Confusion about phone unlocking ...DMCA ..is it legal or illegal? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

We would like to buy a new or used unlocked phone from eBay or Amazon...
I asked sellers questions about legality of unlock...
Some of them said it is legal because phones in question were made prior to Jan. 26 2103.
To my understanding its does not matter when phone was made...as long as you unlocked it without carrier's
permission you can be in trouble correct? please advise...
Some others said that we buy directly from ATnT and At&t provided us the unlock codes..
How can I verify that its true?
Also, how can police or manufacturer will find out when exactly phone in question was unlocked?
Also, this law applies only to people who unlocks it illegally (without carrier's permission) or it also applies to people
who buys already unlocked phone (not actually unlock it themselves but may be aiding crime by buying those phones)
its confusing language when it says you can't unlock phone without carrier's permission after Jan. 26 2013...

That depends on whether you live under the iron fist of a tyrannical government that's wholly owned by the corporations and is taking away all your freedoms one day after the next, or a free nation where you can do what you like to something you own.

Related

Nokia Lumia 920 Unlock will be available from May 9th via ATT

Hi,
I was getting my Iphone unlocked this morning and I asked ATT rep when would I be able to request a unlock code for Lumia 920 and rep answered May 9th. so hopefully from may 9th we will be able get a unlock codes from ATT. :good:
First date they gave me was 28th Feb.. then 16th March.. then June..
so now we have May9th..
AT&T... balls..
It is always 6-month from the release day (for nearly all new AT&T smartphones, not just Lumias). So, L920 was released on Nov. 9, 2012. May 9, 2013 is exactly six months later. That's the correct date. Any other dates are pure BS.
jhogal1 said:
Hi,
I was getting my Iphone unlocked this morning and I asked ATT rep when would I be able to request a unlock code for Lumia 920 and rep answered May 9th. so hopefully from may 9th we will be able get a unlock codes from ATT. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm thinking that is really the date friend of mine who works at att was trying to get unlock code for me but after running my imei he told me not till may 9th
You would think if May 9 is the date that there be a media blitz or some public announcement about this for an Iconic device.
Only iPhone get that kind of media attantion. Lumia 920 hardly a big sell on AT&T. I'd bet GS3 sold multiple times of L920. All new phones from AT&T has lock out period.
I have small query, If i buy AT&T L920 now(off contract)... and my phone is no longer in US when unlock codes are released by AT&T.. will i be able to retrieve unlock code for my 920 over the web or any other mode outside US?
harmish2687 said:
I have small query, If i buy AT&T L920 now(off contract)... and my phone is no longer in US when unlock codes are released by AT&T.. will i be able to retrieve unlock code for my 920 over the web or any other mode outside US?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way to get unlock code from AT&T is to call AT&T customer service. Officially, AT&T only offer unlock code to its customers. They don't have any obligation to offer non-customer the code but in the past they do offer them to you.
foxbat121 said:
The only way to get unlock code from AT&T is to call AT&T customer service. Officially, AT&T only offer unlock code to its customers. They don't have any obligation to offer non-customer the code but in the past they do offer them to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it isn't. We provide unlock codes as part of our business. We don't call their customer service team for each unlock code that is ordered.
Codes are kept in a database corresponding to each unique IMEI. Therefore, if you have access to the databases, you can obtain the unlock codes.
mobileunlocked said:
Actually it isn't. We provide unlock codes as part of our business. We don't call their customer service team for each unlock code that is ordered.
Codes are kept in a database corresponding to each unique IMEI. Therefore, if you have access to the databases, you can obtain the unlock codes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK, there is no outside access to the unlock code database for Nokia phones within lockout period. This is true for Lumia 900 and still true for Lumia 920.
FINALLY
