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Can the Telus HTC Hero be unlocked, without having any telus sim or being activated on telus in any way at all? I'm on Bell but want an android device. Was thinking of buying it, unlocking it, and throwing in a Bell sim.
unlock?
I am looking for the same answer, it should be able to get unlocked question is has anyone don it yet.
Unlocked and android 2
Better yet lets see it unlocked and android 2 installed!
There is a guy on eBay selling unlock code for the Telus Hero (try searching "telus hero"). If you are willing to shell out 25 bucks, you may want to try that. He said that he would refund you if his code didn't work.
Telus does not lock the phone, that's what the CSR told me. Pretty much u can put in any sim card to make it work.
ericlin0122 said:
Telus does not lock the phone, that's what the CSR told me. Pretty much u can put in any sim card to make it work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really good news for us AT&T guys!!! I just need to buy one now, from what I hear Telus will not ship to the USA.
So far, actually buying one is the biggest issue. There's been discussion both here at XDA:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=580418
and on some other forums, such as:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1585687
About buying it. Apparently both Best Buy and Walmart in Canada have them, but only sell them in the store and won't ship them. (Best Buy's is on their website, but Walmart's doesn't seem to be).
I'm an AT&T subscriber that's been keeping an eye out for a way to buy a Telus HTC Hero. If I lived close to Canada, I'd drive up and get one, but I live in Georgia, so it's a bit far. I hope somebody finds a place online or something.
I'd be careful about believing the Telus CSR info that the phone is unlocked. Somebody posted on Boy Genius Report that they bought one and the phone IS locked.
See user "k386" comment here:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/31/telus-to-offer-gsm-htc-hero/
I just bought a Telus Hero from Best Buy today, and I can tell you that the phones are LOCKED. Bought a code off a website and unlocked it, it is now usable on Rogers, but I'm with bell, so I will have to get a Bell Sim tomorrow.
eviltuna said:
I just bought a Telus Hero from Best Buy today, and I can tell you that the phones are LOCKED. Bought a code off a website and unlocked it, it is now usable on Rogers, but I'm with bell, so I will have to get a Bell Sim tomorrow.
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Click to collapse
Can you please let me know where did you buy the unlock code and how much did you pay for it? Thanks.
tsekh501 said:
Can you please let me know where did you buy the unlock code and how much did you pay for it? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
posted at ebay.ca
http://cgi.ebay.ca/UNLOCK-CODE-FOR-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9c035349
fyi only. i am not verifying this seller or his offer. b
Thats way expensive, and 12 hours to get your code is too much. Try this
http://www.cellunlockingcodes.com
quicksite said:
posted at ebay.ca
http://cgi.ebay.ca/UNLOCK-CODE-FOR-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9c035349
fyi only. i am not verifying this seller or his offer. b
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
eviltuna said:
Thats way expensive, and 12 hours to get your code is too much. Try this
http://www.cellunlockingcodes.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they don't know how to unlock telus hero. dont waste ur time.
ericlin0122 said:
they don't know how to unlock telus hero. dont waste ur time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the heads up
I just got my brand new Hero from Telus at square one.
I then put my Rogers sim card in.
I unlocked it successfully through mobileincanada.com it took 10 minutes to receive the unlock code.
Everything is working great so far. Except for wifi ... having issues connecting to any hot spots? it may be just weak signal or something ... will do some more investigating.
btw. My old phone was the HTC HERMES (I loved it for many years) but it's time to move on
Hey all right! Congratulations!
rafynet said:
I just got my brand new Hero from Telus at square one. I then put my Rogers sim card in. I unlocked it successfully through mobileincanada.com it took 10 minutes to receive the unlock
code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, just checking: You live in Canada, right? You didn't drive there from USA, right?
I'm just looking at this from afar. So that mall has a main Telus store and a satellite store. For the smaller store, I see that the store mgr or seller provides a non-telus email address. So, for those who want this phone, i don't guess you'd think he'd sell & ship them, right?
