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So i've just signed up for a cell phone plan, they said is unlimited social networking browsing, didn't look at the fine print and they said is just for non-smart phone only...
I talked to their technical support and it looks like they check the phone's IMEI to determine what phone/model i am running... so i'm wondering if there is a way i could either change/hide my IMEI so that i can browse facebook and twitter with my current plan.
I asked the technical support what's the different between a regular phone browsing and a smart phone browsing, they said it has to do with the data compression and such... if that's the case, is there an app out there that i could use to simulate non-smart phone browser?
Changing your IMEI is illegal. It's your mobile's ID. International ID. Stolen mobiles have a 00000 etc IMEI, for instance. Some phones when wiped lose their IMEI. You can change it, but you could get in trouble. It's also very hard. Normally, only certain operator shops can reflash your phone and RESTORE your IMEI. I know this since I had an issue with that. 0'ed IMEI due to reset.
If they check your IMEI I don't think any app will solve that. But I'm not the best person to point you in the right direction.
Hum... i also have my old Samsung F488, if is possible i could use that one's IMEI, since i own both phone.
You'd be passing one phone as another. As a rule, tampering with your IMEI is illegal and operators only rarely restore it, if you have documentation proving the phone is yours. They don't change it.
When a phone is stolen, the IMEI is wiped so it can't be traced. That's why they won't change it nor restore it just like that... I doubt you'll have any luck asking for IMEI transfer...
sucks... ok thanks
You can try... I just wouldn't expect it to work. My experience comes from Portuguese operators, but it's probably the same all around.
From what i read, is legal to change it in North America. Is just lame that i'm paying for 50$ plan, but can't do zero browsing with this ****. I think i will have to roll back to some 30$ plan and only do text messaging with my smart phone lol..
Well, then you could try. Good luck then!
Yea, well the question remain, how. LOL
At least here, you need specialized shops, not all operator shops can do that, ask the nearest where your phone can be flashed to change the IMEI
codenamezero said:
From what i read, is legal to change it in North America. Is just lame that i'm paying for 50$ plan, but can't do zero browsing with this ****. I think i will have to roll back to some 30$ plan and only do text messaging with my smart phone lol..
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Disclaimer: I'm not from the U.S. so I might be wrong.
After some reading, there's no law in the U.S. that even talks about IMEIs, so technically it is legal to change it, however, since most if not all carriers changer certain things based on your IMEI I think that changing your IMEI would effectively violate your service contract (if they found out), so instead of trying to change your IMEI I'd go to your carrier and ask for an unlimited smartphone plan.
codenamezero said:
is there an app out there that i could use to simulate non-smart phone browser
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The problem here is not the app, it's the internet protocols that are used by different types of cellphones, see, dumb-phones use WAP as the internet protocol, whereas smartphones use plain HTTP.
Boy, I am sick of ignorant goofballs spewing 'It's illegal' with no facts whatsoever to back their opinion up.
IF IT IS ILLEGAL, TELL ME WHAT LAW IT VIOLATES OR SHUT UP!
Seriously, this is a valid question that goes to a host of privacy and fair use issues, and I cannot believe that no one has any facts to share. I could give a hoot less if you think that just because it is a serial number it is somehow forbidden by God that you should mess with it. Personally, I would love to have a smartphone without having to pay for wireless data. The country would be up in arms if the cable company decided to charge you extra because your TV is capable of receiving HD signal, so why are we such sheep that we all pony up for data plans we don't really need? Nearly everywhere I go with my phone, even in a rural state, has WiFi. I need a data plan like I need silk boxers.
OwenW71 said:
Boy, I am sick of ignorant goofballs spewing 'It's illegal' with no facts whatsoever to back their opinion up.
IF IT IS ILLEGAL, TELL ME WHAT LAW IT VIOLATES OR SHUT UP!
Seriously, this is a valid question that goes to a host of privacy and fair use issues, and I cannot believe that no one has any facts to share. I could give a hoot less if you think that just because it is a serial number it is somehow forbidden by God that you should mess with it. Personally, I would love to have a smartphone without having to pay for wireless data. The country would be up in arms if the cable company decided to charge you extra because your TV is capable of receiving HD signal, so why are we such sheep that we all pony up for data plans we don't really need? Nearly everywhere I go with my phone, even in a rural state, has WiFi. I need a data plan like I need silk boxers.