Well, on my 4th call to ATT customer service I managed to get the rep to open a case, he gave me a case number and said I should be receiving an email within a week with my unlock code because I purchased the phone outright and it is not tied to my contract!!! you see, I dont have att service but my in-laws do, for a long time now....So, I called about 4 days ago and said I had a new phone that my children (impersonating a 60 yr old woman) bought for me because they knew how much I hated my current phone, so I registered it on my account and what not, then I explained to the rep that I was traveling to europe and that I needed to use my phone there with a local carrier because I did not want to incur any extra expenses with att, they then proceeded to ask for my IMEI and then to tell me that my phone was not eligible to be unlocked because there was an agreement between Nokia and att, I asked what should I do, that I couldnt believe that I had to purchase a phone in europe, that I was with att because of their 'easy ways' etc......I was transferred to another rep who just explained in detail why the phone could not be unlocked and told me that I should try to "rent a phone"......I initially stated that I was staying in europe for about one week and I was very very nice!, well, they would not help me. TODAY I called with a NOT SO NICE ATTITUDE, i stated that I was traveling to europe and would be staying for maybe 5 months, that I had called previously and was told that I could not be helped but that a friend of the family which was in my same circumstance, had his phone unlocked, so I was calling back because of this, because I had been with att for about 10 yrs and I needed to be able to use my phone, blah blah blah.... well the lady rep told me that my phone was not eligible to be unlocked (after i provided my imei), that I had not met the requirements for this, which were to have the phone for at least 1 year, etc.... I told her that the phone was purchased outright from my children who knew how much I hated the phone THAT WAS TIED TO MY CONTRACT, well, the rep started to get nasty and i did as well, I told her to transfer me to a superior which she did, then, I got a male rep on the phone who was very nice and basically explained to me in depth what this other lady said, I then said that I did not understand how other people that have not been with att for so long have been able to get the unlock code when traveling abroad, and I am not being helped, etc etc.... he then said that because there is an exclusivity agreement and the phone is tied to a contract that I could not have it unlocked, then I explained that the phone that I purchased on the contract was my older one, that the lumia was given to me by my children and that they paid around 500 dlls for it, that to please escalate this to the unlock team who sent my 'friend' an email unlocking his device, then the rep said that he was going to open a case to see if they could help me since i purchased the phone 'outright'!!
......SO, now I just have to wait!! hopefully it works out!!!!
SORRY FOR THE LONG POST BUT ALL OF THIS POINTS TO:
1) Find a friend or family member that is in good standing with att and ask them if you can impersonate them
2) KEEP CALLING THEM!!! You'll get there in the end..... It only took me 4 phone calls!
I will let you know if it works!!! :fingers-crossed:
p.s I just could not wait until May 9th, blame it on my ADHD!!!!!
if i purchased the phone on eBay from 3rd party can I still ask At&T to unlock the phone starting May 1st? or only the original acquirer can have it unlocked
Talk to the seller and ask if he has activated the phone on at&t network also if he is a customer or not. If everything is positive then at&t may entertain your request else, wait till 2 nd week of may. Hopefully third party unlock code providers will start unlocking. But also be aware that as soon as these services are available the prices on eBay and other such sites will shoot up.
Sent from my Venue Pro using Board Express
Pics or it didn't happen...
yusssi said:
Well, on my 4th call to ATT customer service I managed to get the rep to open a case, he gave me a case number and said I should be receiving an email within a week with my unlock code because I purchased the phone outright and it is not tied to my contract!!! you see, I dont have att service but my in-laws do, for a long time now....So, I called about 4 days ago and said I had a new phone that my children (impersonating a 60 yr old woman) bought for me because they knew how much I hated my current phone, so I registered it on my account and what not, then I explained to the rep that I was traveling to europe and that I needed to use my phone there with a local carrier because I did not want to incur any extra expenses with att, they then proceeded to ask for my IMEI and then to tell me that my phone was not eligible to be unlocked because there was an agreement between Nokia and att, I asked what should I do, that I couldnt believe that I had to purchase a phone in europe, that I was with att because of their 'easy ways' etc......I was transferred to another rep who just explained in detail why the phone could not be unlocked and told me that I should try to "rent a phone"......I initially stated that I was staying in europe for about one week and I was very very nice!, well, they would not help me. TODAY I called with a NOT SO NICE ATTITUDE, i stated that I was traveling to europe and would be staying for maybe 5 months, that I had called previously and was told that I could not be helped but that a friend of the family which was in my same circumstance, had his phone unlocked, so I was calling back because of this, because I had been with att for about 10 yrs and I needed to be able to use my