[Q] Can I unlock Samsung GS3 (AT&T) without activating? - AT&T, Rogers, Bell, Telus Samsung Galaxy S III

Hey guys,
I recently won a Samsung GS3 (AT&T) in a giveaway. I currently have a LG Optimus V on Virgin Mobile, and would prefer to use the GS3 on a T-Mobile prepaid plan. Can I unlock the phone without first activating it on AT&T (i.e. get to the dial pad)? Or do I need to get an AT&T plan? If so, can I get a prepaid plan since the phone's ARV was $200 (i.e. price of the phone on a subsidized plan)? What's the best way to unlock the phone (i.e. use a cell unlock website or can I get an AT&T prepaid plan for like a month and ask for an unlock code)? What's the best data rate that the AT&T GS3 can get on T-Mobile since I know some bands are different between the carriers (i.e. EDGE, 3G, HSPA+, or T-Mobile's future 4G LTE-Advanced)? Do I need to flash the modem to get full data speeds if they are not directly compatible?
Thanks in advance!

The best way to unlock it is buying a code... I bought mine for like 5 bucks on ebay...
All I did was get the code, put a simple card in (not at&t) and it asked for the unlock code and you put it in.... And it's unlocked
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

So I can just swap out the SIM right from the get go (I already have a T-Mobile SIM), and when I power it up for the first time, it'll go straight to the unlock prompt without asking to be activated (i.e. like how the iPhone asks to be plugged into iTunes to be activated when you first power it up)?

Related

[Q] GoPhone... Will a Glide work?

It seems that the Glide is only an AT&T-branded phone. Has anyone used one with GoPhone? Thought about picking up an unlocked one on eBay but I don't want to encounter the same "Invalid SIM card" issue I encounter when I put my GoPhone SIM card into my unlocked AT&T-sourced Skyrocket. Thanks for any info!
I can't say for certain, but I don't see why not. I use my phone with the T-Mobile monthly 4g plan and everything works fine. I do however, only have an EDGE/2g speed data wise due to the frequencies, but the phone was designed for AT&T so that wouldn't be a problem for you.
narume said:
I can't say for certain, but I don't see why not. I use my phone with the T-Mobile monthly 4g plan and everything works fine. I do however, only have an EDGE/2g speed data wise due to the frequencies, but the phone was designed for AT&T so that wouldn't be a problem for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate the reply, narume. I think that the issue arises from this:
trinikartel said:
Let me know if you ever get that working.
What i THINK is that any phone that comes out of AT&T's clutches are in their system (both imei and with carrier iq) so once it you pop a sim into it and the information is matched to a device in their system they know what can and can't be allowed for the device. With international devices they don't have those IMEIs (which is why they always want the imei from you so they can match it in their system)
Your note is international...they can't "match or track it" so to their system it's just another random dumb phone
Your skyrocket is a known LTE/HSPA+ device to the system so it says no cheap data for you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So...assuming that this reasoning is correct, if AT&T knows that it's their phone they will have blocked its IMEI from being able to access data through GoPhone. And I would need 3G access in order to use it on my MicroCell. Anybody...?
Any at&t phones will work on go phone, and you can use a microcell as well, your phone still uses the 3/4G signal to connect for calls and texts. Also to get data to work for pictures, and mms you just need to call them and they will send you the apns, my nephew in law has an atrix 2 on a microcell with pic messaging working great. They also have a solstice 2 (dump phone) on the microcell, both go phones.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
If you're getting Invalid SIM, you may have a locked SIM card, something AT&T started doing with their prepaid a while back. New prepaid accounts have the SIM locked to the phone it was purchased with for ~3 months, after that I believe you have to either call or visit a store to have the lock removed.
Other than that, there's no reason it shouldn't work, but do remember that AT&T will see it as a smartphone. This means with their new prepaid plans, if you're using the 10 cents a minute plan you'll be unable to use data at all. If you're using one of the flat amounts per month, like the $25 or $50 plans, you'll need to purchase a data package (even though the $50 is SUPPOSED to include unlimited internet, smartphones aren't eligible).
I previously used a Motorola Flipside on AT&T's prepaid, before this change I was using the 10 cents a minute plan, with 1000 texts a month and buying a 500mb data package, then rolling over unused data each month with the 10mb package, and everything worked the same as if I was on postpaid - text, mms, internet, etc.
Thanks all! I'm 1½ months into my prepaid service. I'll check with AT&T after 3 months have passed and see if they can remove the SIM lock.
You might go ahead and call customer service anyway, who knows, you may get lucky. 3 months was what a rep told my friend a year or so ago, but that may have changed or may not have been the rule at all. Alternatively, you can go into a local store and purchase a new sim (or purchase one on ebay) and have them transfer your account over to it, just make sure they give you a regular sim and not a go-phone sim.
I just tested my captivate glide with the sim I was using in my flipside. It seems to read the sim just fine, though obviously I'm not still a prepaid customer so I can't make any real calls with it. I've also used it on a T-Mobile MyTouch 3G that was unlocked, briefly, when I was working on the flipside. Once you have the sim lock removed I expect you'll have no problems using it in any unlocked or AT&T locked phone.
If you use the 50 dollar plan and use the wap.cingular apn it will use data just set that up before you put in your sim, and do call they should unlock it for you, if not tell them you will be going to straight Talk at&t phones work locked on them since it's a part of at&t just ran by walmart.
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda premium
I have two Glides that I activated in June. NEITHER WAS SIM-LOCKED, ever.
Both are the newer 4G SIM, not the older one that says 3G on it. Got em from eBay for about $2.75 each. Both were activated online, about 3 weeks apart.
The first one, I activated with an IMEI of a Glide that broke and was able to use the SIM on a different Glide and other phones, even the Pantech Burst and got 4G. I activated it as 10c plan, then moved it to the $50 unlimited.
The second one was activated with 0000... generic IMEI with the 10c plan, and just like the first one, I was able to use the SIM on any GSM phone I have in the house (and that's quite a few).
APN: wap.cingular - only the name is needed, no userid, etc.

