Help Unlocking

[Bfalcon]

Hi there lads and lasses!
Great to finally start posting here! I've been following the forum for a little while, watching and biding my time to buy my first EVER smartphone! Of course it will be android I'm very excited about it, and given that options in Canada are terribly limited, I feel lucky that the HTC Desire Z is coming out tomorrow! It seems like a great phone!

A couple questions for a total novice like myself - I plan on unlocking this phone (given that it is with Bell), and bringing it over to Koodo mobile and enjoy cheap, contractless rates. I'm quite certain that's allowed as it is a) a gsm quadband phone, and b) they both run their 3g networks (koodo=telus) on 850/1900mhz. So: does anyone have any unlocking tips/hints/pointers as to where I should go to figure out how to unlock it? Would anyone say it's a bad idea to unlock a phone (as far as I know that voids warranty). My biggest question with that is: would i still get to enjoy the new Sense ui if I unlocked it and switched providers tomorrow?
Cheers,
Bfalcon

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

I apologize in my PM to you Bfalcon when I said the Desire Z wont work on Koodo, I didn't realize Koodo was now carrying HSPA devices (with Koodo sims).

So what you need to do is get the phone and get it unlocked.

GETTING A PHONE UNLOCKED DOES NOT! VOID WARRANTY AT ALL! What CAN void warranty is rooting the device (which wont be possible for some time regardless).

 

[Bfalcon]

Fantastic! I'm so stoked for tomorrow!!! Can't wait to have such an open os to play with!!!

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

If you are getting the phone from Bell here's something to remember: to buy a phone from Bell you need to activate it ON Bell. You don't need a contract to buy it retail for $499.95 but you DO need to activate it on a Bell plan or (maybe? Prepaid).

If you activate on no contract on the cheapest plan ($30/month) you need to set a cancellation which is 30 days notice. You can use a Koodo sim card in the phone regardless but you might have to pay $30 or something over those 30 days + a $35 activation fee.

Now one way I am getting around this is by activating the phone on NO contract on my friend's Bell account, then calling Bell tech support and having them switch the IMEI # back to his old phone on his account. There's a $20 charge to my friend's bill (I give him $25) and I buy the phone for $499.95.

Unlocking is a little tricky. The cheapest ways to get it unlocked are usually online through various websites. USUALLY though it takes a couple of days after launch date (sometimes 5-7 days) before the codes are available. So if you get the phone tommorow you might need to wait a few days before it's even possible to get it unlocked.

Hope this helps!

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

ALSO (sorry) call Koodo and find out how easy it is to buy a SIM card (if you don't have one in your current phone as Koodo phones are mostly CDMA 'no SIM'). Usually they are just $5 - $15.

EDIT:

These Koodo phones (right now) have SIM cards in them:
-INQ Chat 3G
-Samsung Elevate
-Nokia 3710


If you don't have one of those phones you need to buy a Koodo SIM card.

Edit 2:

Here's one unlocking site for the Desire Z (up allready which was fast!) but it's $40. You might want to search for cheaper ones:
http://www.cellunlock.net/Unlock_Bell_HTC_Desire_Z_p/unlockbelldesirez.htm

 

[Haikuguy]

wait a minute...

So does that mean that I can't just buy the phone from a Bell retail store, insert my Rogers sim and that's it?

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

wait a minute...

So does that mean that I can't just buy the phone from a Bell retail store, insert my Rogers sim and that's it?

You need to get it unlocked first before it will connect to Rogers.

Also if you buy a phone from Bell you have to activate it on a Bell #. As mentioned you don't need a contract but you have to activate on Bell.

 

[Haikuguy]

Thanks...

So ebay it is.
Or pacific mall....

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Thanks...

So ebay it is.
Or pacific mall....

You might want to check to see if you can get Bell to activate it on Prepaid because then you don't have to cancel at all. Just get unlocked and use.

The whole process will still be less than the prices i've seen for unlocked from re-sellers ($600 or $650) and will take less time.

 

[Bfalcon]

Here's a question: given that rogers operates on a triband network for hspa (
850/1900/2100), would this phone be satisfactory (850/1900 mhz)?

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Here's a question: given that rogers operates on a triband network for hspa (
850/1900/2100), would this phone be satisfactory (850/1900 mhz)?

Yes, 850/1900 bands work fine on Rogers or Fido.

 

[Rickroller]

Sorry to rehash an old thread..but i'm planning on buying a brand new still in box Dezire Z from Bell (the person selling it won it in a draw). Seeing's how I won't need to get a Bell plan in order to buy the phone..that means I should just be able to unlock the phone..and then use my current SIM card from my Telus Torch to use with this phone correct?

 

[PumaYaYa]

Sorry to rehash an old thread..but i'm planning on buying a brand new still in box Dezire Z from Bell (the person selling it won it in a draw). Seeing's how I won't need to get a Bell plan in order to buy the phone..that means I should just be able to unlock the phone..and then use my current SIM card from my Telus Torch to use with this phone correct?

That is correct.