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Two things:
1) Since nobody's been anything but a nice person trying to help I think your reaction is way out of line, no need to YELL or BOLD your opinion in order to be heard.
2) If you had taken a moment to read the entire post you would've read this:
Akath19 said:
After some reading, there's no law in the U.S. that even talks about IMEIs, so technically it is legal to change it, however, since most if not all carriers change certain things based on your IMEI I think that changing your IMEI would effectively violate your service contract (if they found out), so instead of trying to change your IMEI I'd go to your carrier and ask for an unlimited smartphone plan.
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So that answers your question in a very civil and decent way, but since you might not get it that way, here's the answer in your own style:
THERE IS NO F-ING LAW THAT EVEN TALKS ABOUT IMEI, SO NO LAW = LEGAL
I was just stating an opinion regarding the fact that changing your IMEI is kinda immoral considering that that practice is done mostly on stolen phones in order to use them on any network after they've been reported.
So to put it plainly there is no law that forbids it and it'd be nice if you read posts before attacking the posters.
While I agree that yelling is normally in bad taste, I feel strongly that someone needs to be yelling about this. In every forum I go to, every time this question is asked we get flooded with meaningless opinions, nearly every one of them saying that even thinking it is illegal. Rubbish. Up until very recently, IMEI numbers stood a good chance of not even being unique, and even now many may not be, since phone manufacturers are assigned blocks of numbers, and it is up to them to govern the assignment of the IMEI to the hardware.
As it stands, GSM operators in the US are using your IMEI number to make sure you are being charged for a data plan if you use a smartphone, even if you don't want a data plan.
I, for one, would like my provider to think I'm using a RAZR or any other dumbphone, and the only way to do it is to spoof my IMEI. I don't believe it is illegal to do so, although my provider would surely be peeved. iPhone users can do this with a bit of software.
Here is what I'd like to see from this conversaation:
1. Establish conclusively that IMEI changes are legal.
2. Discuss methods by which a new IMEI could be entered in software.
3. Avoid discussing how the carriers may feel about it. We already rooted, right?
Again, I apologize for ruffling feathers by shouting. I hope the message came across to those with opinions but no facts. This is a legitimate question of fair-use, and I'd love to hear from someone who has facts regarding the legality of this idea. Even better, I'd welcome a way to actually accomplish the change.
Thank you for your answer, I honestly thought that you were just flaming for flaming's sake.
Sadly there's not much info anywhere besides a lawyer's office, after some serious digging, most people seem to think that changing an IMEI in the US is a Class C felony, however no one knows exactly where is that law written.
I'd also advise you on asking these kinds of things in the forum 'cause I know people have been banned for asking these kinds of things. I know that's stupid but some mods in the forum think that just asking a question about something illegal in certain countries constitutes a felony in an of itself.
So, to sum things up:
1) Apparently it's illegal to change your IMEI, but I'd consult with a lawyer to know exactly where is that written.
2) People in general think that just talking about illegal activities is a felony so I'd expect much hate towards you for asking.
3) IMEI's in smartphones are not software based, meaning if you want to change it you'd need to isolate the chip on which they're located and change it with dongles and flasher tools (not software)
Sorry that I can't say anymore but I'm not from the US so that's all the info I can gather.
I do know in the uk it is a arrestable offense to change a phones imei no., dont know about anywere else.
I found a seller on eBay that changed my IMEI for $50. I bet he can give you any IMEI you want. He claims to change the mother board with that of a different IMEI but im sure he is just using the flash tools I read about wile doing google searches. The flash tools are physical items that connect into the phones usb port and or directly to the chip on the motherboard. They cost about $500. There are also ways to do it via software on some phones especially androids but there is more risk involved for the do it your selfer.
I am such a do it your selfer and after reading about it for 12 hours I decided that id have to read about it for 3 more before I felt comfortable and even then the risk of bricking was greater then having the pros do it for me. This high risk level is why you dont see much talk of the processes in the forums online. The pros know its best to use the hardware so they buy it and protect the process by not disclosing it online. The talk of its process that I did find on line involves so many abbreviations and new terms that I was heavily burdened with not understanding.
The bottom line is unless you plan on doing it for an income its not worth learning how to do.
Now back to the original question. Will the internet work on a smart phone if you change the IMEI to that of a none smart phone? Will you be stuck using the carriers dumbed down WAP internet or have no internet at all? Maybe you could run some sort of dumb phone simulator to gain access to a dumb phones web browser program?