Because what were the requirements to buy the phone? I'm just curious since so many people in US are trying to find a source where to buy these phones from.
How much did mobileincanada charge to unlock? And would they be a possible source for buying telus phones, and re-selling & shipping, at a markup, to USA?
btw. My old phone was the HTC HERMES (I loved it for many years) but it's time to move on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is how I feel about my T-mobile Wing... My unlocked Europe/GSM version of the Hero arrives tomorrow. I wanted the brown color Then I should just have to call up t-mobile's data group and get the settings to use it, with my swapped out sim card, right? (I know, i know, i won't get 3G. That's okay with me. there are many tradeoffs)
You don't need to meet any requirements to buy the phone outright. Other than having the cash to do so
I've bought 3 this week for USA members to ship to them. Was no biggie.
Gochris said:
You don't need to meet any requirements to buy the phone outright. Other than having the cash to do so
I've bought 3 this week for USA members to ship to them. Was no biggie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's cool! FYI, if it seems worth your time to buy, sell, & ship, with a markup to make it worth your while, to others, there are folks over at HowardForums who also want this phone badly
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1585687
EDIT: hah hah - I just saw you came here from there!
quicksite said:
That's cool! FYI, if it seems worth your time to buy, sell, & ship, with a markup to make it worth your while, to others, there are folks over at HowardForums who also want this phone badly
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1585687
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that's who I'm doing it for
I am waiting mine to arrive (my friend in Canada bought and shipped it to me).
Just now I went to HTC Canada's website and looked at the spec again:
Dual mode UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (900/2100MHz for
EU/Asia, 850/1900 for US and 850/2100 for Telstra)
It's funny how they list 850/1900 for US on HTC Canada's website, as if the phone was designed to work in the US. They could have put it much better by saying "850/1900 for Telus"... Only AT&T uses 850/1900 here in the US, and NO I don't think AT&T is carrying any Android device in the near future.
It's like "Hey, friends across the borders. I am sorry for making the Hero exclusively on CDMA networks in your country, but you know what, here is something that you may like."
hey guys, i currently have an htc dream. I am on fido
I am thinking about a new phone and the legend comes up as an option.
1) I read that i can get a legend for $400 from bell or $350 from virgin.
I looked around at virgin's website and i could only find an option to buy the legend for $350+ a 30 day plan (the cheapest brings the price to $350+$25)
is there any way to get it at $350 with no contract? am i overlooking anything?
2) does the virgin phone work on the same network as fido/rogers? will it work?
3) if answer to #2 is yes, would i need to get it unlocked even though i bought it outright?
4) What regrets do you have with buying this phone (everyone has regrets about every phone)
thanks a lot for your answers, current owners are the only ones who can give you true answers! Please try and answer back in a
1)
2)
kind of format for any of the questions you are able to answer.
thanks
To answer your questions:
1) YMMV as some people have been able to get it for $349.99 without activating. But technically it's supposed to be $349.99 on a 30 day plan at the very least. So if you don't have a Virgin plan already, they may require you to sign up for a plan. $35 activation fee and the lowest plan is $25.
2) Yes the Virgin Mobile HTC Legend is model A6365 which is the North American version that will utilize HSPA 3G 850/1900 on all the major Canadian carriers, sans Wind.
3) Yes you will need to get it unlocked if you are planning on using it on a network other than Virgin Mobile. I got mine unlocked from MobileInCanada.com for $20 no problems.
4) No regrets about buying this phone. I sold my X10 because it was too big for my liking and it felt cheap with a creaky battery case. I love the build quality on the Legend and it is the most SOLID phone I've ever used in a great form factor. I don't mind the lower specs because I'm not a power user and it does everything I want without lag. The only quirk I don't like is the lack of bluetooth voice dialing (missing in Android 2.1) but I'm hoping for an update.
asb123 said:
hey guys, i currently have an htc dream. I am on fido
I am thinking about a new phone and the legend comes up as an option.
