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Hi,
I was wondering if anyone in Toronto area would know a place to buy the HTC Desire Z that isn't from Bell?
Or if it is from Bell, contains no Bell software (unbranded) and is unlocked?
I've been looking and haven't had any luck.
and has anyone noticed that Rogers is falling behind in the phone model area? Their phones are kind of getting outdated...
Thanks!
I uphave one unlocked with rogers....yeh there wayy behimd in terms of android. I suggest checking out kijiji.com or look at ebay or craigslist. If all else fails pm me and ill find you some online.
Sent from HTC Desire Z using XDA App
I purchased an unlocked/unbranded Desire Z on Ebay to use in the states on the AT&T network. It was a North American Version which had the correct 3G bands for ATT. Had a good seller and good experience but the phone was quite pricey. They go for anywhere between $550 and $650 US.
I would suggest buying it from Bell via FutureShop or BestBuy.
You don't have to get a plan if you do that, plus they offer their extended warranties which still cover you if you root the phone, etc (though you should still make it appear stock).
You can flash the official WWE ROM which is basically stock HTC Sense. It won't have the Bell apps, and you don't need to root or anything to flash the WWE ROM (I think). You just need to make a 'goldcard' which is just a specially formatted SD card.
rewen said:
I would suggest buying it from Bell via FutureShop or BestBuy.
You don't have to get a plan if you do that, plus they offer their extended warranties which still cover you if you root the phone, etc (though you should still make it appear stock).
You can flash the official WWE ROM which is basically stock HTC Sense. It won't have the Bell apps, and you don't need to root or anything to flash the WWE ROM (I think). You just need to make a 'goldcard' which is just a specially formatted SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I was gonna buy one from Bell, but I don't know any trustworthy sites I can buy the unlock code from, which was why I opened this thread, but anyone here know one?
Nighte said:
Yeah I was gonna buy one from Bell, but I don't know any trustworthy sites I can buy the unlock code from, which was why I opened this thread, but anyone here know one?
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Click to collapse
Be careful, because G2 owners have found big problems when they unlock their phones, like not being able to connect to any network after that
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=835673
Cellunlock.net with the code bbrocks50 for half price. You can find the phone listed a couple different ways. Either by first looking up htc or by first looking up bell. One is chapter than the other. I paid 15.
Zero issues unlocking. I think the issues are limited to g2.
I'm unlocked with Telus currently..and I used HTCsimUnlowNow.com. Seemed to work fine..the only thing was it was initially $15, but then I had to send them another $10 (after paying the 15) because of the Bell carrier or some excuse. So far i've had no problems..and i'm even able to use my BB data plan with the HTC despite Telus telling me it most likely wouldnt work lol.
I was wondering if I'm able to remove Bell's software using a program (TitaniumBackup, for example) or do I have to go through that whole process of flashing this and that to unbrand it?
And how bothersome is the Bell software?
..Although I'm gonna do it anyway but I don't have time right now to mod the phone.
You need root and it takes a lot of time to do it with titanium. It's easier to flash the wwe rom. But the apps aren't too annoying. The lack of htc locations is annoying
To elaborate on my last msg (which I wrote in a rush)..
It's more painful and takes longer to remove the apps manually as you need to root and then use Titanium's force remove method, one by one, which reboots the phone each time and takes forever.
Alternatively you could root and then S-OFF and delete those apps with the root file manager.
Or, the easiest/quickest way imho is to borrow/make a goldcard, download the euro HTC Sync, the WWE Rom, and run the ROM install program. It does the rest of the work for you
I was gonna go buy the phone today but Bell won't sell it unless I go on a plan.
I called up several different places, all the same reply, they won't let the phone go unless it's going out with a plan.
Does anyone know where I could buy it in and around Toronto?
Nighte said:
I was gonna go buy the phone today but Bell won't sell it unless I go on a plan.
I called up several different places, all the same reply, they won't let the phone go unless it's going out with a plan.
Does anyone know where I could buy it in and around Toronto?
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Click to collapse
I asked at our local Best Buy (Oshawa) yesterday and they said they can sell the phone without a plan, no problem.
I bought mine today, you can buy it at WirelessWave or Telephone booth for the retail price.
I did notice the timestamp on the text messages are incorrect though, does anyone else have this problem?
I bought mine brand new on ebay for $375, t-mobile branded.. paid $15 to unlock it.
I suggest watching for a cheap one on ebay, maybe even try to bargain with some sellers.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I suggest not buying from bell, or anything that is compatible with bell, unless you need it for ATT US or in Australia. Reason is that they use the wrong frequencies for use in Canada and would lock you to ROBELUS (the old evil phone companies). The US version of the vision is better... still compatible with robbers, but also with the best things that have happened to telecommunications in canada.... ever.
It sounds like we should start an exchange:
T-Mobile/Wind compatible phones exchanged for Bell/Telus/Rogers/AT&T compatible phones...
I'm on AT&T and I'd love to find the Bell Desire Z for purchase at a reasonable price. All the prices I've seen are ~$650 but the phones retail price is $500. Maybe I'm just not used to Canadian taxes... can my Canadian brethren enlighten this ignorant American as to how much the phone would cost unsubsidized after taxes?
