So I would like to use this Verizon phone with my carrier in Canada.
Simple version: I don't want to root it and I don't care about custom roms. I simply want to use the phone in Canada with another carrier. Is it possible?
Long version:
I got the phone (as a gift from my boss who didn't know what to do with it). Looked it up and found a thread on this forum pointing to this page on the Asus website (it's the not exact same model number, but there's no support page available for 520KL). I downloaded the official "Unlock Device App: Unlock boot loader" under the "Other" category and copied it to the phone and tried to run the apk installation. It gave me an error similar to "An application with the same name is already installed". I tried to look in the application list but couldn't find it to execute it. In any case, I then borrowed a SIM card from Bell Canada from the corporation I work for, and the phone had a notification "This is not a Verizon Wireless SIM card". I then updated the phone firmware (via wifi), and rebooted, and after a few seconds the error message disappeared, and behold I could make and receive calls. I'm not certain if this Bell card was special unlocked for roaming or something (being a corporate one).
In any case my personal phone is better, but I thought it would be a nice replacement for my father's one so I gave it to him. His old phone SIM format was not the same size, so I told him to go to a kiosk of his phone carrier (Telus Mobility) and ask the clerk for a SIM on his account that fit the phone. The clerk looked at the phone and said no, this cannot work, you have to call Verizon to unlock it. My father then called Verizon and they said they can't do that because it could be a stolen phone (it isn't) and that my corporation would have to call them to receive a code (?) to prove ownership. So now I'm a bit mixed up. Was the Telus clerk wrong and the phone would have worked if he just had insisted to get a SIM made, or are they both right and the phone IMEI is locked in a database somewhere and Telus won't be able to create a new SIM for it until my corporation really call them to transfers ownership?
Related
So I bought my HD2 2 weeks after they came out. Shortly after I tried buying an unlock code for my phone because t-mobiles service in my area is kind of come and go. Unfortunatly I have one of the 35777 Phones so after 4 attempts with 4 different sites failing at getting a code, I tried emailing tmobile to see if they would give me a code as they already told me they dont have service in my area. They told me to fax them a copy of my invoice proving I paid full price for the thing, so I did. About a week later they got back to me and said that due to the fact that I bought it from a site that was not one of their approved retailers I couldnt get an unlock code. So about a week and a half ago I went to a tmobile store and got the darn thing setup anyways. I get some service in this area, just not much. Now about 3 days ago, I get an email from t-mobile that looks like this:
T-Mobile Sim Unlock Request
Sim Unlock Reference: *******
IMEI: 35777*********
Unlock Code: ********
Thank you for taking the time to contact T-Mobile. Below you will see the Instructions for unlocking your HTC device.
1. Insert the foreign SIM card
2. Power on the device and the display should read "Please input unlock code"
3. Enter the unlock code and the device should display "Phone is unlocked."
4. Allow the phone to scan the network (or manually click on the antenna icon to do this)
It is very important that the instructions and SIM unlock code are entered correctly as listed. If you receive an error message while performing the instructions do not make any further attempts to unlock the handset. Please be aware that if an excessive amount of incorrect attempts are made, the phone will be permanently locked. You will need to verify the IMEI by pressing *#06# and contact Customer Care for support.
Thank You,
Sim Unlock Department
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
I kind of find this a bit odd. They tell me I cant get the number, then about a month later they randomly mail it to me anyway.
sounds kind of odd... have you always had tmobile or did you just sign up to purchase the hd2?
Neither, I had at&t before, Wanted to buy it and unlock it to use with at&t but in the process realized at&t's service is a bit of a ripoff. Atleast it is with standard plans. Wanted to try and use my hd2 with a gophone card but it doesnt seem to want to work.
I currently have a photon, and one great convenience of the phone is that when I travel I just buy a local SIM and pop it in. But Sprint has been making that more difficult. The Photon Q didn't even have a removeable SIM, and I've read that the Sprint version of the HTC One needs to be unlocked by Sprint, and it's a nuisance to get them to do that. (and they don't always succeed with the first try, and...)
Does anyone know the status of this phone with regards to using a local SIM overseas?
you have to have sprint unlock it and it depends on some "qualifications" from them based on who you talk to and what your account looks like. The sim card used in the gs4 is so we can have lte.(just a reminder, wont need this over seas) but essentially you should be able to pull it off as long as you plan for it.
So theoretically it should work. But it didn't for me.
- Before leaving the US, I called sprint and asked them to unlock the phone
- They said they would
- I got an email saying the phone was unlocked
- I called sprint, asked "Is there a way for me to confirm it's unlocked?". They said no, trust the email.
- I traveled to Hungary.
