| Author |
Message |
tommyranch
Posts: 2 |
 
Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:59 pm |
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I don't mean to spawn any unethical threads, but can someone sum up what all the chit chat about unlocked phones is about? A co-worker of mine has ne and thinks it's the greatest thing, but that it couldn't be done with Verizon due to GSM versus DMSC or something like that. So, what's the deal?
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elmo01
Posts: 2198
Phone Model:
Samsung SPH-M510
Service Provider:
Bell Canada |
Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:27 am |
two different technologies...
GSM and in Verizons case CDMA
cingular and tmobile are gsm carriers...verizon being CDMA
you physically cannot use a verizon phone on a cingular service...
it would be like trying to tune an fm station on an am radio
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tommyranch
Posts: 2 |
Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:39 pm |
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So, in theory, if I had a cdma phone unlocked, I could program whatever service plan I wanted through verizon, but verizon would still just bill me for my current plan that they show on there computers? Same with free text, pics, downloads, etc.?
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steva11
Posts: 1680
Phone Model:
w810i/pearl
Service Provider:
Rogers |
Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:09 am |
no.
in north america, phones are locked to providers so the customers can only use the branded phone with its respective provider.
an unlocked phone is "unlocked" from its provider so you could transfer it from provider to provider.
example: someone buys a phone from cingular, that phone can only work if they sign up for a cingular account. They unlock the phone and can start a t-mobile account with the cingular phone.
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elmo01
Posts: 2198
Phone Model:
Samsung SPH-M510
Service Provider:
Bell Canada |
Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:54 am |
| tommyranch wrote: | | So, in theory, if I had a cdma phone unlocked, I could program whatever service plan I wanted through verizon, but verizon would still just bill me for my current plan that they show on there computers? Same with free text, pics, downloads, etc.? |
no...not necessarilly...
the ESN (serial number of the phone) has to be programmed at the servixce providers end... if that ESN is not in their database from the manufacturer that phone will not activate...
when the phones are made they are produced in a batch...sequential serial numbers...lets say you bought a motorola that was made for another provider like sprint... found a way to unlock it...Verizon will know that it is not a verizon phone and probabaly will not be able to activate it because the security protocol is different
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