1) I read that i can get a legend for $400 from bell or $350 from virgin.
I looked around at virgin's website and i could only find an option to buy the legend for $350+ a 30 day plan (the cheapest brings the price to $350+$25)
is there any way to get it at $350 with no contract? am i overlooking anything?
2) does the virgin phone work on the same network as fido/rogers? will it work?
3) if answer to #2 is yes, would i need to get it unlocked even though i bought it outright?
4) What regrets do you have with buying this phone (everyone has regrets about every phone)
thanks a lot for your answers, current owners are the only ones who can give you true answers! Please try and answer back in a
1)
2)
kind of format for any of the questions you are able to answer.
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
da_hool said:
To answer your questions:
1) YMMV as some people have been able to get it for $349.99 without activating. But technically it's supposed to be $349.99 on a 30 day plan at the very least. So if you don't have a Virgin plan already, they may require you to sign up for a plan. $35 activation fee and the lowest plan is $25.
2) Yes the Virgin Mobile HTC Legend is model A6365 which is the North American version that will utilize HSPA 3G 850/1900 on all the major Canadian carriers, sans Wind.
3) Yes you will need to get it unlocked if you are planning on using it on a network other than Virgin Mobile. I got mine unlocked from MobileInCanada.com for $20 no problems.
4) No regrets about buying this phone. I sold my X10 because it was too big for my liking and it felt cheap with a creaky battery case. I love the build quality on the Legend and it is the most SOLID phone I've ever used in a great form factor. I don't mind the lower specs because I'm not a power user and it does everything I want without lag. The only quirk I don't like is the lack of bluetooth voice dialing (missing in Android 2.1) but I'm hoping for an update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks a lot for the reply, unfortunately for me, i do not have a virgin account. This means that it would cost me $447 to get one and get it unlocked, thats edging very close to the price of an n1. Of course this would be a lot cheaper if you are a virgin user.
I think the thing that sets it apart from the N1 (amongst other phones) is the superb build quality and form factor. It really is a thing of beauty!
da_hool said:
I think the thing that sets it apart from the N1 (amongst other phones) is the superb build quality and form factor. It really is a thing of beauty!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, it definitely LOOKS both beautiful and solid, my dream definitely doesnt feel so solid.
The way i see it is that the only way i would get one of these would be if there is someone in the lowermainland area in BC with virgin who could buy it for me, and have me pay them.
a guy told me that he called his local Future Shop they said they would sell the Virgin mobile Legend with no need to activate or buy a month's plan. I don't know for sure, but you could try going to your local Future Shop and see what they say. Unlocking can be done for $10 at cellunlock.net with coupon code crackb50.
I think that The Source is also selling (Bell+Virgin) phones without activation.
I picked a Legend up at a Virgin Mobile kiosk, no Virgin account and no need to activate anything. It is quite YMMV, but you just have to try around, and usually you'll find a place that'll sell it outright for $350+tax. I unlocked it at cellunlock.net for $10 with the 'crackb' code as mentioned by echow and am currently using it on Rogers (3G).
It's a beautiful device. I thought the Bold 9000 I had was well built, but this thing is in another league. I also have an HD2, and while the large screen is absolutely fantastic, Android plus the smaller form factor simply make more sense sometimes. Plus, the MSM7227 is quite a significant upgrade from the Dream's MSM720x(A). You get VFP and the Adreno 200 GPU, which were two big features of Snapdragon.
I want a HD2 to use with at&t 3g the t9193 model but cant decide if I should buy the australian version or if I should spend a little more money and get the version that on the go solutions has. I cant post a url for being a new member. but its the version on the fist page of their website. I have read alot into getting this phone but dont think I am capable of flashing the phone and or getting rid of the telstra bloatware. I like the conveniency of everything being done but is it worth paying 900$ for. Thank you.
