vB Easy Archive - how do u unlock a sk2 and use a GLOBE sim card??

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how do u unlock a sk2 and use a GLOBE sim card??
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Posted by: UL7RA5P33D

a thread like this started a while back ago, but the question was never answered... UNLESS I MISSED IT... I DID TRY TO SEARCH B4 I POSTED THIS...

apparently you have to call tmobile and beg for the unlock code... which supposedly takes 24hrs.

SO I CALLED...

the rep (in the sidekick dept) told me about their new international roaming (id be using in the philippines) and tried to sell me on it. i told him all i wanted was the unlock code to use a GLOBE sim card for 2wks while i was in the philippines and that i wasnt interested in their international roaming package.

so.... he told me he could unlock the device and set it for GLOBE'S network, but that the device would no longer work in tmobiles network... EVER.

sounded funny to me, so i told him no thanks.

SOMEBODY PLS HELP ME!!! HOW DO YOU GET THE UNLOCK CODE TO USE OTHER CARRIERS SIM CARDS???

also.....

when unlocked... does the whole sidekick network operate (i.e. aim email web browser etc)?? or... is it just the phone functions that work (like phone/text)??

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Unfortunity, to my knowledge, no one has ever offered a Sidekick unlocking service, so you have to get the code from T-Mobile. Their policy is this:

1. Have the device activate on the account for 90 days (and if it's prepaided, refilled withn the last 30)
2. Buy the device full retail, and then fax in the sales reciept

There are expections to this rule, but I don't know them specifically. That being said, an unlocked Sidekick will work on T-Mobile (although I note here that if your Sidekick came from Suncom or Fido, then it would only work as a phone if used on T-Mobile), and I know a few people here got their sidekick unlocked from T-Mobile. In addition, unlocking the phone will not affect the way it works on T-Mobile. Anyway, with a forgien SIM card, the phone will work ... well as a phone, and there are unconfirmed reports that SMS will work (it should, it doesn't use Danger's servers AFAIK, since GSM is built into the GSM protocal, and doesn't use GPRS). No data services will work (no Web, AIM, although PIM functions will work, but will not backup, so if your hard reset ... well, you get the picture).

Posted by: jgeorge

T-Mobile can get you an unlock code. The rep you spoke to was misinformed about what unlocking does. I've always found it MUCH easier to ask for an unlock code through t-mo's customer support email from the website - those people see "unlock request" and route the message to the people who actually know about the process, not some random CSR.

If you use a non-T-Mobile SIM in the phone *only* the phone and SMS apps will work - no network access, no syncing, no web, no IM, nothing else.

However, coming home and putting your t-mobile SIM back in the phone will make it work like it always used to.

As Sonic said, when you're using a foreign (non-t-mo) SIM, don't hard reset your device or let your battery drain completely, or you'll be SOL for data on your device until you get it back on a t-mo network.

Joe

Posted by: AdmiralAK

The rep is either misinformed or they use scare tactics - like you cannot use it on T-Mo EVER if you unlock it.

You can unlock it, once you unlock it, it is not set to any network - so you can use any SIM card.

There is only one problem with sidekicks - you can only call and SMS - you cannot use any of the data functions (AIM. internet, etc) unless the provider has danger servers which serve out the data to those devices.

Posted by: Sonic McTails

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdmiralAK

The rep is either misinformed or they use scare tactics - like you cannot use it on T-Mo EVER if you unlock it.

You can unlock it, once you unlock it, it is not set to any network - so you can use any SIM card.

There is only one problem with sidekicks - you can only call and SMS - you cannot use any of the data functions (AIM. internet, etc) unless the provider has danger servers which serve out the data to those devices.

I was under the impression that even if the provider had the data servers, it wouldn't work unless it was a carrier-branded device (IE. T-Mobile Sidekick wouldn't have data on Fido)

Posted by: AdmiralAK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic McTails

I was under the impression that even if the provider had the data servers, it wouldn't work unless it was a carrier-branded device (IE. T-Mobile Sidekick wouldn't have data on Fido)

From what I know, if you have a T-Mobile sidekick, unlocked, Then if you take it to Fido (or suncom, or another carrier that has sidekick service) you have to tell the provider that you need to get a sidekick account and you need to put the proper settings in the device - this is akin to changing GPRS settings on phones when you change providers.