For those of you that want to rag on me for reviving an old thread. Know that many people like my self searching google for knowledge end up here and will see my post. Thats how I got here so this thread is not so dead after all. Threads that start with a real question need more real answers.
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Here is a software example of how to change the IMEI of a cretin android.
I doubt this app works on any other model.
http://changemtkimei.blogspot.com/
As I remember, I lost the IMEI (actually it was replaced by something like 00499010640000) on my Samsung Galaxy i9000 and Galaxy Tab P6200 when I SIM unlocked them, so at least on Samsung this is possible, the IMEI was stored in the EFS files.
I bought a Motorola Photon, and if possible, I'd like to get it running on Boost Mobile. I really need some guidance on what to do. From scanning the forums for other phones, it seems I need to do more than root it--I need to unlock it. Do you I need to use something like Pudding? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1216143)
I realize at this point that I would not be able to use 4g with Boost.
Any help and suggestions are appreciated.
stellar7 said:
I bought a Motorola Photon, and if possible, I'd like to get it running on Boost Mobile. I really need some guidance on what to do. From scanning the forums for other phones, it seems I need to do more than root it--I need to unlock it. Do you I need to use something like Pudding? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1216143)
I realize at this point that I would not be able to use 4g with Boost.
Any help and suggestions are appreciated.
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You need a Boost phone, this phone will not work on Boost, whether you root and unlock it or not.
What he said. There currently isnt a way to unlock for domestic carriers. Sorry to say but your sol at the moment. Might as well sell it.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Doesn't boost carry the other Motorola phone like the Photon? Starts with an E. I can't remember what it's called at the moment though.
Edit...
Electrify.....Not sure if Boost DOES have it. But figured I'd put that possibility out there. If they don't, Sorry!
No, they don't. Check out Boostmobile.com to see the phones they carry.
xTMFxOffshore said:
Doesn't boost carry the other Motorola phone like the Photon? Starts with an E. I can't remember what it's called at the moment though.
Edit...
Electrify.....Not sure if Boost DOES have it. But figured I'd put that possibility out there. If they don't, Sorry!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
stellar7 said:
I bought a Motorola Photon, and if possible, I'd like to get it running on Boost Mobile. I really need some guidance on what to do. From scanning the forums for other phones, it seems I need to do more than root it--I need to unlock it. Do you I need to use something like Pudding? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1216143)
I realize at this point that I would not be able to use 4g with Boost.
Any help and suggestions are appreciated.
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Click to collapse
yes it is possible, but you wont find any help here. its a legal grey matter on the process. im sure if you check craigslist you can find someone that does it for a modest fee
I thought they did. Don't have nor want Boost.
Sent from my Photon via XDA
shabbypenguin said:
yes it is possible, but you wont find any help here. its a legal grey matter on the process. im sure if you check craigslist you can find someone that does it for a modest fee
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Thanks everyone for your input. Thanks especially to shabbypenguin for the information.
This can be done with most htc and samsung phones, but [modern] motorola phones are nearly, if not completely, impossible.
there is a big dif between rooting and unlocking the bootloader vs unlocking the phone for dif carrier use. u would have to unlock the spl to use it on a dif carrier. good luck with that. might as well get a new phone.
That is what everyone has been saying. It's near impossible.
Sent from my Photon via XDA
This doesn't make any sense. You want to move your photon over to Boost? Why?
If you bought on a new/upgrade contract price, you are already in the contract and can use it on Sprint. Why would you move it to a network that won't support it (officially anyway) and also won't support the Photon's 4G?
If you bought out of contract, you paid a high (full) price for it. Why would you bring it to a network with crappier speeds than sprint and doesn't support your phone's 4G. You would have been better off buying a Boost phone on contract.
In addition, methods to enable your photon to work on Boost can cause issues like SMS or MMS not working or not working reliably. Basically, its not worth the trouble and I can't understand why anyone would want to do it. If you want to use Boost's network so much, why not save yourself the hassle and just get a phone from them and officially supported by them.
Some people don't think or look at the bigger picture I s'pose.