I wouldn't worry too much about the telstra bloatware... You can uncheck any of the sense tabs that are telstra related and you can run a fix that allows you to remove the top 3 (of 9) links on the home tab as these are normally locked to telstra related items...
I noticed that your radio and rom are both stock for your hd2a. Are u using at&t and if you are is it running good. Can u get rid of that blue telstra home screen and get the nice black one.
does anyone else have any input
aescobar900 said:
does anyone else have any input
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Click to collapse
I have got US-Tmobile HD2 and it works great. No issues - but since you are planning keeping your AT&T service, I think that paying $900 for HD2 is way beyond any normal acceptance.
Don't get me wrong - I love my HD2 and plan to keep it at least 1.5-2 years... BUT:
6.5 will be dead pretty soon...
Many more phones are coming out for better price than $900 and having better hardware functions as well...
If I was stretched between AT&T and having 3G needs on it - I would consider good unlocked Android phone...
Just my $0.02
I want my Hd2 to run like the verizon Hd2 how difficult would this be to setup and do you think someone new to this would be able to complete the installation without messing something up? Any input helps thank you. looking into one on ebay but dont want to miss it before the sale is up. Thank You.
does no one want to help me out
I have been weighing the same options over the past few weeks. I have a FUZE. and I am sick of it...lagging, quirky and so on... I want a new phone (and really the HD2) so badly that I was even considering just buying the TMO HD2 for use on ATT to save money and just deal with no 3G speeds.
In the end I have decided to be patient. WP7 is coming out in October or so. If those phones (fast processor, big screens, other cool features) are desirable for my needs and get good reviews - then I might go that way.
At that same time - because of the new OS and Phones release coming in october ---the then technically obsolete WM 6.5 phones should go down in price...including the HD2. So that is my advise - wait and see how it plays out if you can wait until october.
Do not know how accurately this will all pan out - but I can just not bring myself to pay more ($750.00+) than I would for a full blown laptop for a phone (even though I use it more!)
BTW - I guess I never answered the question...and that is if you are not familiar or comfortable with flashing - then the extra money for the OTG solutions full version as an insurance policy against you bricking it is worth it..
Good Luck
aescobar900 said:
I want my Hd2 to run like the verizon Hd2 how difficult would this be to setup and do you think someone new to this would be able to complete the installation without messing something up? Any input helps thank you. looking into one on ebay but dont want to miss it before the sale is up. Thank You.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon does not have an HD2, the HD2 is a GSM phone VZ is CDMA ..
I LOVE my Telstra HD2 - running on AT&T in the States
I bought mine frm an ebay Seller (ebay name *brno* ) for about $600. Best use of 6 bills I could imagine. He had flased the phone with the Official HTC World-wide English ROM and it rocks. Great customer service too!
Do it, you won't regret it!
MadSci
Well I bought the telstra version from ebay (paid 530$ for everything, not a bad deal). I should be getting it some time next week has to ship from Australia. Guess Ill have to wait and get it before I decide to do any changes to it.
Did you buy your T9193 brand new or used ? I tried to locate the seller but I couldnt ...any help please !
MadSci said:
I bought mine frm an ebay Seller (ebay name *brno* ) for about $600. Best use of 6 bills I could imagine. He had flased the phone with the Official HTC World-wide English ROM and it rocks. Great customer service too!
Do it, you won't regret it!
MadSci
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aescobar900 said:
I want a HD2 to use with at&t 3g the t9193 model but cant decide if I should buy the australian version or if I should spend a little more money and get the version that on the go solutions has. I cant post a url for being a new member. but its the version on the fist page of their website. I have read alot into getting this phone but dont think I am capable of flashing the phone and or getting rid of the telstra bloatware. I like the conveniency of everything being done but is it worth paying 900$ for. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main problem is whether you buy the t9193 or the tmous hd2, you'll never get 3g on AT&T's network. The U.S. GSM network is slightly different when it comes to 3G specs with the rest of the world and there T-Mobile's network is different from AT&T's 3G network.
hjhjhj said:
The main problem is whether you buy the t9193 or the tmous hd2, you'll never get 3g on AT&T's network. The U.S. GSM network is slightly different when it comes to 3G specs with the rest of the world and there T-Mobile's network is different from AT&T's 3G network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are half right. You will never get 3G on AT&T's network with Tmous HD2, but you will get 3G on AT&T's network with HD2 T9193 version.