phone, blah blah blah.... well the lady rep told me that my phone was not eligible to be unlocked (after i provided my imei), that I had not met the requirements for this, which were to have the phone for at least 1 year, etc.... I told her that the phone was purchased outright from my children who knew how much I hated the phone THAT WAS TIED TO MY CONTRACT, well, the rep started to get nasty and i did as well, I told her to transfer me to a superior which she did, then, I got a male rep on the phone who was very nice and basically explained to me in depth what this other lady said, I then said that I did not understand how other people that have not been with att for so long have been able to get the unlock code when traveling abroad, and I am not being helped, etc etc.... he then said that because there is an exclusivity agreement and the phone is tied to a contract that I could not have it unlocked, then I explained that the phone that I purchased on the contract was my older one, that the lumia was given to me by my children and that they paid around 500 dlls for it, that to please escalate this to the unlock team who sent my 'friend' an email unlocking his device, then the rep said that he was going to open a case to see if they could help me since i purchased the phone 'outright'!!
......SO, now I just have to wait!! hopefully it works out!!!!
SORRY FOR THE LONG POST BUT ALL OF THIS POINTS TO:
1) Find a friend or family member that is in good standing with att and ask them if you can impersonate them
2) KEEP CALLING THEM!!! You'll get there in the end..... It only took me 4 phone calls!
I will let you know if it works!!! :fingers-crossed:
p.s I just could not wait until May 9th, blame it on my ADHD!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you provide screenshots to prove your Lumia 920 is, in fact, unlocked? I've seen a handful of posts purporting this to be doable and have tried for countless hours myself with no luck, even when certain 'helpful staff' attempt to get a code for my phone, they come back all saying the same thing - even if they wanted to, they couldn't get one until May 9th because the codes haven't even been generated and handed over by Nokia yet due to the exclusivity agreement.
StargazerLilly said:
Can you provide screenshots to prove your Lumia 920 is, in fact, unlocked? I've seen a handful of posts purporting this to be doable and have tried for countless hours myself with no luck, even when certain 'helpful staff' attempt to get a code for my phone, they come back all saying the same thing - even if they wanted to, they couldn't get one until May 9th because the codes haven't even been generated and handed over by Nokia yet due to the exclusivity agreement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That simply means someone up in the chain spotted the error and denied your request. It happens all the time. But once in a while, a request goes through and unlock code obtained. Nothing wrong with that. It's just your luck.
I've done that successfully once.
Yeah... There are three other people I know with the AT&T Lumia 920..
And they have all gotten theirs unlocked by AT&T and we're not even in the US, never had an account with AT&T or anything..
I'm the only one who hasn't had any luck...
So I know it's possible.. I've seen their phone and they are all using them on the local network.. it's very upsetting that I haven't gotten through..
about ATT Lumia920 hotspot
Dear
Although the ATT 920 is unlocked but
that still can't workable for hotspot in other carrier
may i ask is there any one can suggest that how to unlock hotspot function
thanks a lot
der.tmp said:
Dear
Although the ATT 920 is unlocked but
that still can't workable for hotspot in other carrier
may i ask is there any one can suggest that how to unlock hotspot function
thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it doesn't work with the stock ROM and you've already adjusted the APN settings using the Access Point app then you'll have to flash a different ROM.
---------- Post added at 11:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 PM ----------
StargazerLilly said:
Can you provide screenshots to prove your Lumia 920 is, in fact, unlocked? I've seen a handful of posts purporting this to be doable and have tried for countless hours myself with no luck, even when certain 'helpful staff' attempt to get a code for my phone, they come back all saying the same thing - even if they wanted to, they couldn't get one until May 9th because the codes haven't even been generated and handed over by Nokia yet due to the exclusivity agreement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plenty of proof has been shown. Here is my proof again.
Video of me unlocking my ATT L920
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44oTQtfWZWY
Picture showing T-Mobile as carrier
http://imgur.com/YOI5MVB
Picture of the email I got containing my unlock code
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=39019476&postcount=30
Anybody, any news?? especially from unlock code services??
Sent from my Venue Pro using Board Express
Cellunlock.net says that it will be unlocking the 920s in 2-4 days.