Sent from my Photon via XDA
shabbypenguin said:
yes it is possible, but you wont find any help here. its a legal grey matter on the process. im sure if you check craigslist you can find someone that does it for a modest fee
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well i cant get into the legal aspect as im no lawyer but ive done over a 00 EVO4G,3d,EPIC,TRANSFORMER,MOMENT,EPICTOUCH,SHIFT,SAMMY7INCH TAB AND MORE! but i have yet to figure out the notorola PHOTON TO BOOST MOBILE SOLUTION! and im deperate as i ran out and dropped cash money for a NIB unit from the sprint store where i live! so if you have any at all help please PM me asap thanks
PS
there are other threads here about htc solutions but no other brands that ive seen anyway alot of the stuff was lost when MOBILE-FILES STOP ALLOWING THOSE TYPES OF THREADS
---------- Post added at 05:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:39 PM ----------
illa said:
there is a big dif between rooting and unlocking the bootloader vs unlocking the phone for dif carrier use. U would have to unlock the spl to use it on a dif carrier. Good luck with that. Might as well get a new phone.
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na not quite actually he would have to modify the esn/dec
---------- Post added at 05:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:43 PM ----------
wintrxtrem said:
This can be done with most htc and samsung phones, but [modern] motorola phones are nearly, if not completely, impossible.
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ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE BUT YOU ARE RIGHT MOTOROLA IS PRETTY MUCH LOCKED for NOW but someone somewhere knows something! either way it sucks as i think that if you buy the phone you should be able to take it anywhere as it's yours ( hey the gsm guys can! why not the CDMA guy's?
either thanks to all
---------- Post added at 06:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:47 PM ----------
MultiDev said:
This doesn't make any sense. You want to move your photon over to Boost? Why?
If you bought on a new/upgrade contract price, you are already in the contract and can use it on Sprint. Why would you move it to a network that won't support it (officially anyway) and also won't support the Photon's 4G?
If you bought out of contract, you paid a high (full) price for it. Why would you bring it to a network with crappier speeds than sprint and doesn't support your phone's 4G. You would have been better off buying a Boost phone on contract.
In addition, methods to enable your photon to work on Boost can cause issues like SMS or MMS not working or not working reliably. Basically, its not worth the trouble and I can't understand why anyone would want to do it. If you want to use Boost's network so much, why not save yourself the hassle and just get a phone from them and officially supported by them.
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its all good and some of what you say is tru but i personally rather take the one time hit of the full price phone versus the long lasting spendy contract! and far as speeds the spped that is different on the boost to sprint conversions is 4G which does not work at all as boost only supports 3g and iden but spped wise boost cdma and sprint cdma is the same in one! the diiference is in the handset
as you can run a boost phone like a incognito or prevail and they get 3g but you can take a sprint phone such as my baby V950 renegade which supports EVDO revA and the sppeds double at least. its in the cheap handsets where they slow you down if you dont believe me run the slowest of them all the motorola bali or mirro and speedtest dslreports.com/mspeed and then same line same area test any sprint hanset that you can activate on boost legally threw customer service and you will see the spped double instanly as they are built to be faster clearer and handle more data. thats why i rocked the sprint OOOG V3m RED EDITION for almost 2yrs shortly after it came out! and that was when boost mobile cdma was only in 13 test states either way to each his/her own i'm still tring to figure mine out but i'm close to quiting
Hell, Id love to see this on BoostMobile as well!
That or the GSM unlocked for TMobile/SimpleMobile (yes I am aware 4G and HSPA+ wont work, IDGAFRA, thats i dont give a flying rats arse)...
Sprint can blow me, At work and home and (when I was attending) school I had to use my Airave or WiFi, almost no service where I specifically was at, and I am sorry, but if you cant serve my home with even simple Voice/Data, I am not going to pay you an extra $10 a month for service I dont get, and before the "get another phone" nimrods chime in, I want the hardware on the Photon, there isnt another exactly like it at the moment (even the Atrix 2 falls short, and ill die before I use AT&T)...
Not only that but the last person I talked to in retentions leveled with me and we came to the agreement that Sprint is just trying to bleed customers dry by double charging for hardware (after-all, thats exactly what they are doing), its too bad he wouldn't consent to being recorded
BUT I left sprint after 5 years, convinced my parents of 7 years, and a few friends/extended family, and a few school friends/members as well (I helped them pick out and setup/tweak/config their new phones on other carriers, small price to pay to stick it to Sprint, 20~ customers might be a drop in the bucket to them, but dammit its my drop in the bucket! I hope the bottom rusts out!!!), so I am happy!
