 1.67.405.6 WWE release signed NoDriver.rar from their website & am still having problems getting any other sim card to work.
As mentioned in my last post, I have been trying for about a week to get it working.
@yash08: I have this option, but when I tried to use it I got an error about files missing of the mem card?

@jusumgeezer: Am no expert, really and I might be completely wrong on this, but from what ive understood is that tattoo's not from orange uk dont have this <simlock> option, and orange uk does. Might this be why we cant use an imei generated code? Must we unlock this some other way?
By the way, I flashed and bought the code and it does not work neither!

Same as me then, got rid of the orange branded rubbish & got all the HTC stuff back, but still need the i-sim2008 to use another sim card. Otherwise it just gets stuck on the "unlocking Sim Card" screen or the APN is greyed out.

Well on my side I am very satisfied with unlock-now.com service. As soon as I supplied a video proving that the code didnt work, I got a refund without any hassle. Was like a knife in butter . They are very professional, I recommend their service to anyone.
Now I am just waiting for the I-SmartSim 2008 to be delivered. If this can be of any help to anyone, I bought it from here: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12167.

Hey guys are there any developments on unlocking Tattoo from Orange UK, it's been more than a week that i got the phone and i still can't use it, it's driving me crazy.

Nobody knows what should flash ROM code to take HTC Tattoo Orange UK?

The only solution is as per the link above, that is how I got my Orange phone to work. It is the only known solution to date even though it is just a workaround and far cheaper than an unlock code.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5229016&postcount=11

Code I have already paid. And the phone for sale, it will be difficult to explain why the client needs turbosim.

Hello
Could You tell me please which ROM should i use to unlock this handset? I've got the code...
I've tried:
r2-mcr-tattoo-withadditions-signed.zip
Says "network unlock success" but still not working
and this one:
fyodor-TattooROM_v0.5.3.1.zip
Says "network unlock success" but after this freezed on "Unlocking SIM card" for around 20 mins and I'm still waiting...
Any advices?
Thank You

hi guys,
i just want to know if the i-smartsim is the only thing needed to unlock the device or will i have to buy an unlock code as well?
If i choose this phone, it will be locked on Orange Fr network.
Thanks for your help.

Well the ismartsim is no more needed. If you get the last ROM update from Orange, you will be able to remove the simlock with a imei based code.
And to answer your question, no you dont need to buy a code if you use the ismartsim but as I said you can unblock your phone with the code now.

Ok, thank you.
I've order both the phone and the ismartsim (just in case )

Tmobile Rom upgrade?

Hey guys!
I have got my hands on a nice HD2 and i would like to use the new rom upgrade... is this possible? i have taken out a tmobile contract, just to get the phone, I have unlocked it and now im on a vodafone simcard. Am i able to upgrade the phone via HTC website? as i put my serial number in and it says i cannot do it. Im not too fussed about the warrenty as i got the insurance for it etc... any help would be great as the SMS bug is really starting to cheese me off :O
Thanks!

iceghost1210 said:
Hey guys!
I have got my hands on a nice HD2 and i would like to use the new rom upgrade... is this possible? i have taken out a tmobile contract, just to get the phone, I have unlocked it and now im on a vodafone simcard. Am i able to upgrade the phone via HTC website? as i put my serial number in and it says i cannot do it. Im not too fussed about the warrenty as i got the insurance for it etc... any help would be great as the SMS bug is really starting to cheese me off :O
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ROM upgrade is for unbranded devices, which has nothing to do with the SIM lock. You can get an unbranded device serial number from this thread...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=621752
It's a big thread, but it's there somewhere!
I believe you'll also need HSPL, which is in the ROM forum. That allows you to flash the ROM onto your device. If this is new to you, I suggest a good read through the stickied threads in the ROM forum first.
Hope this helps

Fast reply
Well if i do upgrade, what will i loose out and gain via tmobile? would it essentially be like a unbranded phone then? because i cant see tmobile doing anything in a long time... and would i have sim card issues? (as in unlock)

iceghost1210 said:
Fast reply
Well if i do upgrade, what will i loose out and gain via tmobile? would it essentially be like a unbranded phone then? because i cant see tmobile doing anything in a long time... and would i have sim card issues? (as in unlock)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once the SIM is unlocked, it's unlocked. No ROM flash will change that, so you can basically forget about that now.
As far as what you may lose from flashing an unbranded ROM, I'm not a T-Mobile user so I'm not sure about the changes they made to the installed software, but I believe they got rid of the youtube player. This can be reinstalled via a cab file, but this then messes up other video players on the device. I've not had anything to do with it, but it sounded messy.
With the ROMs from the HTC site you'll end up with a completely unbranded device, so you shouldn't have any of that faffing I just mentioned.
I'm afraid I don't know any further the extent of TMO changes as that's all I've seen mentioned. Rest assured, you're probably a lot better off with the official HTC ROM.