- Got a Tmobile SIM. Inserted, got "Invalid SIM" message
- Called Sprint tech support- they were completely unhelpful. Blamed T-Mobile
- Went to Vodafone and tried a SIM here (the agent even pulled a 2nd out of his personal phone). Neither worked, I just got the "Invalid SIM" message
- Called sprint again. Unhelpful. Blamed the foreign SIMs
- Friend arrived in Hungary w/ an unlocked iphone. The Hungarian T-Mobile SIM worked instantly.
- Called sprint again- still blamed the foriegn SIMs. "It shows as unlocked on my screen!"
By the way, I was able to hit the "UICC Unlock" in my phone's settings. Didn't help.
So- I'm a sample size of 1- but don't count on it working. Bring a backup phone if you've got one, and/or be prepared to buy a burner.
Please read forum rules before posting
Questions and help issues go in Q&A and Help sections
Thread moved
Thank you for your cooperation
Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
Consigliere2 said:
So theoretically it should work. But it didn't for me.
- Before leaving the US, I called sprint and asked them to unlock the phone
- They said they would
- I got an email saying the phone was unlocked
- I called sprint, asked "Is there a way for me to confirm it's unlocked?". They said no, trust the email.
- I traveled to Hungary.
- Got a Tmobile SIM. Inserted, got "Invalid SIM" message
- Called Sprint tech support- they were completely unhelpful. Blamed T-Mobile
- Went to Vodafone and tried a SIM here (the agent even pulled a 2nd out of his personal phone). Neither worked, I just got the "Invalid SIM" message
- Called sprint again. Unhelpful. Blamed the foreign SIMs
- Friend arrived in Hungary w/ an unlocked iphone. The Hungarian T-Mobile SIM worked instantly.
- Called sprint again- still blamed the foriegn SIMs. "It shows as unlocked on my screen!"
By the way, I was able to hit the "UICC Unlock" in my phone's settings. Didn't help.
So- I'm a sample size of 1- but don't count on it working. Bring a backup phone if you've got one, and/or be prepared to buy a burner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bummer...
Just to confirm, you hit the "UICC Unlock" when you were in the US? or when you were overseas?
jj14 said:
Bummer...
Just to confirm, you hit the "UICC Unlock" when you were in the US? or when you were overseas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both.
I ended up giving the SIM to my friend. When I got back in the states, and the phone had connected back to Sprint's network, I figured I would give the SIM another try just in case I had somehow missed the OTA unlock.
Still no luck.
Consigliere2 said:
Both.
I ended up giving the SIM to my friend. When I got back in the states, and the phone had connected back to Sprint's network, I figured I would give the SIM another try just in case I had somehow missed the OTA unlock.
Still no luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you rooted? I ask because if so I would be curious to see your /carrier/properties.db file. I think there's a line in there that says your lock status. I am pretty sure mine is unlocked, and under SDM/SESSION_TYPE it says CI_DC but people with locked phones said theirs has CI_SIM_LOCK.
When did you get the unlock done? Supposedly there was an "old" tool and a "new" tool to unlock the phones internally at Sprint. Many people said that unlocks performed with the old tool didn't work, but when they had them unlock it again with the new tool it worked.
Now, the real problem seems to be adding the proper APNs for an international SIM. The menu item isn't there, but you can get into it with a trick. However, when you try to add a new APN everything is greyed out.
Hello everybody, sorry if this has been asked I tried searching everywhere and have come up with nothing that has been helpful to me. I am new here so if I'm posting in the wrong place I'll be happy to remove this.
I will try to provide you with every detail but my main problem is this: I have obtained an unlock code I received directly from Sprint for a Galaxy S5 I received from a friend. The friend made sure the device and his account met their qualifications, and he received a six digit "MSL Code" that he was told is the unlock code.
I have been told by Sprint, AT&T, countless YouTube videos and forums that the sequence for unlocking this phone is as simple as 1.) Entering a foreign sim into your device. 2.) When you turn the device on you will be prompted to enter the sim unlock code. 3.) Enter the unlock code and your device will be unlocked.
Of course it's turned out to be way less simple than that. My most obvious problem is with step #2. I am never prompted to enter the sim unlock code and instead only receive the message "Invalid Sim card."
Okay here is a back story if you want more details: I am on a family plan with AT&T right now that I believe is a good deal and would not like to switch carriers, although AT&T hires some of the biggest idiots I've ever encountered to work in their retail stores and tech support. I have been tempted to switch to Sprint because throughout all of this they have been the only ones to give me straightforward information and any help at all so far.
The Galaxy S5 in my possession meets all of Sprint's requirements to be unlocked and the previous owner received the unlock code directly from Sprint. It should be good to go.