working SIM unlock guide ?

none of the posts in this forum are related to unlocking the phone - it is just a bunch of paid links for a "maybe" working unlock service
where are the applications to do the actual unlocking - why no one is giving proper unlocking tips ?
Please post here only if it is actually working unlock software or guide - NONE OF THE PAID CRAP PLEASE!
smile_nik said:
none of the posts in this forum are related to unlocking the phone - it is just a bunch of paid links for a "maybe" working unlock service
where are the applications to do the actual unlocking - why no one is giving proper unlocking tips ?
Please post here only if it is actually working unlock software or guide - NONE OF THE PAID CRAP PLEASE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the other threads. The only way to get an unlock code for an AT&T Lumia 920 is if you are an AT&T customer and push the customer support really hard. There might be some other requirements such as being on a business account too. I am on a business account with AT&T and was able to get a 920 unlocked after spending an hour with the customer support.
Any site claiming to be able to unlock an AT&T Lumia 920 is a scam, plain and simple. Third parties MAY be able to after May 9th.
not a AT&T customer - T-Mobile UK
problem is that here on this site was always the place you can find the tools to free you phone but for Nokia Lumia 920 there no useful posts for SIM unlock.
smile_nik said:
not a AT&T customer - T-Mobile UK
problem is that here on this site was always the place you can find the tools to free you phone but for Nokia Lumia 920 there no useful posts for SIM unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no problem, there just is not any unlock codes for the Lumia right now. Unless you are an ATT customer and no longer under contract you will not be able to unlock your phone. Your best bet is to get a Rogers version which is already unlocked as stock.
As you said all the sites for the 920 are scams and those claiming they have done it are working for or being paid by those same sites.
Solarenemy68 said:
There is no problem, there just is not any unlock codes for the Lumia right now. Unless you are an ATT customer and no longer under contract you will not be able to unlock your phone. Your best bet is to get a Rogers version which is already unlocked as stock.
As you said all the sites for the 920 are scams and those claiming they have done it are working for or being paid by those same sites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the point here has nothing to do with carriers, but software plug in to generate code from phone directly.
Vangink said:
I believe the point here has nothing to do with carriers, but software plug in to generate code from phone directly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing exists yet. Only carriers / Nokia has the codes at this point.
flash new firmware
So
Just to get things clear
say I have a locked Lumia 920 (EE carrier UK)
if I will flash a new firmware with NaviFirm+ 1.7 and Nokia Care suite
Like RM-821 GLOBAL WHITE SWAP (059Q5C7)
wouldn't it unlock the sim lock?
:cyclops:
sabichos said:
So
Just to get things clear
say I have a locked Lumia 920 (EE carrier UK)
if I will flash a new firmware with NaviFirm+ 1.7 and Nokia Care suite
Like RM-821 GLOBAL WHITE SWAP (059Q5C7)
wouldn't it unlock the sim lock?
:cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firmware has no affect on the SIM. The SIM controls what carrier you connect to as it is the SIM that you actually are paying for in your contract. So in answer to your question, you can flash till your heart goes poof, it will make no difference. The phone will still be locked to what ever carrier the SIM was programmed for.
yes - flashing it not going to remove the SIM lock -already try few times
I wonder how many of you have heard of JTAG.
Too bad most people dont seem to know how to use it (or can afford that kind of equipment).
I would try to find a "unlocker" who you can actually talk too (face to face). I personally would use an online unlocker too BUT, it just seems weird having asian people try to convinve you they are american citizens, selling %100 authentic unlock codes. I also see bad reviews.
My Advice:
Look for some guy (or girl) who works at a phone carrier station store (one that sells multiple brands of phones). Perhaps they can JTAG Unlock or Factory Unlock your phone.
OR
Go to your phone carrier (not the one locked to the phone) In person, and explain how you have this locked phone but would LOVE to use it on their service. If they refuse, just keep asking "why not?". Try to justify your use on their service (meaning, tell them that they are supposed to be obligated to unlock).
