[QUOTE=Simian;1673209]I am sure that if you go around some of the usual places, such as MBK[/QUOTE]Agree 100%.
[QUOTE=Simian;1673209]I am sure that if you go around some of the usual places, such as MBK[/QUOTE]Agree 100%.
CDMA phones are locked to one particular provider in the US and though they can be unlocked, they will still only work with other CDMA providers in the US and and in North-Korea(?).
GSM phones will work anywhere in the civilized world.
If I am not mistaken, you can buy some dual-systems phones.
[QUOTE=DaddySan;1673459]CDMA phones are locked to one particular provider in the US and though they can be unlocked, they will still only work with other CDMA providers in the US and and in North-Korea(?).[/QUOTE]Not entirely true. Since release of 5's, ALL Verizon CDMA iphones are already FACTORY UNLOCKED for any GSM network worldwide, including TMO / AT&T. We have 3 in the house and they all work international. In fact my Verizon CDMA is now using my private TMO account and my biz number is tied to older 4's model.
I believe but not 1000% sure most Verizon android phones are now also factory unlocked for GSM. If not they will do so with a quick call to their global tech support number (908 559-4899)....takes less than 10 minutes and FREE.
CDMA is a system mostly convenient from provider's end, I. E one BTS (CDMA) able to cover relatively larger area than a BTS (GSM) area. Have stronger signals (CDMA) even in a shut down place. On the other hand GSM is mostly convenient for user ends. One BTS (GSM) serves relatively smaller area and able to serve a stable signal for users.
From the very beginning there were no Rims were been used for CDMA system. The phone itself was been coded as rim by the provider and the phone was fully dedicated to one provider. That's why any unhappy user was unable to change his provider using the same phone set. On the other hand GSM system arrived in the market with Sim card concept. So any user can change the provider keeping the phone set alive just by changing the Sim card. Times past this facility was not availed by the users in CDMA system. In some places CDMA providers charged for incoming calls from the users, but GSM users always availed free for the same.
Later on Rim card came in the market instead of coded phone set. But that's also shown fruit less being less providers of CDMA system. If someone have a GSM phone and arrived in a new place, it was been guaranteed that the new comer may find some GSM provider's Sim for the phone. But CDMA Rim may not.
The big phone manufacturers installed some lock system in the phone for their market policy, but it has been proven it's not a rocket science at all. The geniuses in small shops in any corner of the world are able to unlock the phone. But they are unable to help us if we bring a CDMA phone to be used for GSM Sim.
CDMA phone must be used by CDMA rim and GSM phone by GSM Sim. It is nothing with the phone locking system. Now days some special phones may collect from the market have duel (Sim and Rim) card pocket.
If I pay a small shop to unlock my phone is the result the same as having my mobile phone company unlock my phone? Do the small shops use the exact same unlock code as my phone company?
[QUOTE=Allover;1673865]If I pay a small shop to unlock my phone is the result the same as having my mobile phone company unlock my phone? Do the small shops use the exact same unlock code as my phone company?[/QUOTE]I have not used a CDMA phone for over 10 years, so cannot be sure of this, BUT:
[B]Will you be able to to use phone with your CDMA provider again, after having it unlocked?[/B]
There must be experience out here.
[QUOTE=Allover;1673865]If I pay a small shop to unlock my phone is the result the same as having my mobile phone company unlock my phone? Do the small shops use the exact same unlock code as my phone company?[/QUOTE]They use their own way to unlock the phone. You need an unlocked usable phone and they will do for you.
[QUOTE=DaddySan;1673878]I have not used a CDMA phone for over 10 years, so cannot be sure of this, BUT:
[B]Will you be able to to use phone with your CDMA provider again, after having it unlocked?[/B]
There must be experience out here.[/QUOTE]Let me try again.
Most of the newer model CDMA phones stateside, particularly the Verizon droid, samsung and iphone models are both cdma and GSM equiped. When you use verizon stateside, it's cdma. If, repeat, if you chose to use the verizon network when you travel overseas, the sim card in the cdma phone (YES, there is a sim card tray with a verizon sim card in it! You just pay a ridiculously high international roaming fees.
