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Late last month, I decided to do some research into mobile phone carriers' handset unlocking policies. I did this because I keep hearing from Operation Gadget readers who are frustrated by their inability to take their phones with them when they switch carriers. In many cases, it's because their handsets have been electronically locked by the carrier that subsidized the phone's purchase.
I am not a customer of Cingular Wireless, so I could not simply phone customer service and ask if they would unlock my handset. What I did instead was to visit the Cingular Company Store at 72 Princeton-Hightstown Road in East Windsor, NJ.
I asked a knowledgeable Retail Sales Consultant if I could buy a GSM phone which could be used on another company's network when I am travelling for business in Switzerland. He knew why I would want to do this:
The Retail Sales Consultant from Cingular told me that the "world phone" models (multi-band GSM handsets) that they sell in the store are all unlocked. Therefore, I could purchase a phone there and leave on my trip immediately-- presumably before it is even activated. Of course, Cingular would not sell me a phone unless I signed a contract with them that locks me into a billing plan for two years. But if I bought a phone from them, I'd be planning to stay with them for mobile phone service in the USA.
The world phone models that were recommended to me by the Cingular consultant were:
I believe that they had all of these phones in stock at the store at that time.
As I said in my previous articles about AT&T Wireless' Handset Unlocking Policy and T-Mobile USA's Handset Unlocking Policy, I'm not saying that handset unlocking policies should be the only factor in choosing a wireless carrier. But, they are a very good indication of how customer-friendly a carrier is.
Cingular has good service in my area, and they are busily upgrading their network to better support GSM. I appreciated the openness of the staff at the Cingular Company Store in discussing their company's policy with a potential customer.
I do not know if Cingular ever locked multi-band GSM phones. If they did, I hope that an existing customer with one of these phones will explain how Cingular deals with unlocking them. If you have this information, send it to me at tips@operationgadget.com.
Posted by Dave Aiello in Mobile Phones on April 27, 2004 07:00 PMJust bought a Motorola v600 from Cingular. Sales says it comes locked and stays locked but that I can pay $3.99/month and get discounted overseas service.
There are third parties out there who will sell an unlock code for $35 to $50. What is the difference between blocked and locked?
Posted by: mike at May 9, 2004 10:59 AMThis flies in the face of what I was told while I was shopping at Cingular. I believe the folks at the Cingular Company Store that I visited. Is it possible that this is a market-by-market policy?
"Discounted overseas service" is typically more expensive than using a pay-as-you-go card that is purchased locally. As I've said in other articles on Operation Gadget, the larger issue is the benefit of having a local number in the country where you are. This is really nice when you are visiting friends and relatives overseas, or doing business.
Another question is, if the phone is truly locked, how long will Cingular keep it that way before assisting you to remove the lock? If it's for more than 90 days, better deals are widely available.
Posted by: Dave Aiello at May 9, 2004 11:55 AMT-mobile has given me an unlock code. I was told policy is after 90 days. I have had the V300 longer then that.
Cinglular has told me their phones come unlocked, a Seattle, direct dealer. Indirect Cingular dealers may lock the phones to better protect their contract with a customer?
Posted by: Brian at June 28, 2004 11:57 PMCingular's Handset Unlocking "Policy"
I brought a V400 at the end of June from Cingular in Boston. I got the phone as an upgrade for $100 but had to agree to keep the contract for two more years which is not a problem since I have had a very cheap business group contract with them for many years. They told me at the store it could be unlocked at the end of a year's service, but could not tell me how it was to be done. I called Cingular and they told me it could be unlocked at the end of the contract. I put a T-Mobile SIM card in the phone and it connected to their network and worked fine. This phone was UNLOCKED WHEN PURCHASED and you can stick in any SIM card you wish.
Since Cingular now says you can roam internationally (very pricey) using their SIM card in a world (quad band)phone such as the V400 I suspect it has to come unlocked because it must connect through non-Cingular overseas networks. But what do I know.
Anyhow, I wonder why Cingular is so unfothcoming? Is this their policy or do they have badly trained sales people and phone reps?
Hope this helps those worried about travelling abroad with their phones.
I have a Cingular Motorola V400 which I recently got in Connecticut. I travel overseas to Japan and Hong Kong. Cannot use the phone in Japan at all I learned based on G3 technology. In Hong Kong however it is reading the system and recognized. I have the Cingular sim card in the phone. I see that a call was missed or that there is a new voicemail message. I just cannot figure out how to place a call to the USA. Tried several things. Any ideas?
Posted by: Phil at July 30, 2004 07:03 PMJapan is actually the only other major market that uses CDMA, although the standards are different from US CDMA networks. Your GSM phone won't pick up a signal in Japan for the same reasons they didn't used to work in the US.
If you use the Cingular SIM in Hong Kong, you will be hit with major international roam charges from Cingular.
As for dialing the US, one thought: to make a call from the local network (regardless of whose SIM it is) you'd need to use the international access code the locals use, which you'd follow with the country code (1 for US). I'm not sure of the code in Hong Kong, but it's 00 in many markets. (011 in the US.)
Posted by: Dennis at August 18, 2004 03:17 PMDEAR SALES DEPT.
I GET YOUR WEB CONTACT THROUGH AN EX-BUYER OF YOUR PRODUCTS AND I DEVELOP LOVE FOR YOUR PRODUCTS EXPECIALLY YOUR NOT TOO EXPENSIVE PRICE.
I ALSO SEE YOUR IN WEBSTORE THAT I CAN ALSO PLACE ORDER THROUGH EMAIL,SO I WILL LIKE YOU TO GIVE ME A PRODUCTS LISTING AND PRICE WHICH WILL MAKE ME ORDER TO MY CUSTOMERS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVE A CURTESY REPLY FROM YOU SOON.
KINDEST REGARD,
MARK
Nokia 3100,
Nokia 3200,
Nokia 6200,
Sony Ericsson T616,
Motorola V400, or
Motorola V600
hi i need help with my sim card
this is a cingualr card so i need the code to unlocked it
Unlocking is one part of a CP operations. I have cingular was told that the phone would find ATT service and Cingular service, deternime which is stronger and use that service. That is not the case Cingula Phoines in the Austin market do not switch toweres. I found this out after activating ATT service which uses ATT, Cingular and T-Mobile towers. The phone lets you choose if you want. I brought this up to Cingular. Now Cingular is tellingme that by the end of September 2004 they will be able to do the same. Has any body else out there had a service problem like this.
Posted by: Clark at September 1, 2004 02:15 PMAfter calling Cingular yesterday, because my Motorola V400 had absolutely no service, I was told that the towers for ATT were down, had not been registered to Cingular yet, and were not due to be registered until the end of October. Does me alot good outside of SA, NO SERVICE...and they had NO SOLUTION for me. If I could get the unlock code, I'd be with Verizon in a heartbeat !
Posted by: Tonja at September 8, 2004 06:16 AMI have a Cingular Nokia 6340. I want to use it in Hong Kong and buy a prepaid sim chip overseas. During my last trip, I tried turning on the phone with a local SIM chip and it told me that I needed a code. Cingular tells me that all GSM phones, should be unlocked, but mine was.
Does anybody have any suggestions on how to be able to use my 6340 while paying only the local sim chip rates while in Hong Kong. Also, is my phone currently utilizing the correct bandwidth in order to use it.
Thanks
TED