OR
If you are really bent on getting a carrier unlock, go to the locked carrier and then tell them you accidentally purchased the phone second hand, thinking it would work with your network. If they refuse to unlock (under any terms or licence) then ask for a refund. If they refuse, then get mad. They just ripped you off.
OR
Contact customer support of the manufacter of the phone. Explain that both your, and the phone's locked carrier refuse to unlock, and you feel that their brand (the phone's) is really dissapointing to you. Most companies used to give free stuff to sad or rageing customers for free - perhaps you can get an unlock.
In the end: The truth will set you free. Unlocking should be free, but as time goes on, codes become more complex.
Good luck getting a free unlock. Im not saying its impossible, but it is all about time, money, branding, and customer satisfaction. And believe it or not, that all costs money. They (the locked carrier) lose money everytime someone hacks, exploits, or JTAGs their devices, which is why they usually come priced by duration of service or fixed fees.
Hope this helps. My texting hands are tired!
Sent from my SGH-S730M
FINALLY!!!
Well, on my 4th call to ATT customer service I managed to get the rep to open a case, he gave me a case number and said I should be receiving an email within a week with my unlock code because I purchased the phone outright and it is not tied to my contract!!! you see, I dont have att service but my in-laws do, for a long time now....So, I called about 4 days ago and said I had a new phone that my children (impersonating a 60 yr old woman) bought for me because they knew how much I hated my current phone, so I registered it on my account and what not, then I explained to the rep that I was traveling to europe and that I needed to use my phone there with a local carrier because I did not want to incur any extra expenses with att, they then proceeded to ask for my IMEI and then to tell me that my phone was not eligible to be unlocked because there was an agreement between Nokia and att, I asked what should I do, that I couldnt believe that I had to purchase a phone in europe, that I was with att because of their 'easy ways' etc......I was transferred to another rep who just explained in detail why the phone could not be unlocked and told me that I should try to "rent a phone"......I initially stated that I was staying in europe for about one week and I was very very nice!, well, they would not help me. TODAY I called with a NOT SO NICE ATTITUDE, i stated that I was traveling to europe and would be staying for maybe 5 months, that I had called previously and was told that I could not be helped but that a friend of the family which was in my same circumstance, had his phone unlocked, so I was calling back because of this, because I had been with att for about 10 yrs and I needed to be able to use my phone, blah blah blah.... well the lady rep told me that my phone was not eligible to be unlocked (after i provided my imei), that I had not met the requirements for this, which were to have the phone for at least 1 year, etc.... I told her that the phone was purchased outright from my children who knew how much I hated the phone THAT WAS TIED TO MY CONTRACT, well, the rep started to get nasty and i did as well, I told her to transfer me to a superior which she did, then, I got a male rep on the phone who was very nice and basically explained to me in depth what this other lady said, I then said that I did not understand how other people that have not been with att for so long have been able to get the unlock code when traveling abroad, and I am not being helped, etc etc.... he then said that because there is an exclusivity agreement and the phone is tied to a contract that I could not have it unlocked, then I explained that the phone that I purchased on the contract was my older one, that the lumia was given to me by my children and that they paid around 500 dlls for it, that to please escalate this to the unlock team who sent my 'friend' an email unlocking his device, then the rep said that he was going to open a case to see if they could help me since i purchased the phone 'outright'!!
......SO, now I just have to wait!! hopefully it works out!!!!
SORRY FOR THE LONG POST BUT ALL OF THIS POINTS TO:
1) Find a friend or family member that is in good standing with att and ask them if you can impersonate them
2) KEEP CALLING THEM!!! You'll get there in the end..... It only took me 4 phone calls!
I will let you know if it works!!! :fingers-crossed:
p.s I just could not wait until May 9th, blame it on my ADHD!!!!!

