I have a Motorols v500 and want it unlocked to ditch Cingular.
I have found some software on the internet but I'm afraid to use it.
Who has experience with this?

Prior to getting my Treo650, i researched the device on the InTarWeb quite a bit. I had never heard of "unlocking" phones before. This is apparently a big deal. I'm sure if you look for cell phone forums, you wil find a lot of information about the process. As I understand it, all it does is overwrite the firmware to a non-carrier-specific standard. Depending on the model and age of your phone, you may be able to get a copy of the firmware that's already on it, so if the unlock doesn't work, you can set it back.

Is it possible to have the new carrier (Verizon, T-Mobile, whateever) unlock the phone for you? I sthat legit?

big time tag.....been willing to know how do this recently...

TAG

Just because it is unlocked does not mean your new service provider will allow it on the network. Sometimes they only allow ESN's that they want on their systems...

Quoted: I have a Motorols v500 and want it unlocked to ditch Cingular. I have found some software on the internet but I'm afraid to use it. Who has experience with this?

Call Cingular & get them to unlock it before you dump 'em.  If they crawfish, screw 'em & call Motorola & see if they can help.

T-Mob will do one unlock per phone, you need to be a customer for a while.

PM me if you need more.

-hanko

Walk into a couple of cell stores in your area that are NOT the corporate store.

Ask the tech how much to unlock the phone.

I paid $20 to have my Nokia done by the local tech.

Screw all the software... let the pros handle this one.  No virus and they do it in about 30 minutes.

What city are you in?
There are tons of shops that will unlock your phone for anywhere from $5-15 bucks.
Call some of the non-corporate stores is your best bet.

what are you gaining by "unlocking": your phone?

Quoted: what are you gaining by "unlocking": your phone?

The ability to use it with a new carrier.

Quoted: what are you gaining by "unlocking": your phone?

I can dump Cingular. Verizon didn't go down for Katrina, and Cinglar really sucks.

Quoted: Quoted: I can dump Cingular. Verizon didn't go down for Katrina, and Cinglar really sucks. The problem with your plan, as I see it, is that Cingular is GSM and Verizon (iirc) is TDMA/CDMA. The phones are not compatible with each other's systems, unless your phone is multiband.

Multiband doesn't help, the systems are incompatible in much more than just the frequencies on which they operate.

Avoid any carrier using US-only systems, stick to GSM then if your phone is unlocked, you can use it in the rest of the world.

Quoted: Quoted: I can dump Cingular. Verizon didn't go down for Katrina, and Cinglar really sucks. The problem with your plan, as I see it, is that Cingular is GSM and Verizon (iirc) is TDMA/CDMA. The phones are not compatible with each other's systems, unless your phone is multiband.

It's a v500, I believe it is multi-band and had the button for two way (which cingular never came out with even though they said they would.)

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I can dump Cingular. Verizon didn't go down for Katrina, and Cinglar really sucks. The problem with your plan, as I see it, is that Cingular is GSM and Verizon (iirc) is TDMA/CDMA. The phones are not compatible with each other's systems, unless your phone is multiband. It's a v500, I believe it is multi-band and had the button for two way (which cingular never came out with even though they said they would.)

the V500 is a GSM.. it will not work with CDMA service..


as far as the PTT phone  I expect to have a cingular samsung ptt in my hands by monday..

well thats what I am told...

I have a couple of phones that I use for travel.  The newest is a Motorola V540 which is the same as a V550 but without the camera (can't get a camera phone into research places etc.)  The V540 is a quadband phone so it pretty much works everywhere except Japan and some other Asian country.  When I go to europe I use the Motorola.  I have been a customer with ATT/Cingular on a business account for a long time.  IF you are a GOOD Cingular customer and you call the international number while you are away they can unlock your phone while you are talking to them...they unlock remotely.  I also use a Nokia (flip keyboard is easier to text).  For the Nokia there is a free program that you plug in the ESN number the country code and the carrier and the software generates an unlock code.  You key in the code and the phone is unlocked.  Now with both phones unlocked I can swap my SIM chip from one to another and keep my phone number etc.  Get to use the best phone for the job.  The other nice feature with an unlocked phone is that (internationaly) you can go to a cell phone store and buy a prepaid SIM for ~ 40 bucks.  This way you get a local phone number while you are in country.  Local calls are cheaper and in most countries you never pay for incoming calls.  Now I just have several different SIM cards that I can swap in and out of phones as needed.

Unlock it.. And the next carier you take it to wont be able to guarantee you will use their towers because of the software in the phone..Be prepared for some nasty roaming charges.. Even in your service area.. Some companies will not activate an unlocked phone on their system...

Quoted: Unlock it.. And the next carier you take it to wont be able to guarantee you will use their towers because of the software in the phone..Be prepared for some nasty roaming charges.. Even in your service area.. Some companies will not activate an unlocked phone on their system...

Pure bullshit, on several levels. All major GSM carriers activate your SIM, not your phone. They don't give a damn what the IMEI is, just don't expect tech support. I have a Moto v635, a Nokia 6600, and an iPaq, all used interchangeably on T-Mobile with the same SIM.

As far as roaming, you can set your network selection to NEVER roam, if you don't want to. It's not like it doesn't display right on the handset who's tower you're on.

Quoted: Quoted: Unlock it.. And the next carier you take it to wont be able to guarantee you will use their towers because of the software in the phone..Be prepared for some nasty roaming charges.. Even in your service area.. Some companies will not activate an unlocked phone on their system... Pure bullshit, on several levels. All major GSM carriers activate your SIM, not your phone. They don't give a damn what the IMEI is, just don't expect tech support. I have a Moto v635, a Nokia 6600, and an iPaq, all used interchangeably on T-Mobile with the same SIM. As far as roaming, you can set your network selection to NEVER roam, if you don't want to. It's not like it doesn't display right on the handset who's tower you're on.

Not bullshit on a CDMA system Beavis..

I am a carrier....Set your phone to "never roam" and all I have are people coming in and saying their phone doesnt work.. Let it select the system on its own and I have people pissed off about roaming in their service area..

BTW.. If you set your handset to" Home Only" and the software isnt proper for the carrier.. You will have "No Service" displayed and your phone wont function..

Spend some time in a carriers retail outlet and just watch.. You will then understand...

I guess the part where I was talking about GSM flew by ya (He's coming from Cingular, after all).

I think the thread derailed when he mentioned Verizon (you're absolutely correct about CDMA vs. GSM) but responding to the spirit of the original post, if he gets a Cingular GSM handset unlocked, he's going to be fine going to any other GSM carrier.

T-Mo stayed up during Katrina as well, btw.

Quoted: I think the thread derailed when he mentioned Verizon (you're absolutely correct about CDMA vs. GSM) but responding to the spirit of the original post, if he gets a Cingular GSM handset unlocked, he's going to be fine going to any other GSM carrier.

And, as GSM _is_ the future (CDMA is dead) he'll be much happier with his chosen technology.

As a former vendor to Verizon and Verizon Wireless, I'm surprised anytime they give dialtone.