When the sim card component is unlocked, either by factory, by Verizon or some third party, it can then be used with any international GSM network provider. And since the 5's iphone model, even the domestic US GSM providers like TMO / AT&T will work on the cdma verizon iphone. I have actually inserted a HK postpaid sim card into both my 4's and 5's when stateside and got them up and running (when inserted, it overrides the verizon cdma network!
And the answer to your particular question above: [B]YES YES YES.[/B] After it is unlocked, will still work fine with cdma provider. I've got two Verizon iPhone 4's that were unlocked, used them in Asia with prepaid and postpaid sim cards, and return stateside to use back on cdma network.
Advice to Mongers. If buying a new phone, and you are a traveller like me, get one that is unlocked from the start sold by the phone makers, like Samsung or Apple, etc. If you want a fancy phone, but that cost is too high for you, just buy a cheap mongering phone when you get to Thailand, maybe even 2nd hand and put a top up SIM in it. Its easy. These days you can get a relatively cheap 2nd hand smart phone originally from one of the better companies. Its handy to pay some amount to get several Gigabytes of data on the phone to last you for 1 week or 3 weeks or whatever. The benefits of being able to use Google Maps, LINE, Whatsapp, even check the sports scores, etc. On your phone are great. Even just to be easily contactable to meet up with girls or your mates is worthwhile.
Having a Thai SIM for your monger phone is a must in my opinion. You can set up various security on a modern phone, to prevent prying eyes, to be silent when need, not to display unwanted messages except when you want to look at them, etc.
If you can afford to visit Thailand, can afford to Monger, then surely a Thai top-up SIM is a no brainer, and get a monger phone if necessary. I have several phone handsets now. I don't throw my old ones away immediately. They are spares. I currently have 4 active SIM cards for various countries.
I have bought a dual SIM phone now for convenience. The GF need not know that phone holds my regular Thai SIM and also the mongering SIM, that is set to silent and with different privacy settings. I have to watch out that certain things stay private, like setting my computers timezone info in Skype to be "Private" so GF cannot tell which country I am in. or just remember to alter my computer and phone timezones to reflect the country I am supposed to officially be in.
Passport is always hidden away and fortunately GF doesn't ask to examine it. In order to avoid suspicion, I am always telling GF correct time I arrive in Thailand, and she can look my baggage labels if she likes. I am tricky only in that I have sometimes remained in Thailand after officially I have flown out. This is only when I am looking for significant extended time with some other girl(s). This is less suspicious and harder for GF to check without having the passport. By the time I come back to see her, any past suspicions may be forgotten too.
At one time in the past, I applied for a new passport after old one was misplaced, and later found the old one. I found I could get away with using the new passport for official business and old one for mongering trips. First time used the old one purely by accident, but were no consequences. Not legal and I am not sure if this is still possible in the modern day. However was the ultimate for hiding mongering visits to Thailand, when officially doing something else.
All samsung phones I have used can be unlocked for an average of 15 usd by using online services. This works because you just have to insert a SIM card of a different network the phone is locked to, then type the code you bought online and voila, phone is sim unlocked forever.
Iphones are a different story, they can be sim unlocked by hacking the phone (called jailbreaking), or by having your phone vendor unlocks it for you, this is called factory unlock because your identification number (called IMEI) has to be registered on the apple server, next time you connect your iphone to itunes it will be unlocked. Jailbreaking is specific to an IOS version and your phone will be relocked if you do an upgrade when a new ios version comes along, factory unlock allows you to keep the phone unlocked forever, whatever future version of ios you will install, so this is the preferred way.
There is a third way, if your phone provider is unwilling to unlock your phone, then you will have to pay a third party that will register your IMEi with apple, I have no idea how they do that but they can.
At MBK, this service takes maximum 7 days and costs 3,500 THB last time I inquired. If you leave the phone with them, you only pay when the phone is unlocked, otherwise you have to pay upfront and wait for them to tell you it's done so you can connect your iphone to itunes to have it unlocked.
This long posting conclusion: Samsung are very easy to unlock, iphones can be tricky to unlock.
GK.
[QUOTE=GypsieKing;1675027]
Iphones are a different story, they can be sim unlocked by hacking the phone (called jailbreaking), or by having your phone vendor unlocks it for you, this is called factory unlock because your identification number (called IMEI) has to be registered on the apple server
[/QUOTE]Absolutely INCORRECT.