You can get them straight from Bell for $565, with tax (13% on 499.95). If you look on kijiji and CL you can get them anywhere from $400-$500.
I bought mine yesterday for $480, no tax, and factory unlocked. It was brand new and sealed and came with a receipt for the warranty.
A lot of people are fooled into paying $600-$650 for an unlocked phone because sellers try to tell them that it costs $80-$100 to unlock it. But if people would take the time to look they would find you can get it unlocked for $25.
MyNameIsWepeel said:
A lot of people are fooled into paying $600-$650 for an unlocked phone because sellers try to tell them that it costs $80-$100 to unlock it. But if people would take the time to look they would find you can get it unlocked for $25.
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Click to collapse
You can get it locked for free now, thanks to the fantastic work of scotty. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857390
I'm on Rogers and I'm having a heck of a time trying to find out. Everyone wants to charge an arm and a leg. Trying to trade my Xperia X10 and some cash for a Desire Z.
Hi Guys
I have a questions if anyone can help me out. I am with verizon and looking to jump ship to t-mobile. I travel extensively overseas to london due to work commitment ( almost every second month for 7-10 days) and they company want me to use the local sim cards.
I have a trip coming up at end of this month, does t-mobile phone unlocked for overseas use from the box like verizon ? or do i have to wait a certain time before i can unlock the phone for overseas use ? I understand t-mobile is sim-locked but does that also apply to overseas providers ?
KgTheraad1 said:
Hi Guys
I have a questions if anyone can help me out. I am with verizon and looking to jump ship to t-mobile. I travel extensively overseas to london due to work commitment ( almost every second month for 7-10 days) and they company want me to use the local sim cards.
I have a trip coming up at end of this month, does t-mobile phone unlocked for overseas use from the box like verizon ? or do i have to wait a certain time before i can unlock the phone for overseas use ? I understand t-mobile is sim-locked but does that also apply to overseas providers ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the device on your T-Mobile line for 40 days and call in to get it unlocked. A stock T-Mobile N900T is carrier locked even if you throw use a foreign SIM, so get it unlocked.
Actually t-mobile has great international plans, check the details, but it is very reasonable and you can call US for free as long as you're on WiFi (and don't receive any calls). After 40 days, they will unlock it for you anyhow and I'm not sure how it works if you pay COD, in theory your phone would be yours and they should unlock it right away.
You can unlock it yourself see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742here
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
Right now my HTC one is on a share everything contract with VZW, but I'm going to be moving to France for a year and I'm curious as to what my options are with it. I believe I read somewhere that if you buy out your contract the career can unlock the phone for you and you might be able to use it on French GSM careers like Orange or SFR.
Will VZW really unlock the phone if I buy out the contract? Will the unlocked VZW HTC One then work with French GSM carriers? Any other flaws in this plan that I'm missing?
If my One will work then I'd rather keep it, if not I suppose I'll grab an unlocked Nexus 5.
The SIM card slot is already unlocked so you can just pop in a new SFR or Orange SIM when you get to France
I can confirm this too that its already unlocked, I am using this phone in Karachi Pakistan on GSM carriers without any problem.
To be on safe side put your phone in global mode from settings / phone menu.
Best of Luck
yes it is unlocked.
using it in India.
Hey guys,
hope this is the right subforum for this, and apologise in advance for the lack of capital letters, can't figure out this foreign keyboard!
anyway, im from the uk and I am in the uae, I didn't unlock my phone to use on other networks before I left the uk. I was on three network in the uk. I asked three over a month ago for an unlock code, they eventually sent me one after 3 weeks. I tried it twice and it wouldn't accept the code. now after another 2 weeks they've told me that the phone cant be unlocked as it needs to be done in the uk so it can transmit over their network. is that correct? I don't see how as you have to put a different network sim in to get the unlock pop up. are they talking crap or do I need a new phone now im in uae?
thanks in advance!
According to my experiences, what they are trying to sell you is bull****.
I was in the same situation in The Netherlands, paid a fortune in a shop, but they were able to unlock it by code after a week waiting period.
Ask them for another code, or worst case scenario, go to an independent gsm by yourself and request a code from them.
However, I would not recommend any online 'solution'.
Hi there,
Sorry if this is an obvious question - I'm a big mobile enthusiast, but probably not as technically minded as some of you folks
I'm in the UK right now but am moving to the US permanently in a few weeks. I'm getting the Note 7 and am torn between what to do - buy it here or there.
Here's my thinking: If I buy here, it will be free of all that yucky bloatware you get over there since I gather that even if I purchase from BestBuy, there's nothing quite like a sim-free unlocked phone of the type we would get here. And that carrier bloatware scares me. I don't want to have to be rooting my phone and messing about with it to make it run at an acceptable speed when it inevitably starts to slow down, down the line. Plus, I just hate the thought of having all of that rubbish on my phone. If I'm spending $900 or so, I want it to be pure as the driven snow!
