Can you unlock CDMA phones?

[jso]

Here is my burning question, can you unlock cdma phones to work on the verizon network. I can't switch to gsm but it seems all the really great phones are either gsm or they are only available outside the US. Verizon never really seems to get any of the reall cool candy bar or slider style phones. I would even settle for being able to unlock on of Sprints phones to use on Verizon.

If it is possible what are the things to look out for? and what technical issues might I run into?

Also does the Nokia N80 really work on CDMA. It says in the specs that it is compatable with WCDMA (?)

Thx.

[jso]

Thanks for the overwhelning response. No seriously it has been almost too much to bear. Maybe the majority of people on this forum know very little about phones and they just like drooling about the latest models coming out.

My fault for thinking anyone would actually have some relevant information to share.

[carcomptoy]

You know, maybe if you didn't have the attitude more people would've responded by now:cool: You have to remember, this a forum, not a chatroom, so you're OBVIOUSLY not going to get an instant reply, especially with something that has been so EXHAUSTED that most everyone's tired of answering the question.

Now because I'm nice, I'll answer your question. The N80 absolutely canNOT be used on Verizon, or Sprint, or Alltel, or USCellular, etc. WCDMA is completely different from CDMA, much in the same way as 1000 is different than 100 in that one letter can make all the difference. They are just simply completely different technologies, and thus cannot be used.

As for unlocking Sprint's phones to use on Verizon, you can't because first of all Sprint has an ironclad grip on their phones and second Sprint's phones, while they still use CDMA, are ever slightly different that it makes them incompatible on any other network, even if it is CDMA. I think it has something to do with the fact that they use JAVA while Verizon uses BREW.

If you're really REALLY desperate to use really cool phones, i.e. CDMA phones from South Korea, you can take a gander at http://wirelessimports.com , where you can buy really cool phones from overseas for exobitant prices. The thing is, because these phones only use ONE of the TWO frequencies Verizon uses, you have to make sure your area is one of the areas that it convered by the phones' only 800MHz frequency.

Again, please don't be overbearing and condescending because it is SERIOUSLY not the best way to start out at a forum. Otherwise, welcome to MobileBurn:cool:

[jayesh]

amen to that brother. and oh to quote a wwe wrestler

"HAVE A NICE DAY"

[ReceptionLover]

Hi Carcom, You seem to be very good with information, so I`ll ask you. I`m realy having a hard deciding which company to go with. I Live in Midwest, am on a old Verizon plan, & out of contract. So the question is Who will give me better service, Sprint or Verizon? I hear SO many stories that I don`t know what to do! at times we do go off the beaten path,{roaming}.
Please reply soon:)

[jayesh]

i doubt cct can give you that answer. best is to ask the people around you with cellphones as to who has the better uniform coverage and check plans with both companies

[MAdBudz]

I used to work for verizon and theres no way in hell they'll let you use another phone on their network. even if you could unlock one you would then need to call verizon up and tell the the IMEI so that they can activate it, and then they would prob tell you that you are beat when you read them the imei, bc their system wont accept it. My advice is to do what I did and switch to cingular I have now had a SLVR and currently own a K750 and have just as good of service now that i had with vzw. but even if you could unlock a cdma have fun trying to get it up on vzw's network, its not happening!

[carcomptoy]

Hi Carcom, You seem to be very good with information, so I`ll ask you. I`m realy having a hard deciding which company to go with. I Live in Midwest, am on a old Verizon plan, & out of contract. So the question is Who will give me better service, Sprint or Verizon? I hear SO many stories that I don`t know what to do! at times we do go off the beaten path,{roaming}.
Please reply soon:)
Just like jayesh said, I wouldn't know. Obviously you'd need someone who has first hand experience in your region. All I can say is make sure your carrier has ANALOG roaming since you state you do get off the beaten path. I'm not sure about Verizon, but Sprint definitely has analog roaming, so long as your phone has it too. Of course you do pay a HIGH premium for calls over the analog network, and in 2008 (if I'm not mistaken) all analog networks will be deactivated so might be kinda pointless. But, it is still in a couple of years so it's your choice.
I used to work for verizon and theres no way in hell they'll let you use another phone on their network. even if you could unlock one you would then need to call verizon up and tell the the IMEI so that they can activate it, and then they would prob tell you that you are beat when you read them the imei, bc their system wont accept it. My advice is to do what I did and switch to cingular I have now had a SLVR and currently own a K750 and have just as good of service now that i had with vzw. but even if you could unlock a cdma have fun trying to get it up on vzw's network, its not happening!
Not true...Michael (the site owner) has used unlocked CDMA phones from wirelessimports.com on his Verizon account. You can input the IMEI online instead of going through customer service, so that's the loophole.

[Idrahaje279]

Hi Carcom, You seem to be very good with information, so I`ll ask you. I`m realy having a hard deciding which company to go with. I Live in Midwest, am on a old Verizon plan, & out of contract. So the question is Who will give me better service, Sprint or Verizon? I hear SO many stories that I don`t know what to do! at times we do go off the beaten path,{roaming}.
Please reply soon:)

I currently have Verizon and I live in a rural area. Not a good signal, at times no service or no signal. My company has Alltel and I love it. When my contract ends or if someone buys my contract via celltradeusa I'm going with Alltel.

[robphat]

I have two CDMA models:
1. Motorola E816, originallyn on AMP'd Mobile
2. Sanyo MVP 9000, originally on Verizon

I bought them from EBay. I am trying to unlock them to activate them on Cricket. Anyone have any advice?

Thanks

[VodaMatt]

I can't believe the US still use analog!? :eek: We stopped that in '99

[brad]

@VodaMatt - CDMA and analogue are two different things. The CDMA in America is a very solid and mature technology, totally different to our old analogue.

[Mrbkkt1]

okay, here is what i remember about unlocking and swapping between sprint and verizon.
I know that it used to be possible, because i did it before.... a long time ago..... like before phones had color screens. I have since moved way beyond.
Although, i do wish i had the high speed internet that verizon/sprint has(no 3g for cingular here in hawaii), I do not miss the dreadful battery life that cdma has.
If i remember, one of my friends worked for sprint, and he got my verizon phone programmed in... but like i said, it was a long time ago, and i'm fairly sure that the locks are harder to get through now, especially since they make so much money selling phones along w/ contracts.

[telusux]

Since you seem to be experts in this stuff, I was hoping that one of you could help me. I have a Canadian CDMA Blackberry 8830. Does anyone know if I can somehow get it unlocked so that it will work with Verizon? Verizon told me that there is no way I can use an unlocked phone with them, but people keep telling me otherwise. Can anyone help me, please?

[natalie1981]

Since you seem to be experts in this stuff, I was hoping that one of you could help me. I have a Canadian CDMA Blackberry 8830. Does anyone know if I can somehow get it unlocked so that it will work with Verizon? Verizon told me that there is no way I can use an unlocked phone with them, but people keep telling me otherwise. Can anyone help me, please?

I've also heard that you can do this on Blackberries. I think you need to do some very technical stuff like flashing your firmware. Try searching in some blackberry forums, I'm sure some of the members there have already done so.