Unlocked when paid in full off contract?

I will be in the US for vacation in about six weeks and planning to buy The One.
Can you please help me with some questions:
1. Assuming that by then stock would be plenty and they don't refuse off contract sales. My question is: will A&TT or T-Mobile sell me the phone without me getting any phone service. I have my SIM with international roaming and do not need any kind of US phone service. I just need the Hardware. Is it possible?
2. Because I would be paying the phone without any contract or subsidy (full price). Can you confirm it will be unlocked to use with a SIM from any operator? Is it something automatically or I have to request it in the store?
3. I'm ok if they can only be unlocked. But have to ask if The One bough from operators can also be customized with other ROMS.
3. Which carrier is prefered to do this (if can be done) AT&T or T-Mobile.
Thanks you!
Antiflash said:
I will be in the US for vacation in about six weeks and planning to buy The One.
Can you please help me with some questions:
1. Assuming that by then stock would be plenty and they don't refuse off contract sales. My question is: will A&TT or T-Mobile sell me the phone without me getting any phone service. I have my SIM with international roaming and do not need any kind of US phone service. I just need the Hardware. Is it possible?
2. Because I would be paying the phone without any contract or subsidy (full price). Can you confirm it will be unlocked to use with a SIM from any operator? Is it something automatically or I have to request it in the store?
3. I'm ok if they can only be unlocked. But have to ask if The One bough from operators can also be customized with other ROMS.
3. Which carrier is prefered to do this (if can be done) AT&T or T-Mobile.
Thanks you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably want to buy the unlocked version. It is cheaper, unlocked, and will be able to use custom roms after unlocking the bootloader http://shopamerica.htc.com/brands/HTC-mobile/homebrands/index.htm
If not to answer those questions
1. Yes you can buy off contract
2. It will not be unlocked. You probably can unlock it easily with something like cellular unlocker service
3. Right now the bootloader is unlockable. We do not know if they will lock in the future
3(again). AT&T has earlier release but it doesnt really matter
joshuadjohnson22 said:
You probably want to buy the unlocked version. It is cheaper, unlocked, and will be able to use custom roms after unlocking the bootloader http://shopamerica.htc.com/brands/HTC-mobile/homebrands/index.htm
If not to answer those questions
1. Yes you can buy off contract
2. It will not be unlocked. You probably can unlock it easily with something like cellular unlocker service
3. Right now the bootloader is unlockable. We do not know if they will lock in the future
3(again). AT&T has earlier release but it doesnt really matter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the prompt response. I would like to buy it from HTC directly but what I planning is a road trip and won't be staying more than a couple of days in any place. It is difficult to time processing and delivery times from HTC and I don't know how strict they are with billing address differing from shipping address.
Bummer they would not unlocked it even after paying it in full. What "unlocker" services do you recommend. I have never used one.
Antiflash said:
Thanks for the prompt response. I would like to buy it from HTC directly but what I planning is a road trip and won't be staying more than a couple of days in any place. It is difficult to time processing and delivery times from HTC and I don't know how strict they are with billing address differing from shipping address.
Bummer they would not unlocked it even after paying it in full. What "unlocker" services do you recommend. I have never used one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a lot out there like http://www.cellunlocker.net/ they will just send you a code that you can enter after putting a none AT&T sim in it. Now a disclaimer from me. I have heard of a lot of phones being unlocked by them but the HTC One has not been unlocked on AT&T yet as far as I know.
I just bought one from a employee on craigslist and trying to get it unlocked
Sent from my HTC One
If any carrier sells you a phone for off contract pricing you're eligible/entitled to have it unlocked when you walk out the door. Just call them.

Is my LG V10 unlocked?

About 2 months ago I cancelled my T-Mobile account after some bad experiences with them. I had my LG V10 on lease with them, not yet fully paid. At the same time I convinced the representative to unlock my phone so I could switch to another carrier. I asked her if I needed to do anything and she said no, she can do it remotely, then told me it was all done. My phone was under some old guarantee that I could continue paying off the phone monthly instead of all at once (apparently that's since vanished, and they have no record of that guarantee ever existing. Figures.)
Anyway, I was happy to have an unlocked phone. But a few weeks ago I got a letter asking me to pay up the remaining balance or be sent to a collection agency. I couldn't, so they did. Yesterday I called T-Mobile to find out if my phone was unlocked and they said that since my account was closed and in collection, they couldn't check or tell me, and to call the agency. I did, and the collection rep didn't seem to want to give me a straight answer. His answers were (paraphrasing): "There's some things T-Mobile doesn't want us telling you (the consumer); "I'm going to choose my words carefully"; and, If you pay off your balance T-Mobile may unlock your phone." He repeated the last one whenever I asked additional questions. I figure he could've just said no, your phone is not unlocked.
So I'm thinking that since my phone was remotely unlocked by T-Mobile just before closing my account, that it's still unlocked and they just don't want to confirm it to me for fear that I may not pay them back as fast. My question is, if T-Mobile unlocked my phone before closing my account, could they re-lock it, wven without an active account? Also, could the rep have lied to me about having unlocked my phone?
By the way, I can't do the SIM swap trick because everyone I know uses micro sim and my phone uses a nano sim. Also there isn't a cell store anywhere near me.
Oh, I did an IMEI check online on Swappa and it said Activation Status: Clear, not blacklisted, and identified my phone as either LG V10 (T-Mobile) or LG V10 (Unlocked). Not sure what that means. Did a check on another site and under carrier code it said T-Mobile, and carrier code TMO.
Did you get your phone from tmobile? Aka model h901? It should have the tmobile unlock app already installed which will tell you if it's unlocked or eligible to be unlocked. They would have told you to use it to unlock it in the first place.
Also, a collection agency isn't going to know anything about tmobile services, they'll say anything to get your money. It's a completely separate company.
I'd be more worried that tmobile blacklisted your imei rather than having it locked since you didn't pay off your lease.

