METROPCS Hold up !!!!!

[guxu]

I have requested unlock code from T-Mobile (I am still their post-paid customer). But I can try Lycamobile SIM card in my HSN bought no T-Mo logo Nokia 521 and see what happens.

 

[klester22]

If you haven't bought the phone yet, why not just buy it for $99 from the MetroPCS website? It looks like you don't even need to add a plan for the phone.

Wow! this is great. I searched for the Metro PCS lumia 521 3 or 4 days ago and it wasn't available. Thank you so much! Problem solved. I really, really appreciate everyone's great input.

 

[guxu]

Well, my HSN bought 521 actually has T-Mobile logo. It is locked and does not accept Lycamobile SIM card.

 

[mogelijk]

No, a locked T-Mobile phone cannot use a Lycamobile SIM, though it should take most other T-Mobile MVNO's. Lycamobile, despite being a T-Mobile MVNO, shows that it is roaming on T-Mobile's network. Though it does make for an easy way to turn off data on Lycamobile, you just need to turn off data roaming.

 

[gibbyhome]

klester22,
the Nokia lumia 521 is now on Metopcs's website as a phone we can now purchase and get in 2 days !!!!!
just ordered 2, they will be here on Monday...

 

[AlexRodriguezNY]

Yep that's correct. If you don't have service with metro then you might have to pay an activation fee plus your first month phone bill. The phone doesn't have to be unlocked because it comes unlocked. I bought my 521 from HSN and just took it in for a sim card.

The phone doesn't comes unlock.You are able to use it because Metro and T mobile are now like one.They use the same frequency bands and since Tmobile in the future is going to eliminate cdma on Metro they have been fixing the network since now. I'm more than sure that if you take the Tmo Lumia 521 to AT&T that is also GSM it won't work until you unlock the phone. Also mayority of phones that are LTE are also GSM. Besides activating the cdma with the carrier they need a separate GSM SIM to make the LTE work. Example of this is the Lumia 928 on Verizon which is a cdma carrier.That phone like all Verizon phones comes unlock and if you put a Tmobile or AT&T SIM where the LTE SIM goes, they work on those networks. LTE is a GSM technology.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_(telecommunication)

The phone working on Metro doesn't have nothing to do if is pre paid and you can buy it off contract or not. AT&T Lumia 520 is prepaid and you can't use it on Tmobile unless you unlock it

 

[alexloe]

AFAIK the 521 sold by MetroPCS only accepts MetroPCS SIMS, but none from T-Mobile since its locked to a specific range of IMSI.

I don't know if there is a possibility to get it unlocked since I can't find such an information on their website.

 

[WPhoney]

AFAIK the 521 sold by MetroPCS only accepts MetroPCS SIMS, but none from T-Mobile since its locked to a specific range of IMSI.

Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Dustin Hodges]

AFAIK the 521 sold by MetroPCS only accepts MetroPCS SIMS, but none from T-Mobile since its locked to a specific range of IMSI.

I don't know if there is a possibility to get it unlocked since I can't find such an information on their website.

Where did you hear this. AFAIK, the 521 on MetroPCS was the same as T-Mobile's? Not to mention, the MetroPCs GSM phones im pretty sure run on T-mobile's network, because they were part of the result of the Merger/Buy-out, and metropcs gsm phones are only sold in certain areas.

Has anyone tried a metropcs 521 with tmobile sim?

 

[alexloe]

Just download the MetroPCS Firmware files RM-917 Product Code 059T039
There is a file NWP8_WP8_MetroPCS_simlock_crc1EAA.bin
Open this file in a hex editor and you will see, that the phone is locked to SIMs with IMSI range 31026 (T-Mobile use this, too) but as an addition the GID1 field of the SIM allowed must match a specific value (6D), too.

 

[WPhoney]

Things about the 521 from MetroPCS that I want confirmed by an owner:

1. Does the phone need to be unlocked to work on T-Mobile?
2. Does the phone need to be unlocked to work on any of the T-Mobile's MVNOs?
3. Will MetroPCS unlock its 521 after 90 days of use on their network (like T-Mobile does)?
4. Who's responsible for pushing updates to the phone? MetroPCS (the seller) or T-Mobile?
5. Is MetroPCS shipping these 521s with GDR2 already built-in? If not, has the update being pushed?

 

[alexloe]

Things about the 521 from MetroPCS that I want confirmed by an owner:

1. Does the phone need to be unlocked to work on T-Mobile?
2. Does the phone need to be unlocked to work on any of the T-Mobile's MVNOs?
3. Will MetroPCS unlock its 521 after 90 days of use on their network (like T-Mobile does)?
4. Who's responsible for pushing updates to the phone? MetroPCS (the seller) or T-Mobile?
5. Is MetroPCS shipping these 521s with GDR2 already built-in? If not, has the update being pushed?

1. Yes, I explained that already in detail. None of the other SIMs contain GID1 value 6D on SIM field 7FFF 6F3E
2. Yes, see above.
3. Please ask MetroPCS and post it here.
4. See above.
5. GDR 2 should be shipped from beginning. Update is already available.

 

[WPhoney]

1. Yes, I explained that already in detail. None of the other SIMs contain GID1 value 6D on SIM field 7FFF 6F3E

I read your original post and understood it. However, I'm looking for confirmation by someone who owns the device and actually tried different SIMs in it. By the way, assuming those hex values do indeed lock the phone to MetroPCS, would it be possible to change them?

 

[alexloe]

That would have been too easy. The configuration settings are signed. Even if you would manage to change the values in this like FAT12 partition by JTAG your phone would not boot anymore.

 

[alexloe]

But you can use every MetroPCS SIM card in any locked T-Mobile US Lumia phone.
These phones are locked only to the network and allow the following IMSI ranges:

310160
310200
310210
310220
310230
310240
310250
310260
310270
310310
310300
310490
310660
310530
310580
310590
310640
310800

GID1 value isn't check by these phones.

 

[Corepc]

Just download the MetroPCS Firmware files RM-917 Product Code 059T039

Thanks was wondering if Product Code would be different than T-Mobile version.
Will add Product Code to Software & Firmware release and will check on it has well when I check for 521 updates.
That probably means that you cannot flash a metro-pcs version with a T-Mobile firmware/rom not without some tricky at least.

 

[mogelijk]

Shouldn't you then be able to flash the T-Mobile Firmware files to a MetroPCS phone to "unlock" it, or is there something I'm forgetting?

 

[AlexRodriguezNY]

Shouldn't you then be able to flash the T-Mobile Firmware files to a MetroPCS phone to "unlock" it, or is there something I'm forgetting?

Flashing another software/rom to your phone doesn't unlock it.

 

[Smashfacemonster]

Umm I just switched from T-mobile to MetroPCS because Tmobile kept messing up my bill. Anyway I have both the 928 and the 521 and MetroPCS had the software, SIM card and codes ready as I walked through the door. And as of 12/18/2013 I've always gotten a customer support person's help with small issues with my 521.

 

[Geethika Koneru]

the thing is i am using straight talk sim in a unlocked phone upto now.....and i wanna order lumia 521 metro pcs and will use the same sim card in that phone.. will that work?? or should i need to change my sim card to metro pcs or t-mobile??