I'm not sure which network I'm going to be going for in the US (as an 'Alien' new to the US with no credit history, it's not easy to get a contract) but what I'm looking at is either T-Mobile or AT&T (possibly Cricket, if not main AT&T.) Although I hear T-Mobile signal can be patchy. I'll be in Los Angeles, so I imagine signal should be good.
So what I'm wondering is - will it all work OK there? I'm assuming the GSM version we get in the UK will be compatible with those two networks, though not Verizon. Although I doubt I'll go with Verizon because their packages don't really look good for what I need and also I hear their bloatware in particular is immense!
I know we have a different processor in the Exynos edition (or is that the one you guys have and we have Snapdragon? Anyway, you know what I mean..) But would that processor make any actual difference in day to day use? Does the processor just run the software or does it have an influence on how the phone actually works with the network as a phone and data device? Am I likely to run into problems?
Also, you probably can't answer this - but worth a try.. I assume that Samsung's warranties are not international? Right now, I am on an iPhone and I know that if it breaks in the US, I can just take it to an Apple store in the US. My gut tells me if I buy in the UK and it starts playing up, I'll be on my own, unless you know different? But hey - it's a trade off. Bloatware vs warranty.
Anyway, any thoughts or advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks all.
Phil :good:
Definitely buy the Exynos International version of the phone. I live near Los Angeles and plan to purchase the international version as well because it has no bloatware. It will be my first purchase of an international unlocked phone. I'm on AT&T but my understanding is that T-mobile rocks in Los Angeles. You can't go wrong with AT&T or T-Mobile, but I would lean toward T-Mobile if I were you, they are really kicking butt right now.
The exynos version of the phone will have better battery life by just a bit and it will be only slightly faster. They both have trade-offs, but in the end, it doesn't make a big difference, just get the international version, which is what all of us Americans want. I don't know about the warranty, you might have to ship the phone off for that.
if you buy one in the UK, make sure you make a few phone calls before you move.
European Samsung phones usually refuse to accept US SIM cards unless you make a phone call for a few minutes using a European SIM.
thedicemaster said:
if you buy one in the UK, make sure you make a few phone calls before you move.
European Samsung phones usually refuse to accept US SIM cards unless you make a phone call for a few minutes using a European SIM.
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That's a very good point! I remember reading about this with my old Galaxy when it said that it locked it to the country where the first phone call was made.
But would this possibly present problems? If I made a few calls with my Vodafone sim, would that then mean that it locks it to UK networks and makes a T-Mobile USA or AT&T sim incompatible?
And bands-wise, they're all good to go, right? There's no reason a local US sim wouldn't work 100% in that model? And the processor doesn't make a difference? Just wondering why they bother to put two different processor types in the phone otherwise?
DuffmasterFresh said:
Definitely buy the Exynos International version of the phone. I live near Los Angeles and plan to purchase the international version as well because it has no bloatware. It will be my first purchase of an international unlocked phone. I'm on AT&T but my understanding is that T-mobile rocks in Los Angeles. You can't go wrong with AT&T or T-Mobile, but I would lean toward T-Mobile if I were you, they are really kicking butt right now.
The exynos version of the phone will have better battery life by just a bit and it will be only slightly faster. They both have trade-offs, but in the end, it doesn't make a big difference, just get the international version, which is what all of us Americans want. I don't know about the warranty, you might have to ship the phone off for that.
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Click to collapse
Thanks - this is really helpful. Good to know TM are good there as had heard a few stories about bad coverage.
it's the opposite.
unless they changed it just for the note 7, you have to use the phone in the UK before you can use it in the US.
here's a quote from an article regarding the region lock in the S7 and S7 edge:
its box will be sealed with a sticker reading "European SIM card only."
The tab below this sticker explains how and why, albeit in tiny and rather verbose script. Essentially, in order for your unlocked European GS7 to be fully unlocked, you first need to make a total of five minutes worth of phone calls using a European SIM. If you don't do this, and try to use it with a SIM from outside of Europe, it won't connect to the network.
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this is to prevent shops from selling European phones in the US.
the unlocking method is so that people moving outside Europe after buying a phone can continue to use it.
thedicemaster said:
it's the opposite.
unless they changed it just for the note 7, you have to use the phone in the UK before you can use it in the US.
here's a quote from an article regarding the region lock in the S7 and S7 edge:
this is to prevent shops from selling European phones in the US.
the unlocking method is so that people moving outside Europe after buying a phone can continue to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it - just been reading up on it. Thanks for this.
Well, that all looks simple enough. Shouldn't be an issue.
In fact, my only fear is warranty now. If I smash or crack it (which I will try not to obvs, but heaven forbid, it happens), I may be spannered.
I doubt my insurance will cover it if it is an international model and Samsung look like they don't do international warranties.
That's the only thing stopping me sitting here pressing 'order' when I'm on the verge of it.
Also, I wonder if Samsung Pay will be affected, If maybe, somehow, that's region specific.
It's a big risk.. Eeek!
Screw it, I've ordered.
So just to clarify - the bands on the international (UK) unlocked version will be compatible with ATT/Cricket and T-Mobile?