Been looking around and I can't find any information if the Focus will be available unbranded. I live in Australia on the Telstra network who uses the same band as AT&T (850 MHz) so compatibility is not an issue.
According to Paul Thurrott in his Windows Weekly podcast this is the one to have. Amazing screen, amazingly thin and light and has expandable storage.
Now, where can us folk in the UK get hold of this handset from unlocked?
Scott Whitmore,
I would trade you a Focus for a Omnia 7. I live in the US but don't like how the focus look and would like to get the Omnia 7 instead.
dominicanx said:
Scott Whitmore,
I would trade you a Focus for a Omnia 7. I live in the US but don't like how the focus look and would like to get the Omnia 7 instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, the Omnia is not available on my network. I'm thinking of just getting a Mozart and then selling it when the HD7 comes out. I've looked around and I can't find the Focus unbranded. I don't want a branded model.
Scott Whitmore said:
Sorry, the Omnia is not available on my network. I'm thinking of just getting a Mozart and then selling it when the HD7 comes out. I've looked around and I can't find the Focus unbranded. I don't want a branded model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
I found a site that is selling the phone unlocked in the US. I'm looking to get ether a Mozart or a Omnia 7.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-i917-focus-att-unlocked-380.html
dominicanx said:
Hey,
I found a site that is selling the phone unlocked in the US. I'm looking to get ether a Mozart or a Omnia 7.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-i917-focus-att-unlocked-380.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't trust this site, I've found numerous people complaining of scams that have occurred.
Anyone else know if this phone will be available unlocked for purchase?
I'm wondering if you can just buy it at full price and ask for unlock code
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
dominicanx said:
Hey,
I found a site that is selling the phone unlocked in the US. I'm looking to get ether a Mozart or a Omnia 7.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-i917-focus-att-unlocked-380.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stay away from Negri electronics. They are noting but a scam!
samven582 said:
stay away from Negri electronics. They are noting but a scam!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
plenty of users on xda-developers have bought phones off negri electronics and have been very happy with the service.
I think the issue with these sellers is that there is no after sales service. In most cases you don't need one. Samsung has good QA and I have been satisfied with most of their products. But if you are unfortunate and need to exchange or return the phone, you might be out of luck.
I've ordered a number of things from Negri and never had any issues. They have always shipped fast AND they actually care about their customers. I'm curious where you saw they were a scam from?
The two things I really like about Negri is they aren't afraid to tell you straight, there is no BS with them. Also they just passed along savings on shipping to everyone because they were able to negotiate a better deal with this shipping company. How many companies can you say will do that for their customer.
I would order from them
I haven't ordered anything from Negri Electronics but, I have heard a lot of good things about them. You are definitely ordering from real people, that much I know. From what I've seen they answer loads of questions quickly on Twitter. I am getting a new phone soon and I will definitely be ordering from them.
You can easily buy an unlocked Focus from ebay (as I did) or even Amazon. Most likely it will be the AT&T version since it's the most widespread. I hated the ATT ROM and so downloaded the Rogers Canada version of the ROM from this website - which is much cleaner - and flashed my Focus.
Voila. My phone was still unlocked, no horrible ATT stuff making my Focus slow, no tacky orange ATT intro. Also, I was able to update through Zune to 8107, the latest available build (ATT blocks updates after 7720).
If you want a focus and are worried about branded phones, this might be a useful process for you like it was for me.
Hi all!
Well Googled my a.. off but I can't seem to get a straight answer.
So here it goes:
- Will a phone with "bad ESN", which you see often on Ebay, work in Europe?
