Unlock a Cell Phone
Cell phones use two considerable communication systems. The CDMA system is a coded response system that links a phone and its owner to a particular system and to a particular number. The CDMA system is utilized extensively in the United States and some additional nations around the globe. GSM is what the second system is known as. Global System for Mobile Communication is what this stands for. The GSM system is gaining much popularity in the United States and is also the widespread standard in more than two hundred countries across the globe.
A SIM card is utilized by the GSM cell phone to communicate with a specific network. These network providers have the capacity to lock the cell phone in such a way that it won’t acknowledge a SIM card from a different provider. They do this for competitive reasons, but many consider this system unreasonable. When the cell phone is bought and owned by an individual, that person should be able to change the SIM card and use the phone on any network of his choosing. This permits the phone to be operated when traveling, specifically in foreign nations, without paying outlandish roaming fees.
So, the basic question is: how do you unlock a cell phone? Determining the type of phone is the initial step. A CDMA phone doesn’t need a SIM card and you don’t have to unlock it. The second step to do, if you are certain it is a GSM phone, is to ascertain if it is really locked. The easy method for this is to use a SIM card from a buddy who has another service provider and see whether the SIM card functions in your phone. If the phone believes it is now your friend’s phone after inserting a new SIM card, it is not locked. If it is locked, you will receive an error message of some kind.
The following step is to look around on the internet and locate a trustworthy company which offers the unlocking code. This company will charge a fairly small amount to send you the code by email. The code simply has to be entered into the phone in order to unlock it. You will typically get a fairly heartening message from the actual phone, but you can check it by using a different SIM card like you did in the prior determination procedure.
Regrettably, there are models of cell phones which cannot be unlocked with merely a code. The cell phone unlock service which offers the codes will find out whether or not your type can be unlocked by code. If not, the phone is required to be connected to hardware using a USB cable to be unlocked. You will have to send the phone away somewhere to have this done, although in an emergency, this can usually be accomplished very quickly. You can buy all the hardware and the software for unlocking, and just do it yourself. This way may be the more costly option.
An elemental right of an owner is to have an unlocked cell phone. Locking a GSM phone for the reason of not allowing someone to pick out their own provider is wrong to do. Luckily, this is one wrong which is easily righted.
Unlock Cell Phone FAQ
Question: Why is it so hard to unlock a cell phone?
I have a Motorola RAZR V3t. It is locked for T-Mobile and it is identical to the MotoRazr V3i for Cingular/AT&T. I have looked around and found websites that unlock phones for THIRTY-FORTY dollars! My phone is worth that much! Ebay varies from 10-25 Dollars. Cell phone makers and carriers themselves will not unlock it. Why is this simple task complicated by this much ?
Answer: If you have a T-Mobile account T-Mobile will unlock most of their phones for free. If you don’t have a T-Mobile account yourself, just get someone who does to ask for the SIM unlock code. I don’t know why anyone would spend money on that.
Question: Is it illegal to unlock a cell phone?
I see lots of ‘unlocked’ cell phones for sale on Craigslist, and was wondering, how hard is it to unlock a cell phone, and is it illegal?
Answer: Its not illegal. It just means you can use it on any network. Locked phones is one way that the network companies like us to stay with them so if we want to change networks we have to change phones. It’s also a way that the companies can sell “Unique Deals” if they have rights to that phone package.
Question: How do you unlock a cell phone to sell it to someone else for free use?
I am considering selling in an online auction my Black Razr Motorola cell phone currently carrying Cingular service in order to buy a new phone. I would like to ensure the buyer does not have any problems with the phone and my warranties of same do not ring untrue. If I can unlock the phone, must the buyer also use Cingular or may she use the service of her choice?
Answer: IF you were to obtain the unlock code, the buyer would get full range of what carrier they wanted to use…
HOWEVER, unlocking a phone is not easy, ESPECIALLY if its Cingular. It is totally against policy to give out unlock codes UNLESS it is for a VERY good reason, and then the process for submitting the form to get the unlock code takes about 5-7 business days. although all cingular customer care employees have access to this information it is HIGHLY against Cingular policy, and one can be fired… so Good luck with that one…
Question: Can I unlock a prepaid cell phone to use with my existing cell phone service?