You can unlock to use third party sim cards without jailbreaking.
And jailbreaking does not, repeat. Does not unlock your iPhone to permit third party sim card usage. What jb does is to give you access to third party apps (called tweaks) that are not permitted via the apple app store on iTunes. Cydia is the default repository for third party apps and there are literally hundreds of others.
[QUOTE=Traveler1234;1675030]Absolutely INCORRECT.
You can unlock to use third party sim cards without jailbreaking.
And jailbreaking does not, repeat. Does not unlock your iPhone to permit third party sim card usage. What jb does is to give you access to third party apps (called tweaks) that are not permitted via the apple app store on iTunes. Cydia is the default repository for third party apps and there are literally hundreds of others.[/QUOTE]Traveler1234: please read my post, I wrote there are two ways to unlock your iphone. Jailbreaking it and factory unlocking it.
You are right, after jailbreaking it, you would also need to use a program to sim unlock the iphone (like ultrasnow), but this is ios version specific.
I also wrote that factory unlock is the prefered option, but please realize that some vendors won't sim factory unlock your iphone till you reach the end of your contracted commitment (for example 2 years in some countries).
I am not aware of any other way to sim unlock an iphones.
GK.
[QUOTE=TwoTimeTed;1672487]Thailand Cell Phone.
So I will probably just buy one there in BKK. So I looked them up, a person can buy a Samsung 4 for around $100 USD (States side its $400+). But my understanding is, they are probably knock-offs and although they may seem great at first, the inferior product as time goes on, wears out. Would this be accurate?
[/QUOTE]What do you mean a knock-off. Is it says Samsung xyz, a Samsung xyz is what you will be getting, and it would be identical to the one in the US. Thais would not let to be screwed over a fake cellphone. There are old style phones at 7/11 for Bt 600, while a 4" smartphone of decent quality is, I think about Bt 4,000. Also available 5 and 7 inches. By the way phones have become very, very cheap all over the world, may be you haven't looked.
Honestly I would have understood more this thread in 2002, nowadays it's harder to get a good meal in Thailand than a phone.
[QUOTE=GypsieKing;1675041]Traveler1234: please read my post, I wrote there are two ways to unlock your iphone. Jailbreaking it and factory unlocking it.
You are right, after jailbreaking it, you would also need to use a program to sim unlock the iphone (like ultrasnow), but this is ios version specific.
GK.[/QUOTE]Not trying to be argumentative or nerdy but that is false.
Rather than repeat myself, read this: [URL]http://ipod.about.com/od/jailbreakingunlocking/f/Whats-The-Difference-Between-Unlocking-And-Jailbreaking-An-Iphone.htm.[/URL].
Ultrasnow first requires JB and then only works on older iPhones, pre-4's models. [URL]http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Unlock-iPhone-4-Using-Ultrasnow-iPhone-IMEI-and-Gevey-Sim-Tool[/URL] It hasn't been popular for the past 3+ yrs.
Again, JB alone does not unlock a phone. If all you want to do is use smartphone for third party carriers, don't JB. Call your provider to unlock for you, or pay $15 via Craigslist or go visit MBK.
[QUOTE=Traveler1234;1675131] [URL]http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Unlock-iPhone-4-Using-Ultrasnow-iPhone-IMEI-and-Gevey-Sim-Tool[/URL] It hasn't been popular for the past 3+ yrs.
Again, JB alone does not unlock a phone. If all you want to do is use smartphone for third party carriers, don't JB. Call your provider to unlock for you, or pay $15 via Craigslist or go visit MBK.[/QUOTE]Ah you are right, the sim unlock software solution (after jailbreak) doesn't support recent version of ios. Also I forgot to mention the hardware solution you are mentioning (gevey tool) as an add on on your sim card.
I guess you are using a US iphone to pay only 15 usd for a factory unlock, it's much more for other countries, at least for the countries where I got my iphones.
At MBK they will propose both Gevey tools and factory unlock methods. In conclusion, for a modern iphone (post ios6), these are the only methods to use them with another network SIM card if your network provider is unwilling to unlock it for you. Of course, always check if it's not unlocked already by inserting another network sim card, I had friends who didn't know that their subsidized iphone was unlocked. Lucky them.
Thanks traveler for correcting me, I learn every day.
GK.