Can someone with AT&T (USA) help me out?

[Vigo]

I have two clean, non-contract iPhones that I want to use for my wife and myself, but they are locked to AT&T, and I use T-mobile.

If you are with AT&T, you can unlock up to 5 phones a year by submitting an online request, but I don't really know anybody with AT&T.

If somebody would be willing to help a pal out, I would be very grateful. Just let me know if you can help, and I will PM you my IMEI numbers. 

[Dawgz Rule]

I have an AT&T corporate account.  The link seems to be more consumer oriented so I will call my rep tomorrow and see if he can unlock them.  PM me the details on the phones and I will see what I can do.  May take me a day or two to get an answer....he isn't the most responsive guy in the world.

[BadMouth]

PM me the info

[pbj]

This will let you unlock a phone that's not associated with your account?

 

Good to know if it works.

[Malenko]

if one of those two dont get it done, I can try for you.

[Hoopz]

Send me the info.  I don't have AT&T or a contact there, but I can screw with your info as well as the rest of these clowns.   

$5 that Vigo is posting about his new phones and carrier by Saturday morning.

[Vigo]

Thanks guys! Dawgz, thanks for being willing to go through all that trouble for me. Since Badmouth offered as well, I will go with him. BadMouth, thanks! I will PM you.

This will let you unlock a phone that's not associated with your account?

Yes, it works, the only catch is that it has to be not blacklisted and not in-contract. I do have one co-worker who has AT&T, and he did his 5 a year already by buying locked iPhones from ebay, and unlocking and reselling them. Apparently, there is at least some pocket cash in doing that. I checked out my phones on imei.info, and they came out clean.

Send me the info.  I don't have AT&T or a contact there, but I can screw with your info as well as the rest of these clowns.   

$5 that Vigo is posting about his new phones and carrier by Saturday morning.

Sigh....I think am already on page 3 of my cellphone story. Crossing my fingers that these used iPhones are the end of the story. Bottom line is, Chinese knockoff phones are simply not worth it. I went through 4 of them in under a year. Sometimes, being a cheap-ass penny pincher backfires in my face.

[BadMouth]

Wow, that was easy.  Hope it goes through.

[Vigo]

Thanks again, man! I have a good feeling it will go through just fine. 

[fallacy]

Funny you posted this, I was researching all this morning on how to get my iPhone 4s unlocked so I can switch to T-mobile when my contract with Sprint ends this month. What it all ended up boiling down to was I can’t. There is no law that says that Sprint has to unlock the phone off of their network; even though I paid my entire contract and the phone is my property. Sprint policy right now is to say go F$%^ yourself. I mean literally they might as well just right it out like that and save all the debate on there forms.

[MonMotha]

It doesn't matter, anyway.  Sprint and T-Mobile operate essentially incompatible networks.  Your Sprint phone is, with rare exception for "road warrior" phones, physically incapable of operating with T-Mobile's equipment.  I don't think any Sprint iPhones fall under said exception.

You can, to some degree, use Sprint handsets on Verizon (and vice versa, if Sprint were to allow it, which they do not).  I've heard of some success getting Sprint to unlock some handsets for that purpose by complaining hard enough and eventually getting somebody who even knows what's involved.  Verizon will blindly "activate" anything remotely compatible if you give them the IMEI, but they can't guarantee that it'll work nor will they support it of course.  Sprint and Verizon also use different LTE bands, IIRC, so you probably won't be able to use a Sprint LTE handset on Verizon in any case.  It's generally easier to just sell the used handset to another Sprint user who can then upgrade off-cycle and under contract then start anew with your new preferred provider if you're coming from or going to Sprint or even Verizon, for that matter.

AFAIK, the few multi-standard ("road warrior") handsets that Sprint sells do have unlocked or at least unlockable (upon request to Sprint) GSM/UMTS and maybe LTE radios.  Any SIM should work once they've been used once on Sprint.  The CDMA2000 radio is still locked to Sprint, though, and the WiMax radio, on models so equipped, is also usually locked to Sprint/Clear, if that's even relevant anymore.

[fallacy]

I refuse for that to be the answer! Get rid of a $650 perfectly good phone were upgrading to the newest version offers nothing more.