Using my HD2 right now, wanted the Photon, but until it gets BoostMobile (yeah, underling of Sprint i know, irony present), or an up-to-date cricket or Tmobile/SimpleMobile ability, I am stuck with mah HD2
stellar7 said:
I bought a Motorola Photon, and if possible, I'd like to get it running on Boost Mobile. I really need some guidance on what to do. From scanning the forums for other phones, it seems I need to do more than root it--I need to unlock it. Do you I need to use something like Pudding? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1216143)
I realize at this point that I would not be able to use 4g with Boost.
Any help and suggestions are appreciated.
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Click to collapse
After researching this for a friend, some months ago. This is what I found, from other sites. I have no personal experience, just reporting others experiences.
"What works is to call Boost Customer Service and Play Dumb. Don't volunteer information. Tell them for example, that you/your kids broke your phone and someone gave you their old one. Give them the ESN and if they ask you what sort of phone Play Dumb and tell them you don't know "Um its a clamshell with a keyboard?" If they tell you it can't be activated, thank them and hang up. Keep trying, you will eventually get an operator who will swap it in for you."
"Alright guys this is my first post to help you guys out. I just "migrated" my sprint number to a boost Mirro I bought at wal mart. I set up service of course first and for most. Then called the boost customer care line... You'll have to log into your boost account... go to support and contact customer care... The 800 number is at the bottom of the screen left hand corner. You'll have to of course call the number from a different phone than the one on your account. At that time when you call and enter in all the info the automated system asks for make sure you let them know that your calling to report a lost/damaged/stolen phone. It will ask you to enter in the hex esn id... you'll have to do this a couple times... Then the automated system will "give up" and put you on the line with a human. I told them my phone kept resetting and that I bought another, and verified the esn number from phone I wanted active on the account (touch pro), as well told the csr that this was the same style phone I had. No questions asked he got it activated, I did a hard reset on my phone, and then went in and hit update profile... (Not sure if I had to do the hard reset... but that's what active sync is for) All working just fine... Just thought I'd try and help."
Good Luck.
rbeavers said:
After researching this for a friend, some months ago. This is what I found, from other sites. I have no personal experience, just reporting others experiences.
"What works is to call Boost Customer Service and Play Dumb. Don't volunteer information. Tell them for example, that you/your kids broke your phone and someone gave you their old one. Give them the ESN and if they ask you what sort of phone Play Dumb and tell them you don't know "Um its a clamshell with a keyboard?" If they tell you it can't be activated, thank them and hang up. Keep trying, you will eventually get an operator who will swap it in for you."
"Alright guys this is my first post to help you guys out. I just "migrated" my sprint number to a boost Mirro I bought at wal mart. I set up service of course first and for most. Then called the boost customer care line... You'll have to log into your boost account... go to support and contact customer care... The 800 number is at the bottom of the screen left hand corner. You'll have to of course call the number from a different phone than the one on your account. At that time when you call and enter in all the info the automated system asks for make sure you let them know that your calling to report a lost/damaged/stolen phone. It will ask you to enter in the hex esn id... you'll have to do this a couple times... Then the automated system will "give up" and put you on the line with a human. I told them my phone kept resetting and that I bought another, and verified the esn number from phone I wanted active on the account (touch pro), as well told the csr that this was the same style phone I had. No questions asked he got it activated, I did a hard reset on my phone, and then went in and hit update profile... (Not sure if I had to do the hard reset... but that's what active sync is for) All working just fine... Just thought I'd try and help."
Good Luck.
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thanks for the input but this is old news we are trying to figure out if this phone has a repair solution as far as ME)&*(&(+ or ES&^)(*&_()*+ thats all the getting the phone on the account is cheese cake ive did over a 1000 and thats being nice as i have been doing it every since boost mobile cdma was only in 13 test states either way hope i did not affend you but i'm really trying to get the photon on boost mobile and its not impossible at all just need leaked info or someone who works at motorola as a developer/programmer ? at least thats my guess
sdwyz74 said:
thanks for the input but this is old news we are trying to figure out if this phone has a repair solution as far as ME)&*(&(+ or ES&^)(*&_()*+ thats all the getting the phone on the account is cheese cake ive did over a 1000 and thats being nice as i have been doing it every since boost mobile cdma was only in 13 test states either way hope i did not affend you but i'm really trying to get the photon on boost mobile and its not impossible at all just need leaked info or someone who works at motorola as a developer/programmer ? at least thats my guess
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Click to collapse
As stated in earlier post, some numbers are illegal to change.
____________
Hope your Good @ It
Yeah, I wouldn't screw with it too much.
rbeavers said:
As stated in earlier post, some numbers are illegal to change.