(assuming it is a world capable phone)
As I understand it, ESN is the only used in the US when the phone is used in Europe it uses a different antenna and makes use of the IMEI code. So in theory it should work, different systems. But I can't seem to find anyone who can confirm this without a shadow of doubt.
And lets not go into the discussion about the ethical or legal side of things, I just want to know if it will be a problem or not?
Cheers,
Martijn
If we're referring to the Droid Pro or any other global Verizon phone, the bad ESN is only "bad" on Verizon's network. Verizon doesn't share it's ESN information with other carriers around the world, so there would be no way for them to know the phone has a bad ESN on Verizon. People have been able to use Verizon phones with a bad ESN on Page Plus without any issues. Since I've never tried to use a global Verizon device with a bad ESN overseas with a local SIM card I can't say 100% for sure, but logic would cause one to assume that as long as the SIM slot is unlocked (because they come locked to the Verizon/Vodafone SIM card the phones ship with), it should work just fine on other GSM carriers that have supported bands (which is pretty much everyone around the world...except AT&T and T-Mobile in the US).
I have the Droid Pro with a bad ESN works fine in GSM networks. It also flashed CDMA module under local CDMA operator. EVDO works fine.
it works!
A friend ob Mine does use a Bad esn droid pro with vodafone sim in germany
[/B]QUOTE=m.dekoning9;16603551]Hi all!
Well Googled my a.. off but I can't seem to get a straight answer.
So here it goes:
- Will a phone with "bad ESN", which you see often on Ebay, work in Europe?
(assuming it is a world capable phone)
As I understand it, ESN is the only used in the US when the phone is used in Europe it uses a different antenna and makes use of the IMEI code. So in theory it should work, different systems. But I can't seem to find anyone who can confirm this without a shadow of doubt.
And lets not go into the discussion about the ethical or legal side of things, I just want to know if it will be a problem or not?
Cheers,
Martijn[/QUOTE]
Does a bad ESN necessarily mean that the phone was stolen? I always assumed that would be the only reason why a phone would have a bad ESN.
Also, If I purchase another phone and want to sell my Droid, does my droid pro have a "clean" ESN?
LeoBloom. said:
Does a bad ESN necessarily mean that the phone was stolen? I always assumed that would be the only reason why a phone would have a bad ESN.
Also, If I purchase another phone and want to sell my Droid, does my droid pro have a "clean" ESN?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stolen is one possibility. Another possibility is that the person who owned the phone didn't pay their bills, so the ESN of their phone was flagged.
Assuming you don't have anything outstanding on your account, your Droid Pro's ESN will be clean and clear for someone else to activate as soon as you activate a different phone on that line.
purchasing advice
Hi all - first post for me!
I'm in a position where I could do with some advice around buying a Droid Pro from the States. I have three options, and I'm struggling to find any definitive threads that allow me to buy with confidence using the first two options:
1) The cheapest (£100) is a bad ESN phone (unlocked).
I have asked the seller what the reason is for the bad ESN (He'll probably lie to me, but at least I have it in writing!) and whether he will accept a return if it won't work with a UK SIM.
The summary is from what I've read on here, it will work fine in the UK but I'm buggered if I ever venture to the USA. Fair enough I suppose.
Anyone got a view on selling the device on to someone like CEX in the future? Is it worth mentioning that it has a bad ESN in the states if I sell to a UK seller? (I think I know the moral answer to this already!)
2) Buy a used/locked Verizon phone (£150ish)and attempt to get it unlocked
I've read quite a few resources and from what I understand, it is pretty difficult to get the device unlocked by using third party vendors (The codes don't work). Is there a way to unlock the phone yourself using a new ROM or root?
3) Buy a new/unlocked phone (£270)
The price jumps massively here but still probably alot cheaper than a new Pro+ will be when it arrives in the next couple of months. Someone is selling a used/unlocked Droid on here from Birmingham, UK but the asking price is wildly optimistic. It just so happens I'm in Birmingham too!