I was going to first give this a shot

[MonMotha]

Unless the Sprint iPhone 4S is multi-standard (CDMA2000 + GSM), which it MIGHT be (the retail versions apparently were, but I don't know about the carrier-supplied versions), unlocking it won't do you a bit of good.  Does the thing even have a SIM slot?  If so, have you TRIED just chucking a T-mo SIM in it?  Sprint tends to leave the GSM side of their handsets unlocked on the assumption they'll be used while traveling.  Unlocking the CDMA2000 side would be unnecessary and is generally a huge pain in the butt.  You'd only need to do that if you wanted to use it on Verizon.

Also, it's not a $650 phone anymore... The thing is two generations old.

[fallacy]

Unless the Sprint iPhone 4S is multi-standard (CDMA2000 + GSM), which it MIGHT be (the retail versions apparently were, but I don't know about the carrier-supplied versions), unlocking it won't do you a bit of good.  Does the thing even have a SIM slot?  If so, have you TRIED just chucking a T-mo SIM in it?  Sprint tends to leave the GSM side of their handsets unlocked on the assumption they'll be used while traveling.  Unlocking the CDMA2000 side would be unnecessary and is generally a huge pain in the butt.  You'd only need to do that if you wanted to use it on Verizon.

Video i posted answers most of your questions.  Iphones are both CDMA2000 + GSM but Sprint has some kind of firmware to make it only CDMA. Yes iphones have Sim slots and no just putting a t-mobile sim does not work he showed that in the video. Iphone 4s still retail for $450

[Vigo]

There is buzz that the FCC will be banning all phone locking by the end of the year. I don't know how much merit it has, but apparently the new FCC chairman is strongly opposed to locking of any cell phones, even while in contract.

[fallacy]

heard that to. They might have to sell smart phone up front for full price but it works for me; would be a way better system than this contract locked in phone bull s%^& they have going on now.

[pbj]

Put in an unlock request for my current AT&T phone.  Why the hell not?  May also shove the SIM back into the 3GS and unlock that one, too.

Thanks for the link in this thread.

 

[404]

hmm been thinking of asking someone to do this for me as well. have a 4s with cracked glass. may get it repaired and give the phone to my mom so she can get rid of that horrid android 2.3 phone she runs right now.

[BadMouth]

Damn, still pending.  They certainly take their time.
You'd think the process would be automated.

[Vigo]

Yeah, they seem to be taking their sweet time. I agree, I don't see the big deal about why it isn't automated.

Not to mention it was in the news this week that all the carriers agreed to a pledge that they would have all requests done within 2 days.

[Vigo]

Unlock request went through, and I got both my phones unlocked and working perfectly. Thanks to everyone, esp. BadMouth! 

[404]

anyone with ATT want to give this a shot for me as well? Have a 4s here that I'd like to see if i can get it unlocked before i send the phone off to have the glass repaired. If all goes well, I plan on giving it to my mother to replace her old android gingerbread phone.

[404]

Anyone?

[pbj]

How much $ you offering? 




J/K shoot me a PM and I'll do it for you.

[404]

How much $ you offering? 




J/K shoot me a PM and I'll do it for you.

sorry i haven't gotten back to you yet. I inadvertently updated to IOS7 and don't have the original sim to the phone. Now i can't activate the damn thing to get to the home screen and get the IMEI of the phone. 

[Vigo]

I think the IMEI is usually engraved on the sim tray of most iphones. 

[404]

I think the IMEI is usually engraved on the sim tray of most iphones.

Ha! You're right got it. Thanks

[KIguy]

sorry i haven't gotten back to you yet. I inadvertently updated to IOS7 and don't have the original sim to the phone. Now i can't activate the damn thing to get to the home screen and get the IMEI of the phone. 

I just went through this with an ip4 that I'm getting rid of - if you don't have a SIM you can, instead, attach to a wireless network during the first boot/setup and activate that way. 

[SNAAKE]

I dont use iAnything but aren't phones unlocked if you root it and jailbreak it?

rooted my brother's att galaxy S3 the other day and now it works with any gsm carrier.

[Vigo]

I dont use iAnything but aren't phones unlocked if you root it and jailbreak it?

rooted my brother's att galaxy S3 the other day and now it works with any gsm carrier.

Yes, but AFAIK not all iphones can be jailbroken, at least an unteathered jailbreak.

[404]

sorry i haven't gotten back to you yet. I inadvertently updated to IOS7 and don't have the original sim to the phone. Now i can't activate the damn thing to get to the home screen and get the IMEI of the phone. 

I just went through this with an ip4 that I'm getting rid of - if you don't have a SIM you can, instead, attach to a wireless network during the first boot/setup and activate that way. 

unfortunately you can't with IOS7. You still need a physical sim inside in order to activate your phone if you wipe the data.