____________
Hope your Good @ It
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Can you please site a statue or regulations that says that. Is this state or federal law that would be broken, or maybe an FCC regulations.
People just blur out that its illegal without any proof.
I found this article that would suggest that there is nothing illegal about it, but if someone can point me a source that would prove otherwise I that be great.
http://cellagainfranchise.com/breaking-news-unlockingflashingjailbreaking-any-cell-phone-has-become-legal/
Thanks
Hey all,
I have an LG Optimus V and well, Ole' Bessie is burning through her final days. She just can't handle the workload as well as she used to. My friend offered to sell me his Photon because he is leaving Sprint soon. Virgin Mobile is picking up 4G soon so I was wondering if I could put the Photon on Virgin Mobile. I would do ESN swapping but I'm giving my OV to my mom so that is strictly out of the question. Do you think I could smooth talk a Best Buy employee into setting me up with a VM ESN or do you think maybe a customer service rep would maybe let it through? Considering the fact that they are both Sprint-run, I'd assume that there shan't be too much of a problem. I've read about people doing this kind of stuff with the Evo 4G where they call up Boost (also Sprint) and give them the phone's serial number. In alot of cases the reps just let it into the system. What are your thoughts on this, and has anyone gotten their Photon onto Virgin Mobile with stuff like MMS and 3G data working (I'm not too crazy about 4G because I live in the woods anyways so there is no 4G service near me)?
Thanks, worldindo1.
worldindo1 said:
Hey all,
I have an LG Optimus V and well, Ole' Bessie is burning through her final days. She just can't handle the workload as well as she used to. My friend offered to sell me his Photon because he is leaving Sprint soon. Virgin Mobile is picking up 4G soon so I was wondering if I could put the Photon on Virgin Mobile. I would do ESN swapping but I'm giving my OV to my mom so that is strictly out of the question. Do you think I could smooth talk a Best Buy employee into setting me up with a VM ESN or do you think maybe a customer service rep would maybe let it through? Considering the fact that they are both Sprint-run, I'd assume that there shan't be too much of a problem. I've read about people doing this kind of stuff with the Evo 4G where they call up Boost (also Sprint) and give them the phone's serial number. In alot of cases the reps just let it into the system. What are your thoughts on this, and has anyone gotten their Photon onto Virgin Mobile with stuff like MMS and 3G data working (I'm not too crazy about 4G because I live in the woods anyways so there is no 4G service near me)?
Thanks, worldindo1.
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Click to collapse
From everything I have read on the subject the only way to do it would be illegally and with some know how.
CCallahan said:
From everything I have read on the subject the only way to do it would be illegally and with some know how.
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Click to collapse
Well, as I mentioned with ESN swapping, that isn't illegal. The "technically" illegal part is CDMA Workshop. But that is neither here nor there. I'll see if I can get Best Buy to do it for me.
worldindo1 said:
Well, as I mentioned with ESN swapping, that isn't illegal. The "technically" illegal part is CDMA Workshop. But that is neither here nor there. I'll see if I can get Best Buy to do it for me.
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Click to collapse
Post your results and let us know how that goes.
Also, here is a thread on Phandroid about this subject and if you check post 14+ Loki has said that ESN swapping is in fact illegal (even just talking about it): http://androidforums.com/motorola-p...ize-sim-card-does-photon-use.html#post4293152
I have no knowledge on the subject personally but have no reason to doubt it.
esn changing "swapping" is illegal. if you were repairing an esn it would however be okay. but spoofing an esn for that purpose is illegal.
i am not a moderator but i have seen posts like this many times and they all get shut down. so this post will probably end here.
ask virgin mobile if they'll allow you to use the photon on their network. that's about your only option.
na7q said:
esn changing "swapping" is illegal. if you were repairing an esn it would however be okay. but spoofing an esn for that purpose is illegal.
i am not a moderator but i have seen posts like this many times and they all get shut down. so this post will probably end here.
ask virgin mobile if they'll allow you to use the photon on their network. that's about your only option.
