FliesWay2Much

Mrs Flies and I just returned from three incredible weeks in Oz. Since we were going to spend a week at a conference attended by 20,000 people, I decided we would take our two Cingular Wireless Motorola V551 phones with us and use Aussie SIM cards we bought here in the US so we could find each other during breaks. I had satisfied myself that the GSM V551 would work overseas in general and in Australia in particular. I had done some research on the subject of locked cell phones and how to unlock them. There is also is an interesting legal debate in the US and a couple of pending lawsuits involving big cellular providers trying to squish small businesses who unlock cell phones for people. So, it's tough to find anyone who will do it without having to consult shady websites and local free papers such as the Washington City Paper.

I went to the multi-service shop where I bought the phones and they assured me that the phones were unlocked. Of course, they were not, as I found out the hard way. I tried one of the Aussie SIM cards on the day we left for Oz, and I got a window asking for the unlocking code to be entered. I called Cingular and the guy told me that he would submit a work request to the tech support staff. He told me I should have my unlocking codes emailed to me within 3-5 working days. I'm still waiting. (I used a web-based email account I knew I could access from anywhere, so I was willing to go without phones for the first few days of our trip.) Next, I tried a couple of unlocking web sites when we got to Oz. I didn't have a laptop, so I couldn't download and unlocking software. However, I found a company in the NW US who could determine the unlocking codes based on the phone's serial number. They said they would email you the codes within 24 hours or the next business day for $20 per phone. I'm still waiting and, yes, my credit card has already been charged $40 for the two phones.

The story ends with me finding a cell phone repair place in the Sydney Central Business District who unlocked both phones within 15 minutes for $80 AUS. The SIM cards worked fine and the Cingular SIM cards worked fine when we got back home.

To cut to the chase, here are some lessons-learned from which I hope others can benefit:

1. Plan way ahead and assume your phone is locked. Unless you paid full price for your phone, it will be locked by the service provider who practically gave away a multi-hundred dollar cell phone. Ask your provider to send you the unlocking codes. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, find someone locally who will unlock your phone as I did in Sydney (not very LOCAL!)

2. Test your unlocked phone before you leave. Do the test far enough ahead of time so you have time for "Plan B" if it isn't working for some reason. If you plan to buy a foreign SIM card after you get in country, try the unlocked phone using another US SIM card. (Note: Since most foreign cell systems use GSM technology, you'll have to use another US GSM SIM. As far as I know, the only two GSM carriers in the US are Cingular and T-Mobile.) If you normally use Cingular, borrow someone's T-Mobile SIM or vice versa. The other carrier's ID should come up in your phone's screen if your phone is unlocked.

3. We had no problem buying a foreign SIM card before we left the US. The big advantage was that we knew the local Aussie phone numbers and could pass them on to family members and our offices. I'm sure this wasn't the cheaper alternative and I suspect buying a card once you get there would cost less per minute. Also, we had absolutely no coverage or dropped call issues -- a refreshing change from Cingular!

The main caveat here is that we make infrequent overseas trips. However, I think making the effort to unlock your phone is a good idea regardless of how many times you do travel OCONUS.

SanDiego1K

What a frustrating experience.

Here's a tip for anyone reading, who wants to avoid this problem. I bought a new phone just before leaving for Asia. I, too, was concerned that it be unlocked. A friend has service on Cingular; I have service on T-Mobile. He put his chip in my phone to see if I could access his provider. I could, so I knew my phone was good to go.

UAVirgin

You advice is very prudent.

I would add; Buy a Nokia phone, they are very easy to unlock and free or low price unlocking web sites abound.

DrDaveEXPLT

Cingular will unlock your phone. IF: you have worldwide service and you have had service for over 90 days.
I could not wait, so I got an online service to ship the software to unlock.. they were immediate.
www.cell-unlock.com

it was a pretty slick service and all automated,.. you can download their software, test it on your phone, then pay them, then they give you the passsword and userid for their software to actually do the unlock..

that was for a RAZR V3 which needs software unlock..

FliesWay2Much

Dr Dave,

I looked at cell-unlock and they would have been my choice if I had still been in country at home using my own computer. I had no way of downloading and unzipping software from the hotel business center in Sydney. I suspect these guys could have done the job on my V551s, since the guts are the same for the V557 and Razr. I had heard about the 90-day Cingular requirement. We've been AT&T Wireless customers since 1999 but had just bought these Motorola phones in April, so they "converted" us to a Cingular account. I would have raised the roof if they had said I had only been a Cingular customer for 60 days.

I've also heard of phones becoming re-locked after the original SIMs were re-installed. I haven't had the guts yet to put my Oz SIM back in and see what happens...

winkydink

Nobody says you have to buy a new unlocked phone and spend a gazillion dollars nor traverse to the ends of the earth to get one unlocked.

An unlocked Sony T610 (a decent tri-band phone) can be had on ebay for $75, less if you're patient.

GadgetFreak

I think Tmobile is way better than Cingular when it comes to unlocking. I requested an unlock code last week before a trip to the UK. The info came within the stated time (one week) and allowed me to unlock the phone. I unlocked one other phone on TMobile and it was just as easy.

jf841

A year ago or debated switching from Sprint to Cingular to TMobile... luckily I chose TMobile... I needed to use the phone with my Italian SIM card and called TMobile...within 24 hours they had sent me a couple codes to punch in which unlocked the phone...for free. A few months ago one of my friends with Cingular needed the same and they charged him $30.

divilish

Ebay is your friend for unlocked phones or for unlocking services.

Google is your friend if you want to try it yourself!

GadgetFreak

Ordered one yesterday for the inlaws. It will be interesting to see if it really is unlocked, etc.

derpelikan

just buy onlocked phones.
but the problem is that sim locking phones should be prohibittted by law in my eyes.

dp

Fredd

Another wrinkle that a Cingular phone rep told me about today (when I called back to get the unlocking code that was to have been e-mailed to me a few weeks ago) is that supposedly you can only "unlock" your Cingular phone a total of five times before it becomes permanently locked with whatever SIM card is in it at the time.

Sounds bizarre to me but that's what the rep told me.

GadgetFreak

I think there is some confusion here. If you try to unlock a phone a certain number of times and fail (ie wrong number) it will lock so that you need another number (PUK code I think is the name) to get it to do anything. I think that is what was being referred to.

ratnamg

The rep was, how should I say this, hmm.. CLUELESS...

The rep was probably talking about entering an incorrect code 3 time.. Once unlocked it is unlocked...

Fredd

That certainly makes more sense to me and had been my previous understanding.

Thanks!