at&t no contract phones

I currently have the t-mobile version of the GS3 and the 14 day return policy for my phone will end on monday if i dont return this phone back i will get tied into a contract again, what i have been thinking about doing is returning this phone to t-mobile, then go to my local at&t store and buy their version of the gs3, under a no commitment price of $550. i would like to use this phone on ST (straight-talk), will this work? i have been getting mixed answers some people say they couldnt buy a phone no contract because they were not current customers of at&t, my other main reason for switching out from t-mobile is my crappy service 3g does not exsist in my town for t-mobile but does with every other carrier.
You shouldn't have an issue in buying outright if you go to a Corporate store, NOT an authorized dealer or national retail such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart. I should know, I work at an AT&T corporate store.
Also, you will need to SIM unlock the device first, which is easy and cheap, since you can buy the codes on eBay for a few bucks. After that you will also need to add/change the APN settings to that of StraightTalk, but after that you'll be up and running.
danielsaenz said:
You shouldn't have an issue in buying outright if you go to a Corporate store, NOT an authorized dealer or national retail such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart. I should know, I work at an AT&T corporate store.
Also, you will need to SIM unlock the device first, which is easy and cheap, since you can buy the codes on eBay for a few bucks. After that you will also need to add/change the APN settings to that of StraightTalk, but after that you'll be up and running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok thanks i needed this info, when you say sim unlock do you mean that the phone can only be used with at&t sim cards? so i would have to sim unlock it to run off the at&t based sim card?
He means you'll have to by an unlock code to be able to use it on OTHER carriers besides at&t and since you're buying it outright ..you should be able to get the unlock for free.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
defnow said:
He means you'll have to by an unlock code to be able to use it on OTHER carriers besides at&t and since you're buying it outright ..you should be able to get the unlock for free.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T will not give it to you the unlock code unless you have a good standing account, which he doesn't. Corporate stores do not have access to the system (well, not that part specifically) to be able to generate them.
Ebay would be much less of a headache.
You won't need to unlock if you use straight talk. You just order an att SIM from straight talk online(there is an option for t mobile also). You will have to update the apn info and maybe mms settings. I just recently did this for a locked att iPhone 4. I don't think lte will work.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

If I get an unlocked version does at&T recognize it?

I am considering the note2 but I want to get the unlocked no commitment version. I have read n the past people will buy non carrier branded phones and the carrier will not recognize the phone so they default to the lowest data plan. Is that still the case? I currently have no data plan so I dont know what I want to do. Part of me is thinking of ditching AT&T and going to one of those prepaid services and using my old number via Google voice but to my understanding the texts get messed up.
Been using international Note N7000 for almost a year and should till tomorrow lol. I have my iPhone 4 SIM in it and the AT&T site shows the picture of a flip phone so they don't know what phone I'm using. I do have the iPhone data plan so maybe they don't care as I'm paying for a data plan.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Yes ATT will recognize it. As long as you have a micro sim card. If not you can go to an ATT store and ask for one.

