Will a CLIQ function without a cell carrier...and are they readily unlockable?

[tliebeck]

I'm looking at picking up a Moto CLIQ, with the primary intent of testing my own Android applications. The Android emulator doesn't quite cut it, as the app makes use of WiFi (which is not emulated). Not to mention that having an actual 1.5 device would probably be a very good idea to ensure a positive user experience on such devices.

I'm basically wondering if it will work "normally" with an unregistered SIM card with WiFi turned on?

I don't think I'd ever use this thing as a phone, except perhaps when traveling outside the US (hence the second question, can I unlock it and perhaps use prepaid sim cards from Euro carriers in it?)

Thanks for any suggestions!

(My apologies if this is an absurdly stupid question...I'm only asking this because an unbound stock out-of-the-box locked iPhone is 100% useless for any purpose).

 

[tliebeck]

Talked to a t-mo rep, he indicated that they were locked but unlockable, and if I bought the $399 full-price version that it would work even if I did not buy any type of plan. Whether this is at all accurate, I don't know, he was an in-store salesman.

 

[MB200]

Sorry, I cannot directly answer your question in the first post. But I can add something to the comment you made in your second post.

I bought my Motorola Cliq from T-Mobile in the first week of November. I paid the full price of $400 so I could do it without a contract, and the phone would be therefore by, within one week, unlockable.

(BTW, this way actually saves money over two years: should I stay with T-Mobile, I will pay less in total by paying the full $400 up front and then saving $15 each month in reduced charges for my mobile Talk and Web access.

I have received the unlock code and the procedure from T-Mobile, but have not yet got around to doing it. I imagine there is lots of good help in this forum on unlock questions.

 

[toydawg]

I just purchased my Cliq outright with no contract and unlocked it with an unlock code. I tested it with my secondary AT&T sim from my work phone and it worked great. I'm using it as a secondary phone on T-Mobile but will refuse to pay their high price for their Android Data plan. It works fine for me with its wifi connectivity.

 

[troym]

Can either of your provide me some directions on how to go about getting it unlocked?

 

[toydawg]

I actually got the run around from T-Mobile on getting an unlock code, so I decided just to go and pay for someone to retrieve it for me on eBay. Just look for a seller named, "fastunlocker" and he will forward you the unlock code within 24 hours. I paid $24.99 USD for it.

Remember that you could try to call T-Mobile directly and ask them for the code for free. If you do, just tell them that you plan on traveling outside of the country and would like to use your phone with an out of the country sim card. They may get it for you, but I had no such luck. The customer service representatives I encountered were of the lazy and lame catagory.

I plan on using my unlocked Cliq in Germany in two weeks, so we'll see how that goes.

I hope this helped. Good luck and let me know if you need any other information!

 

[E_lexy]

I just wanted to say I used Fastunlocker throug Ebay.
I bought a phone on Ebay that was sold as unlocked, but like so many have experienced, the phone was still locked upon arrival. (yes I did file a claim!)

Then this forum pointed me to fastunlocker, and within 2 woriking days I had my Cliq working here in Spain!

 

[toydawg]

Great to hear E_Lexy! It's very unfortunate that people like yourself experience such bad sales through eBay, but I'm glad that there are other ways to get it to work, even if we have to pay. How are you liking your phone?

 

[E_lexy]

Yes I really like my Cliq

Also I have gotten feedback from paypal that they will reimburse the amount that I had to pay to get the phone unlocked myself. kudos for paypal there.

I'd like to add that yesterday I also was able to get the latest update from motorola here in Spain. see this forum post.

I'm really exited to see the android 2.1 updated scheduled for Q2 2010 on the CliQ!!

 

[cguilford]

I logged into tmobile and went to the contact us page, and did the unlock process with a live chat agent. They are supposed to email me the info within 24hrs I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[cguilford]

This did work, I contacted tmobile via the live chat under contact us. Told them I was traveling out of country. And they did provide an unlock code for me within 24hrs I'm not successfully unlocked.