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Again, au contraire. If I were to sit around and scan ESN numbers from OTHERS phones, that is illegal. If I have a preexisting service with VM, it's not illegal to do with my property what I please. In fact, since 2003 ESN swapping has not been illegal. Theft and using your own property are 2 different ballparks. Say I bought a 4G VM phone and used that phone's ESN for the Photon, I would be using the same service and the same data that I would with my donor phone. This sits in a gray area of law, where the uses and methods of obtaining the ESN determine it's legality or illegality. While I'm paying for my service, I own all of the data and numbers attached to my account. You have to step back to see the whole picture. And for the mods, this is NOT me asking how to change my ESN or instructing anyone in how to do so. I already know how. I just figured a bit of input might be wonderful, and to see if anyone has gotten their Photon on VM. I also did not make this thread to hash out the legality of ESN modification. I have rested my case above.
EDIT: Cloning was the word I was looking for. If you clone someone's ESN without permission or their prior knowledge, it's by every definition illegal. Normally just simply notifying the company that you have multiple phones (say you want a cheap phone to use for business trips), they will shrug and go, "Hmmph, whatever." This phone I'd be buying is unlocked anyways. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean I can go to any service I want?
This is my Tapatalk 2 signature. Rockin' the app on my Nook Color running ICS 4.0.4, courtesy of Dalingrin, Fattire, and our other beloved XDA weenies (nemith, keyodi, arcee, hacdan, etc.)... oh, can't forget eyeballer
I haven't heard of anyone being successful switching phone over to VM. Please let us know the outcome once you get further into the process.
Hi ,
I can't yet post in the development section so here i am. What i am wanting to do is switch carriers and use MetroPCS. I bought my photon 4g and i don't want to have to trash it or sell it since i am switching. And yes, i do know that my phone is 4G Wimax and is not compatible with Metro's 4G LTE service. That is fine, as i will flash the CM9 ICS ROM on to it which disables 4G, anyway.
I know that this can be a sensitive subject for some and that some people use certain methods to get around the restrictions on stolen phones. My phone is paid for and payments are current. I do not need ANY information that will lead to any topics being illegal. So. Let me begin my long and drawn out cry for help.
I have obtained my MSL/SPC code from Sprint. She told me how to get in and change my number by going to my dialer and pressing ##MSL#, etc. But i know that this is not all that is necessary to fully flash to MetroPCS. I heard something about changing information in some NV files and saving the changes, then flashing the desired carriers PRL on to the phone using QPST or something like that. I'm not too sure. Is this all that is required? Am i missing something? How do i do this ?
I also ran accross a site/program that makes the entire process of flashing to ANYTHING extremely easy and wanted to know if this looks legit to others. Here is the video on their website.
https://magicalphones.com/site/index.php?page=videos
If there is a step-by-step guide that someone knows of that applies to my Photon 4G, that would be extremely helpful. I do not understand why i cannot find a single site with a step by step guide on this. If i can get this thing figured out i will give back to the community by putting together a detailed guide myself.
Please help i really need to save a couple bucks by switching to Geico.. i mean metropcs =p ... Plus its bothering me that i can easily root and flash ROMs on to any device but i can't figure out how to properly flash to another carrier !!
BUMP ?
I really cannot believe how people refuse to help on this subject. It requires a lot of research... but why help someone on almost every single other topic except this one? It's just retarded if you ask me...
But to save anybody who is trying to do the same thing that i was time, i will provide information that pretty much everyone else refuses to give.
If your flashing your CDMA device to a different carrier.... Ensure that they will add your phone's ESN to their database. If they DO NOT, then don't even bother starting up QPST or whatever you use to flash the carriers info. Bigger carriers like Sprint and Verizon will most likely do it for you at no problem. Because you pay a ridiculous amount and they say "Why not".
I was researching how to flash my Photon 4G to MetroPCS for hours upon hours, only to find out after visiting a metro store that all software to add the ESN to their database was taken away from allMetroPCS dealers. Their are some people that say they can flash it to metro on craigslist... but if metropcs has taken software from ALL Authorized Dealers.... then how are they doing it? Stay away from those because they are most likely cloning ESN's which is ILLEGAL and you can do fed time for it.
This is why i kept searching and searching and searching... i thought to myself "If THEY can do it, then i can learn how to do it no problem". So either A.) They are cloning ESN's or B.) I haven't done my research correctly and there is a work-around to get the ESN added to their database. If someone finds out, PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW ! =)
If your goal is to save some money, have you considered Straight Talk? It seems like there's decent success using domestic gsm carriers, and it's pretty well documented:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1664212
chairman_meow said:
If your goal is to save some money, have you considered Straight Talk? It seems like there's decent success using domestic gsm carriers, and it's pretty well documented:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1664212
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seconded
Keep under 100MB data usage a day and you are golden. Been using them for just over a month now with AT&T's fauxG support.
exitpr0gram said:
I really cannot believe how people refuse to help on this subject. It requires a lot of research... but why help someone on almost every single other topic except this one? It's just retarded if you ask me...