Which Note II for AT&T MVNO

I currently own a GT-N7000 Note and am going to upgrade by purchasing a Note II, but I am having some trouble figuring out which exact version to get.
I tried purchasing Galaxy S III once and AT&T refused to unlock the device despite me having paid the full $699 for it. (I ended up having to return it because of this)
I have 4 requirements for the phone but can't figure out what model meets all of them. Any help or suggestions from the community would be greatly appreciated.
1. I will be using the phone on AT&T MVNO's (am currently on RedPocket).
2. I would like to have working LTE (US is 700Mhz Class 17 I believe.
3. I would like to either have the phone come without carrier modifications to the OS and without bloatware, or if that is completely non-existant at the very least have a version of the Note II that will allow me to easily load a stock ROM on it with all features (especially tethering built in), and without any loss of functionality (i.e. I don't want to deal with firmware incompatibility problems like no working LTE radio or instability or the like)
4. I will be using the phone overseas every now and then so it definitely needs to be unlocked.
Thanks guys.
none
Has anyone ordered from here?
cellgsmphones.com
Supposedly they are shipping the phones straight from Korea and it has 700 band LTE.
If so, did the phone really come with 700Mhz LTE?
The site says the specs/info came from a wiki, so I am guessing it might be all wrong.
Well if you want to use a MVNO of AT&T you wont be getting LTE, They don`t allow it, its ONLY for AT&T Contract and or Prepaid but it does not work on AT&T`s MVNO`s none of them currently.
I say just buy the ATT Note2 and try to get ATT to unlock and if not pay the $25-30 to get the unlock code from; http://www.cellunlocker.net/.
Hyelton is correct, no ATT MVNO has LTE and I read an article that ATT will be bringing LTE to GoPhone but it's at least a year out.
I have a N7100 on an ATT MVNO and I am getting 5-8Mbps down so it's not bad.
Not quite sure why someone would want to pay extra for a Korean version of a phone to use on ATT when you can just buy the ATT version and pay to unlock it cheaper. Unless your trying to get it on a dumb phone plan and are hoping that the Korean Imei never gets blocked.
gedster314 said:
I say just buy the ATT Note2 and try to get ATT to unlock and if not pay the $25-30 to get the unlock code from; http://www.cellunlocker.net/.
Hyelton is correct, no ATT MVNO has LTE and I read an article that ATT will be bringing LTE to GoPhone but it's at least a year out.
I have a N7100 on an ATT MVNO and I am getting 5-8Mbps down so it's not bad.
Not quite sure why someone would want to pay extra for a Korean version of a phone to use on ATT when you can just buy the ATT version and pay to unlock it cheaper. Unless your trying to get it on a dumb phone plan and are hoping that the Korean Imei never gets blocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its actualy cheaper to buy the N7100 than the AT&T one. AT&T is $699 plus tax. I only Paid about $600 for mine with free shipping and no tax

CAN i use at&t note ii with different carrier?

I have note ii from at&t which is also rooted. Can i use with different carrier as I am contemplating verizin wireless? Other day, i talked to girl in bestbuy and she has outright refused has no clue of what rooted phone is. Approached another guy, and pointed me to anohter person in another best buy location who can do some real technical advise but reminded me to talk to him in secrecy.
Another option seems to be sign up with Verizon buying real cheap 10$ phone and change the sim card.
Thanks,
No, you can't. GSM networks only with this phone like T-Mobile. Verizon is a CDMA network
guyenxda000 said:
I have note ii from at&t which is also rooted. Can i use with different carrier as I am contemplating verizin wireless? Other day, i talked to girl in bestbuy and she has outright refused has no clue of what rooted phone is. Approached another guy, and pointed me to anohter person in another best buy location who can do some real technical advise but reminded me to talk to him in secrecy.
Another option seems to be sign up with Verizon buying real cheap 10$ phone and change the sim card.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As another member posted, with Verizon no. You can use it with T-Mobile, Simple Mobile, MetroPCS, Cricket, Red Pocket, Straight Talk, etc. Only GSM carriers support this phone. No CDMAs.
DJ Scooby Doo said:
As another member posted, with Verizon no. You can use it with T-Mobile, Simple Mobile, MetroPCS, Cricket, Red Pocket, Straight Talk, etc. Only GSM carriers support this phone. No CDMAs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My work gives great discounts with Verizon; will somebody remind me why I hate CDMA networks?
slaydog said:
My work gives great discounts with Verizon; will somebody remind me why I hate CDMA networks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You what mate?
AT&T and Tmobile are GSM networks, mostly compatible.
You can use any AT&T phone (even locked) on AT&T or one of their MVNOs, basically resellers of their network. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators
If you unlock it, you can also use it on Tmobile, or any of their MVNOs. But Tmobile HSPA+/LTE data networks may or may not match up too well with your AT&T phone, depends on the phone.
Sprint/Verizon use CDMA, a fundamentally incompatible technology from GSM, so it is a no-go.
okay , i switched to tmovile and got an LG G FLEX. Turns out this phone is piece of ****, dropped 2 feet with the rubber case and screen cracked. Now I am going to use the ATT NOTE II with tmobile. Once I transferred the sim card out of that ****ty LG G FLEX's SIM onto NOTE II, it says network locked SIM card. What do I do? should I bring to tmobile and attempt to have unlock the sim card? Or Bring to ATT? Thanks.,
guyenxda000 said:
okay , i switched to tmovile and got an LG G FLEX. Turns out this phone is piece of ****, dropped 2 feet with the rubber case and screen cracked. Now I am going to use the ATT NOTE II with tmobile. Once I transferred the sim card out of that ****ty LG G FLEX's SIM onto NOTE II, it says network locked SIM card. What do I do? should I bring to tmobile and attempt to have unlock the sim card? Or Bring to ATT? Thanks.,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I moved our Note II to T-mobile, I got an unlock code from one of the websites. Then I took it to T-Mobile and used that unlock code at the store. Lot's of sites that will send you and unlock code and directions to unlock. You can search this forum for "SIM Unlock" and you'll find plenty of threads.
Did you get the T-Mobile "JUMP" for the Flex? If so, then you can have it replaced, otherwise you're SOL.

Categories

Resources