Any views would be most appreciated.
mjgerrard said:
1) The cheapest (£100) is a bad ESN phone (unlocked).
I have asked the seller what the reason is for the bad ESN (He'll probably lie to me, but at least I have it in writing!) and whether he will accept a return if it won't work with a UK SIM.
The summary is from what I've read on here, it will work fine in the UK but I'm buggered if I ever venture to the USA. Fair enough I suppose.
Anyone got a view on selling the device on to someone like CEX in the future? Is it worth mentioning that it has a bad ESN in the states if I sell to a UK seller? (I think I know the moral answer to this already!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You shouldn't expect to be able to return a phone with a bad ESN. They're always sold "as is" because of the fact that it has a bad ESN. But yeah, it should work in the UK just fine. There's no reason that it wouldn't. As far as venturing to the USA, even if it didn't have a bad ESN, you still wouldn't be able to use it in the USA. The GSM bands for AT&T and T-Mobile are locked out in the USA, even if you're trying to roam on a foreign SIM. The only way to use a Droid Pro in the USA (short of paying a good chunk of change to Team Black Hat to flash the phone and unlock the GSM bands) is through Verizon, and you'd have to have an account with them to use it.
And I would mention the bad ESN if trying to resell it, if only for the probably very doubtful fact that someone might want to end up trying to activate it on Verizon. But of course, the ESN is only bad for Verizon and no other carrier.
You could also look around and try to find a used, unlocked Pro. I tried to sell my unlocked Pro a month or so ago and couldn't move it here or on any other forum, even at $200 US. Doesn't seem to be much interest these days. But, I'm glad I didn't end up selling it because I didn't care that much for the Droid 3 and was longing for my Droid Pro again.
bsweetness said:
You shouldn't expect to be able to return a phone with a bad ESN. They're always sold "as is" because of the fact that it has a bad ESN. But yeah, it should work in the UK just fine.
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Yup the reason why I asked about returning it was not for the fact that it had a bad ESN, but that the seller explicitly says in the advert that it can be used outside of the USA. It just made (hopefully) for a foolproof plan of activating it in the UK.
bsweetness said:
As far as venturing to the USA, even if it didn't have a bad ESN, you still wouldn't be able to use it in the USA. The GSM bands for AT&T and T-Mobile are locked out in the USA, even if you're trying to roam on a foreign SIM. The only way to use a Droid Pro in the USA (short of paying a good chunk of change to Team Black Hat to flash the phone and unlock the GSM bands) is through Verizon, and you'd have to have an account with them to use it.
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I might be going mad, but I have gone over to the USA with a GSM only phone and it worked fine. Frankly, I'm never expecting these things to work when going State-side, but pleasantly suprised when they do. Sorry I can't remember what phone it was that I took over there though...
bsweetness said:
You could also look around and try to find a used, unlocked Pro. I tried to sell my unlocked Pro a month or so ago and couldn't move it here or on any other forum, even at $200 US. Doesn't seem to be much interest these days. But, I'm glad I didn't end up selling it because I didn't care that much for the Droid 3 and was longing for my Droid Pro again.
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That's a shame - I'd happily pay $250 (negotiable) if it was in good condition and clean ESN/Unlocked. Let me know if you wish to part with it!
Mike.
Any comments from anyone on option 2: Unlocking a Verizon phone using a 3rd party vs rooting the device?
mjgerrard said:
I might be going mad, but I have gone over to the USA with a GSM only phone and it worked fine. Frankly, I'm never expecting these things to work when going State-side, but pleasantly suprised when they do. Sorry I can't remember what phone it was that I took over there though...
