Will changing device firmware remove SIM hardlock?

[Holoradius]

Hello!

I bought a Sony Xperia SP from eBay and the seller said it was unlocked. Turns out, however, that it is locked to Orange UK.
Without knowing this, I accidentally managed to get it hard locked. There are no repair shops locally that can unlock it.

I have been trying to sell it on eBay again but to no luck, so I am ready to start looking for other options.

I have searched for this and found that changing the firmware will not re-lock an already unlocked phone, but what about the other way around?
If I change the device's firmware to an unbranded one, will that unlock it so I can use any SIM?

Or are there any other options besides just throwing it away?

Thanks!

 

[Guru82]

Yes, If you can find an international version of firmware that will flash, you may be golden.
Have a look at Sony XPERIA SP C5303 - Android 4.3 - firmware 12.1.A.1.201
if your phone is the C5303.
Be careful though, I just paste a link and not responsible if you make the wrong decision or if it isn't provider unlocked. The thing to research the most, is whether you are able to downgrade, be it easy or impossble. And is that C5303_12.1.A.1.201_CH chinese (CH) and if that is a problem.
If after giving some considerable search engine researching, the phone is the C5303 and you've got nothing to lose... it's your choice

 

[Holoradius]

Thanks for your quick reply!

So as long as I can find a working firmware for my device that is unlocked, I can use my carrier's SIM even though the device was hard network locked (i.e, I can't even unlock it with an unlock code)? That would be perfect.

Will, say, Cyanogenmod have the same effect?

 

[Guru82]

In the past I had a HTC Desire S that was locked to a provider. I flashed a European firmware that was branded and the SIM was locked. Later I found a European version that wasn't branded it was unlocked.
Honestly, I'm not sure. Think the lock is located in the bootloader. If the firmware is not branded and updates the bootloader...
Here's a read about it: What is Sim-Lock. Removing simlock
In your case, the legality is somewhat null, if what you said is true. I certainly don't condone unlocking for illegal purposes.

 

[Holoradius]

I'm not planning to do anything illegal with it. I just want my phone to work since I spent a lot of money on it.

Do you think it's worth a shot to flash a new ROM? I found this tutorial, is this the way to go?

[TUTORIAL] HOW TO FLASH STOCK ROMs WITH FLASHTOOL - xda-developers

Thanks!

 

[Guru82]

Well, at a glance, that contains a lot of XPERIA Z.
Compare the information between the link I provided and download both sets of tools. Check out the tools and the information of both before doing anything.

 

[Holoradius]

Thanks again. I guess I'll give it a shot. The worst thing that could happen is that I break it but since I can't use it now anyways... :/

Or do you know of any other option in my case? I guess calling Orange UK here from Finland and asking them for help probably won't go too well?

 

[Guru82]

Yeah, I don't think any provider would be interested in helping unlock a phone you wish to use with another provider.

Go for it. If your game
Personally I would use the Sony XPERIA SP C5303 - Android 4.3 - firmware 12.1.A.1.201 once I verified it was the C5303 (check the sticker under battery if the system info doesn't tell you). But I would try the lower build Android 4.1.2, 12.0.A.2.254 firmware first to see if it flashes. Then do the Android 4.3, 12.1.A.1.201 firmware. It's easier to upgrade gradual with a chance of unlocking with a new bootloader then hit a wall trying to downgrade.

Nice phone btw. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Holoradius]

I think I'll give it a try this evening! What are some of the risks of doing this? The guide seems pretty straight forward and Flashtool seems to be doing most of the heavy lifting.

As long as I backup my original firmware and start with 4.1.2 as you suggested, do I run a large risk of bricking the device?

 

[Guru82]

Don't think you run too much of a risk. The site looks trustworthy, but you always run a risk downloading from unknown sources.
Also, I've no experience with Sony phones at all, so am not aware of anything else that could hinder the desired outcome.

 

[Holoradius]

Thanks again for your input. Will let you know how it goes. Wish me luck.

I actually have an Xperia Z (got that from eBay as well, and that was truly unlocked!), bought the SP for my girlfriend. Since I got the Z I've been completely in love with Sony and am sticking with their products from now on! Getting the Z2 tablet soon, but this time not from eBay...

 

[xerophyll]

Thanks again for your input. Will let you know how it goes. Wish me luck.

so how did it go Holoradius? did u manage to reset the simlock counter by flashing the firmware?

 

[Holoradius]

Hi! We actually decided to try to sell it to someone with an Orange subscription instead of going through all the fuzz, hence the silence here, but we couldn't get rid of it so I decided to try the other day for lack of a better option, but as expected, it didn't work. Should anyone have any thoughts about other options, do feel free to share. :/