Brilliant, i shall give it a go, it does not seem that hard to be honest, plug in the cable and let it go right? Is there a way to back up my current rom or data on the device? etc...
Thanks a lot for help so far

iceghost1210 said:
Brilliant, i shall give it a go, it does not seem that hard to be honest, plug in the cable and let it go right? Is there a way to back up my current rom or data on the device? etc...
Thanks a lot for help so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries man - glad to help.
For backups, there's a lot of different things out there that will back up varying degress of information from your device, but not the ROM. If you ever need to go back to the ROM you've currently got then it's probably listed in one of the stickied threads at the top of the ROM forum.
Personally, I use Microsoft MyPhone. It uses your data/wifi connection to backup contacts, calendar, tasks, text messages, browser faves, photos, videos, music and documents, all off the device memory, with an option to backup the same off the storage card. (Yes, I did copy that list off the application - I'm not sad enough to know that by heart )
That's just my recommendation though. It doesn't backup registry and applications, but I just reinstall stuff after a flash anyway.
Hope this helps mate

I have been looking at doing this. I want to stick the new ROM on released a few days ago, and get myself a nice unbranded HD2. However, what will I have to do in terms of getting the internet and stuff working. Is it likely to be an issue?
So glad I found this thread by the way, I don't like the idea of waiting for t-mobile to pull their thumbs out of their arses.

quantumandy said:
I have been looking at doing this. I want to stick the new ROM on released a few days ago, and get myself a nice unbranded HD2. However, what will I have to do in terms of getting the internet and stuff working. Is it likely to be an issue?
So glad I found this thread by the way, I don't like the idea of waiting for t-mobile to pull their thumbs out of their arses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your connection settings are on the SIM chip, so you've got no worries there. When you've flashed the new ROM it will go through the setup process that you went through when you first got the phone. You select your provider and it does the rest.

Upgraded. Works perfectly, and I am not sure if it is psychosomatic, but it does seem more responsive. Very nice, and very easy. HSPL was surprisingly easy.

quantumandy said:
Upgraded. Works perfectly, and I am not sure if it is psychosomatic, but it does seem more responsive. Very nice, and very easy. HSPL was surprisingly easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's not hard is it. And I totally agree that 1.66 seems faster and smoother than previous ROMs, but I too have wondered whether it was my imagination or not.
Who cares - it's better

Unable to run Network Profile

Hi Guys
I've recently received by omnia 7 back from an authorised samsung repair centre. During the repair they replaced the mainboard.
Previously I could run network profile without any issues. The original phone was purchased outright from allphones (branded optus).
Since getting the phone back though I can get network profile to work. It simply loads the 'clock' loading screen, and then returns to the app list. I've tried resetting, hard reseting, upgrading to mango beta, rtm, and back down to nodo. No luck. Currently running offical mango which was pushed out to my phone through zune (using the force trick)
Any ideas why network profile isn't working anymore? I've called the repair center who don't know anything. The phone isn't locked as such as I can connect to make phone called and use 3g.
It's really pissing me off! I want to use MMS!! Could it be a rom issue?

If you're Chevron unlocked, you could try the ADC present in Samsung Tools or Advanced Configuration Tool

Thanks Lumic
I'm not chevron - is it difficult to unlock the Mango build? I understand you need to unlock at the earlier version and then upgrade. Do you know a good site for tutorials for 1) getting the unlock 2) modifying the MMS settings. I might give it a go.
For other readers - I'm reluctant to stuff around with the phone anymore - its how it ended up back at the repair centre in the first place so I would prefer to try another option if anyone knows one.

Alrite, I'm not sure if anyone else knows a non-unlocked way. I Chevron unlocked before NoDo (I don't think it's possible on NoDo / Mango) and carried it across to RTM. If someone has a better option, you should go with their.
If you're actually interested in going back to pre-NoDo and losing all your settings, I'd be happy to walk you through the flash and unlock. There are also tools that force the ADC (Auto Data Config) to run, which solved my MMS problems.

No problems with wiping the phone. I've done it about 4 times in the past two weeks. Everything is stored in clouds anyway.
Thanks very much for the offer to walk through it - I'd certainly be interested in it. Will I be able to install the official Mango update for zune using the force trick though? I've had some problems with skydrive using RTM.

Oh just a quick note that I have a developer account and therefore legitimately can unlock my handset for developer use. Does that make it easier to perform the required actions?