But to save anybody who is trying to do the same thing that i was time, i will provide information that pretty much everyone else refuses to give.
If your flashing your CDMA device to a different carrier.... Ensure that they will add your phone's ESN to their database. If they DO NOT, then don't even bother starting up QPST or whatever you use to flash the carriers info. Bigger carriers like Sprint and Verizon will most likely do it for you at no problem. Because you pay a ridiculous amount and they say "Why not".
I was researching how to flash my Photon 4G to MetroPCS for hours upon hours, only to find out after visiting a metro store that all software to add the ESN to their database was taken away from allMetroPCS dealers. Their are some people that say they can flash it to metro on craigslist... but if metropcs has taken software from ALL Authorized Dealers.... then how are they doing it? Stay away from those because they are most likely cloning ESN's which is ILLEGAL and you can do fed time for it.
This is why i kept searching and searching and searching... i thought to myself "If THEY can do it, then i can learn how to do it no problem". So either A.) They are cloning ESN's or B.) I haven't done my research correctly and there is a work-around to get the ESN added to their database. If someone finds out, PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW ! =)
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NO, they are not cloning,whats happening here is that this stores still have Houdini credits left,soon as they use all this credits flash will be gone forever...(unless someone do it the illegal way)
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
metalsnakebite said:
MOD EDIT....
Sorry that I didn't go into detail, hope this helps in your "educational endeavours ".
"the beauty of ignorance is possible denial, the disgust of the ignorant the lack of wanting to learn"
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I would love to see you try,lol
Also clonning is highly illegal...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Illegal Cloning
Ok Folks, listen up.
It's against XDA rules to discuss illegal activities. IE; Cloning of phones.
I think you all know this. This is to include suggestive or subtle "hints", as in "educational purposes only". It's also against rules to "urge or tempt" somebody to engage in such activities.
There are lots of sites that condone these activities, but XDA is not one of them.
Any further discussion of illegal activities will result in thread deletion.
MD
Sorry boss I was completely wrong to even hint such things my bad. Will never happen again.
"the beauty of ignorance is possible denial, the disgust of the ignorant the lack of wanting to learn"
Ok,when I said "would love to see you try" I didnt mean to tempt him,just trying to discourage him,btw wont happen again...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
My daughter got duped and bought a stolen SGII for Boost Mobile (the previous owner's service was still active when she got it). Is there a way to re-flash it or hack it so it can be activated on her Boost Mobile account? If not, is there a way to flash/hack it to run on Sprint, Verizon or Credo Mobile?
Thanks in advance
I'm sure what you want to is illegal.
Contact the owner and return it.
I has a sig
neuropsychosis said:
I'm sure what you want to is illegal.
Contact the owner and return it.
I has a sig
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Okay, well forget the "illegal" part (altering the MEID/DEC). It appears its common to flash phones TO Boost from Sprint and Verizon, but not the other way around (FROM Boost to Sprint and Verizon) - is this a correct observation? Even if I could flash from Boost to Sprint and Verizon, would I be able to activate the phone given that its not able to activate on Boost?
Oh and we did contact the owner, but since she promised to smack the ish out of my child so there goes being nice.
What does the sticker on the phone chassis under the battery say ? Irrespective of that, it's an issue to sort out with the carrier given it's obviously IMEI blocked. There is nothing 'legitimate' you can do to fix it, and talk of anything 'not legitimate' is not allowed here.
DiGiTY said:
Okay, well forget the "illegal" part (altering the MEID/DEC). It appears its common to flash phones TO Boost from Sprint and Verizon, but not the other way around (FROM Boost to Sprint and Verizon) - is this a correct observation? Even if I could flash from Boost to Sprint and Verizon, would I be able to activate the phone given that its not able to activate on Boost?
Oh and we did contact the owner, but since she promised to smack the ish out of my child so there goes being nice.
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Yeah..previous owners are like that.
Sent from the little guy
Contact the owner and return it
or just have a lucky chance to bump the IMEI with generic one....or else sale it oversea....at least you get yr money back
illegal, thread closed. Also IMEI changing is illegal in most countries so discussion on this isnt allowed either.