I went to AT&T retail store with the locked device and unlock code for assistance and to make sure the process would go smooth and easy. The first time I was told it's impossible to sim unlock a phone and all I can do is sell the phone on eBay. I called tech support after this and they told me my problem was that I was using the AT&T sim card from my old HTC One, that SIM Card would be incompatible with the Samsung, so therefore I am receiving an "Invalid Sim card" error. The second time I went in I requested a sim card for a Samsung Galaxy S5 because AT&T tech support told me the SIM card in my HTC will not work. The dude grabbed an empty SIM card and gave it to me without asking me for my information or anything about my account and when I asked him about this he told me that it's not necessary, "SIM cards don't have any memory or carry any information on them for the phone to read other than what service the phone is supposed to use". I honestly don't know much about cell phone technology but I knew this was bull**** but he was no further help after I told him I think he might be wrong about that. I called AT&T tech support and they told me that guy was an idiot and to go back to them and request another SIM card.
I don't want to go back into that stupid store until I'm absolutely sure what the **** I need to do to get this stupid phone to work with my AT&T account. Please educate me on how this process works and what the correct steps I need to take are. Thanks a million times in advance for whatever help you can give me, and again let me know if this is being asked in the wrong place I'm still new here.
Can the unlocked variant of the Zenfone AR be used on Sprint? I'm getting mixed messages throughout the internet either saying 'no' or 'not all frequencies' but not going into any details.
I have spoken with several Sprint agents and even brought it into a shop--they all give generic answers--"If (after using it on Verizon) you used it on Boost Mobile you can NEVER use it on Sprint.", and "It isn't compatible..."
I had accidentally told him I used it on Boost (pre-paid vs Sprint's post-paid), when in fact I had not, but had used it on Tracfone, so I know it's at least partly compatible with someone.
Two separate Sprint agents over the phone told me that "Asus is considered a 'foreign non-compatible' phone, and nothing can be done about it. There is no Asus phone in use on the Sprint network." Really, I think they should start with me and let mine be the first one, but okay, nevertheless, what a nuisance.
I asked google, who returned something along the lines of "Quora says "second level agents can reprogram the IMEI with tools that first level agents cannot access.", however I'm done trying at this point.
EDIT: But here's a riot--I put my T-mobile nano sim in it, and even though it says "Not a Verizon sim card." it is working 100%.
I purchased an Essential phone on eBay.
Excited to use my new phone;
I tried to insert my sim card
(I use Walmart Family Mobile which is under T-MOBILE)
and I get a screen saying
"SIM NETWORK UNLOCK PIN"
So confused I look up the IMEI to see if it is unlocked or not
It says CLEAN
other things it said:
"Error message: device is available"
"Device FED description: FED is in the past. Financial eligibility on the device has been met"
"Blacklist status: CLEAN(failed deactivation)"
"Activation status: device is inactive"
"Currently active: no"
Device FED met: YES
SPCS: YES
I tried rebooting the phone a few times. I tried going through settings but when I tried to select "automatically detect network" and turn it off, it goes to a black screen and the settings app crashes.
So I went into the recovery mode just to see and it says
PRODUCT NAME - MATA
VARIANT - SPRINT
BOOTLOADER VERSION - MATA-34cc3f5
BASEBAND VERSION - 2.0.c.4-M2.0.10
SERIAL NUMBER: *BUNCH OF THINGS*
SECURE BOOT - yes
DEVICE STATE: LOCKED
I have tried contacting Sprint they said they can't unlock with the account. The eBay seller has yet to get back to me and I'm frustrated. I tried contacting family movie and no one there knows a lick about anything other than how to read a script. I checked online with Family Mobile and T-MOBILE and both websites, after entering IMEI, I shouldn't have any problem and to sign up for a contract with them today! But talking on the phone family mobile said it is impossible to switch a Sprint phone over to them because you can't switch a Sprint phone to be used on T-Mobile. Which I know is baloney....
I just wanna use my phone with my same number and stuff... Idk why this is so difficult.
This may be a stupid question but I'm definitely stupid and uneducated in this department and would love some advice/assistance...
Please and thanks
I'd keep pursuing Sprint. Did they confirm it's SIM unlocked? If they said it can't be unlocked as is, then it suggests it's SIM locked. Only Sprint can unlock it but there is a thread about unlocking it yourself.
The phone may need to be reactivated on the seller's Sprint account and then unlocked. But Sprint has a time period a phone needs to be activated before they'll unlock it. That may complicate things more.
Contact the eBay seller since he/she locked it and therefore know the code, or, contact Sprint to unlock it, it is a relatively straightforward solution nowadays, service providers don't hold people and phones hostage like they used to.