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Generally GSM phones will work in the USA. But with Verizon devices, it's different (or I should say with several Verizon devices). Verizon doesn't have a lot of devices with a GSM radio since they're a CDMA network. The few devices they do have with a GSM radio are marketed as global devices, and the GSM radio is designed to be used outside of the US. Verizon doesn't want people using their devices (that they pay to carry exclusively in the USA) on other networks within the USA. So, they lock out the bands for the two GSM providers in the USA - AT&T and T-Mobile. Unless you go through the costly process of having those bands unlocked (which can't be done with every phone), the phones will generally only work on Verizon in the USA. In order to have it work with Verizon, it would have to be activated on their CDMA network. With a Verizon branded phone, that of course can't happen unless you're a Verizon customer and it certainly can't happen for a phone with a bad ESN.
So yeah, normally unlocked GSM devices will work just fine in the USA, but Verizon devices are a different story...most of the time (there are a few Verizon global devices that work in the USA, but the Droid Pro is not one of them).
As for your question about unlock codes, they have been hit or miss from most online vendors. Most of the reputable vendors will refund the money to you if the code doesn't work, but of course you're still stuck with a locked phone. Most of the posts I've seen recently have reported successful unlocks with the online codes however. I haven't seen anything about unlocking it via root though. That's not to say there isn't a way, but I've never seen anything for that.
Brilliant post on the USA networks pal, its difficult to appreciate the differences considering I live in the UK. Thanks for that, alot more of Engadget CDMA news posts make sense now!
As for the other point, I guess ill have to figure out whether I want to take the risk or not. The bad ESN phone on eBay has sold (not a major problem) so ill be trying to get a good price for a used/unlocked model.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Considering buying a bad esn phone for a kid to use as a media player. Trying to understand if there are any reasons this would NOT be evil before I do it, and I fully realize that the only way to know for sure is if the seller is willing to reveal the ESN somehow and ask the carrier. If the seller won't reveal, I will assume evilness and move on. SO here are the reasons I understand so far for a bad esn.
1. Stolen/Lost phone that needs to go back to the owner
2. Owner walked away from contract, carrier is out $$ and would presumably like the hardware back
3. unreturned warranty exchange unit (technically stolen too)
come to think of it, seems like there are no legit reasons for a bad esn, but i welcome thoughts anyway
btrcp2000 said:
Considering buying a bad esn phone for a kid to use as a media player. Trying to understand if there are any reasons this would NOT be evil before I do it, and I fully realize that the only way to know for sure is if the seller is willing to reveal the ESN somehow and ask the carrier. If the seller won't reveal, I will assume evilness and move on. SO here are the reasons I understand so far for a bad esn.
1. Stolen/Lost phone that needs to go back to the owner
2. Owner walked away from contract, carrier is out $$ and would presumably like the hardware back
3. unreturned warranty exchange unit (technically stolen too)
come to think of it, seems like there are no legit reasons for a bad esn, but i welcome thoughts anyway
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Er, I'm using an Iphone 4 with a bad ESN (from Ebay). But not for cell service. I'm using it as a wireless internet phone ( Callwithus ) over wifi.
btrcp2000 said:
Considering buying a bad esn phone for a kid to use as a media player. Trying to understand if there are any reasons this would NOT be evil before I do it, and I fully realize that the only way to know for sure is if the seller is willing to reveal the ESN somehow and ask the carrier. If the seller won't reveal, I will assume evilness and move on. SO here are the reasons I understand so far for a bad esn.
1. Stolen/Lost phone that needs to go back to the owner
2. Owner walked away from contract, carrier is out $$ and would presumably like the hardware back
3. unreturned warranty exchange unit (technically stolen too)
come to think of it, seems like there are no legit reasons for a bad esn, but i welcome thoughts anyway
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But, wouldn't it be illegal, or unwise at least, to sell such a phone on Ebay then?
Id never buy a bad ESN mobile myself. Loads on ebay.com in the USA and afak, a bad ESN mobile phone or as they say in the USA, cell phone, it will NOT work in the UK. GSM or CDMA. Dont buya bad esn phone thinking you will save money or you will end up with an expensive brick. Android or IOS phones with bad ESNs DO NOT work in the UK