I currently have cell phone service (not prepaid) and would like to upgrade to a different phone; I live outside of the US and it is somewhat of a hassle to upgrade to a new phone. I was wandering if it is possible to purchase a prepaid cell phone, unlock it and use it with my current sim card and monthly service?
Answer: You can as long as the prepaid phone gets unlocked and its also a GSM phone, people do it all the time.
Question: Is there a HACK to unlock a cell phone?
I have a Verizon cell phone and would like to put on there what ever I want with out restrictions but cannot due to how Verion wants to nickle and dime you. Is there any hacks to unlock the phone? Also any other hacks are welcome.
Answer: It depends on the model phone you’ve got. It’s possible you could flash the phone with the factory software which would open it up to all it’s capabilities, however flashing can permanently ruin your phone if you do it wrong or it’s interrupted somehow in the process. You also would have to reprogram all your WAP and MMS settings to get the web and picture messaging working again. Some phones like motorola you can use seem edits to re-enable features without flashing the phone. It all depends!
Question: If i use my friends sim card to unlock my cell phone, will it damage his information?
Im gonna unlock my cell phone today. My friend said I could use his sim card when he gets home. I dont want to damage his sim card or anything will using his sim card to unlock my phone damage his sim?..He is on a different provided than I am so i know thats what I need to unlock this phone. but I dont want to mess up his card… will using his card to unlock my phone mess his sim up?
Answer: As long as his sim card is the same technology as yours, no damage can be done.
There are 2 types of sim cards, GSM and IDEN
GSM is T-Mobile, ATT, Rogers, etc….
IDEN is Nextel, Telus
Just make sure if you have a GSM Phone, you use a GSM sim, you will be good to go
Question: How does a company unlock a cell phone?
I have a T-Moble Samsung phone that went through the washing machine and is dead. T-moble wants $150 to replace it. I understand that if i purchase an unlocked phone from amazon or cellhut all I have to do is take the simm card out of the old one and it will work? Is that right? Or do I have to go to t-moble and have them configure it.?????
Answer: Well if you have another T-Mobile cell phone then you don’t have to have it unlocked. You can buy them second hand and in good condition. Then all you do is take your sim card in your old phone, stick it into the new phone and call T-Mobile and tell them that you have an account already with them but want to change over to a different phone once you get that phone.
The only reason people get cell phones unlocked is because they want to use them with a different network. Let’s say you have a Cingular sim card and want to put it in a T-Mobile phone then you’ll have to get that phone unlocked at an off the wall phone store for $30 and up.
Bottom line, you don’t have to have a T-Mobile cell phone unlocked if you are using your old T-Mobile sim card since it’s the same network.
Question: How much does it cost to unlock a cell phone?
Hello.
My friend in US is sending his Razr to to Canada for me.
He told me that the phone was locked so I would need to unlock it.
I have heard that some cell phone companies can unlock it but I have no idea how much it would cost.
Can anybody tell me how much it costs if you know please.
Answer: If you take the phone to some private business to get it unlocked there is no telling how much it would cost….i could be anywahere from $30- $40 US. But hears a trick….tell your friend in the US to call his cellpbone compney’s customer service and tell them that he is travelling internationally and he wants to use his cell phone with a sim card purchased from another country. They will ask you a couple dumb questions and then send you a “Subsidy Unlock Code” by e-mail. Get your friend to forward you that e mail. Then when you receive the phone all you have to do is put your sim card in it and pwer up the phone. Eventually your phone will read the sim card and ask you for a subsidy unlock code which you will have and then bam! you have a unlocked cellphone free of charge! Once you get your cellphone unlocked you might have to change the band it operates on to match the one everybody in Canada uses..that should be a breeze….just go to the “Network Sellect ” option in your RAZR. Enjoy your new phone!