Quick note guys - I was able to fix the issue by following this thread here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1271963&highlight=unlock
I've got developer unlock so I just used that and then followed the above and ran the Advance Config Tool as suggested there and MMS works perfectly again.

Few questions regarding changing firmware and unlocking

Hi I've just bought an omnia 7 which is uk t-mobile branded and sim locked. I would like to debrand it and unlock it so I can put my own sim in. I've done a bit of searching and found a page with all the firmwares on. Am I right in thinking that I need to install the XXJL3 uk retail rom to become unbranded? Would I then need to update to mango through zune?
Also I would like to unlock it. Is the best way through imei unlock? I've seen a few people selling this through ebay and at £8 seems a good deal
Cheers

Hi Rob77,
My Omnia is/was a T-Mobile branded phone when I got it last October.
I used these guys to get it unlocked, http://www.unlocksamsung.co.uk/
It took less than a hour.
The XXJL3 Retail ROM is also the one I used and Yes Zune will give you the rest of the updates.
Two things to bear in mind before you start.
1. If you want to (DEV) unlock your Omnia (i.e. Sideload Apps)
Then unlock it straight after you change the ROM. As there isn't a way to do it from Mango (yet )
2. You won't be able to use MMS on GiffGaff.
Theres no way to set the MMS settings on WP7 and GiffGaff have O2 Pre-Pay setting on there sims, so the phone reads and sets the wrong info.

Thanks ZaForD for the excellent advice. I don't get the phone till tomorrow but ill use that rom you mentioned and debrand it that way.
Its a bit of a shame about the mms issue with giffgaff, I wasn't aware of that. I generally send pictures through email now anyway so isn't really a deal breaker for me.
I looked on that network unlocking site you mentioned and see they charge 15 quid. But if they can do it and fast I dont mind paying the extra.
For the chevron unlock you mention does it stay unlocked with any future firmware upgrades that may come?
Thanks again
Rob
Edit to say, have you tried this solution to the mms issue:
http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Help-Ask-the-community-got-stuck/MMS-does-not-work-with-WP7-LG-E900/td-p/1520327?device-view=desktop
The last poster claims to have got it working
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Hi Rob77,
WP7 phones were only just released when I got mine unlocked and that was one of only three sites I found that could unlock the Omnia. It was also the cheapest, but things have clearly changed now
Each major update seems to brake the Chevron unlock.
I don't use it myself, so i'm not the best person to advise you on this.
I was just trying to save you some hassle if you wanted to go down that route.
The MMS its that big a deal for me either, but every now and then I look for a solution and have yet to find one.
That thread is for an LG phone, Samsungs don't have an MFG (manufactoring) menu. They have a Diag (diagnosis) menu.
The setting mentioned dose nothing on the Omnia
The only WP7 phones that have a fix AFAIK are the HTC's, they have a 'Network Connection' App that has the GiffGaff settings.
The 'Network Profile' App for Samsungs dosen't have any GiffGaff settings.
Samsung say GiffGaff haven't provided any, GiffGaff have yet to answer my email's/agent msg's. But its only been around 8 months, they maybe busy.

Thanks again for the great advice ZaForD
Its a bit of a shame about the giffgaff MMS issue but hopefully in the future they may finally get round to fixing it amongst themselves. I cant recall receiving an MMS in the last 6 months anyway so its no biggi really.
I probably wont Chevron unlock mine either. Is it just for installing 3rd party apps that are not available through the marketplace? I've not really needed to on my android so doubt I will on WP7

Hi ZaForD I came across this http://www.nextbestgeek.com/2010/12/12/samsung-no-mms-read-on/ and thought it might be of some interest. Apparently it works but I'm unable to test it at the moment as I still haven't received my phone (damn ebayer). When mine arrives I'm going to chevron unlock it and try it out but I'm unsure whether pay chevron labs or go with the free unlock that is on this forum.

sim lock
i dont thnk while changing rom thr s any sim lock ............to dev unlock http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1335452 here u can c cpmplete guide to dev unlock

Hey Rob
I had a look at the link, I don't think it'll be any help.
There doesn't appear to be anywhere to add any new settings.
Which implys the App gets the MMS settings from either:
The 'Sim Card' which in our case are O2 pre-paid settings not Giffgaff.
And which is the same as 'Resetting' the phone.
Or it pulls the info from the 'Network' which would be the same as 'txt 2020' for settings.
That also doesn't work for WP7 and from what i've read on the giffgaff forums, doesn't work for Android, Apple or Blackberry phones either.

Thats a shame. Thanks for taking a look, hopefully in the future we will get a fix