Question Does getting phone from Google or Xfinity matter when rooting

Hello,
Hoping someone can help me, full disclosure, I haven't done any research yet, just looking for a quick yes/no answer. I currently have a P2XL, going to be upgrading to the pixel 6 soon. I know when I got my current phone in 2017, in order to root it, it had to come from Google and not Verizon. I'm going to be switching to Xfinity when I get my new phone, as far as rooting goes does it matter who I buy it from?
Appreciate the help,
Dan
I would highly recommend getting an unlocked phone but I would also highly recommend you get it from Amazon instead of Google. The customer service from Google is horrible if anything goes wrong. You can get an unlocked phone from Amazon the next day in many cases.
rrrrrrredbelly said:
Hello,
Hoping someone can help me, full disclosure, I haven't done any research yet, just looking for a quick yes/no answer. I currently have a P2XL, going to be upgrading to the pixel 6 soon. I know when I got my current phone in 2017, in order to root it, it had to come from Google and not Verizon. I'm going to be switching to Xfinity when I get my new phone, as far as rooting goes does it matter who I buy it from?
Appreciate the help,
Dan
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I came from a 2XL. The same restrictions that applied to the 2XL apply with the 6, i.e. do NOT purchase from Verizon or Best Buy. Both only sell units with locked bootloaders, leaving you high and dry.
Stick with Amazon or Google and you should be fine. However, you do want to make sure the device you buy from Amazon is not a Verizon model.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I came from a 2XL. The same restrictions that applied to the 2XL apply with the 6, i.e. do NOT purchase from Verizon or Best Buy. Both only sell units with locked bootloaders, leaving you high and dry.
Stick with Amazon or Google and you should be fine. However, you do want to make sure the device you buy from Amazon is not a Verizon model.
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Thanks, appreciate both responses. Google is appealing because of monthly payments, but I'll definitely check out prices from Amazon.
Thanks for the help.
Made an account just to say YES! Xfinity is very similar to Verizon in the way that every phone you buy from them is locked and is difficult to unlock. Amazon or google store is what I'd recommend.
Phones are illegal lock to network carriers now, at least in Uk, but im sure its global
boe323 said:
Phones are illegal lock to network carriers now, at least in Uk, but im sure its global
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Yes, but we are not talking about carrier locking, but bootloader locking. The two are mutually exclusive: carrier locks (which are legal in the US) aren't predicated on a bootloader lock (also legal in the US).
We tell people to stay away from Verizon and AT&T-branded devices because the bootloaders cannot be unlocked. Verizon and AT&T will remove the carrier lock after 90 days of service have elapsed, but they flat out refuse to ever unlock the bootloader.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Yes, but we are not talking about carrier locking, but bootloader locking. The two are mutually exclusive: carrier locks (which are legal in the US) aren't predicated on a bootloader lock (also legal in the US).
We tell people to stay away from Verizon and AT&T-branded devices because the bootloaders cannot be unlocked. Verizon and AT&T will remove the carrier lock after 90 days of service have elapsed, but they flat out refuse to ever unlock the bootloader.
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Carrier branded phones have one benefit and that's you can roll the cost into your monthly plan and not be subject to either another credit check or large one time bill. However, it's playing with fire as you mentioned. Carrier unlock yes, but being allowed to bootloader unlock is quite another. Verizon is completely locked down not 100% on ATT. But one other reason to buy from Google if you can afford it is that if something goes wrong with the device they will replace it (refurb natch) on a cross ship. Meaning once you get the replacement you have 30 days to send back the old one so you're never out a phone. I've availed myself of that option numerous times. It only took one time for me to get caught out on that to vow never again.

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