Is it possible to get an approved unlocked WP phone?

[PiggyMiddle]

Hi,

I liked the unlocked Nokia 520 I had for a short time until it started randomly rebooting. I suspect a lot if not all, gray-market unlocked phones come from outside the US. I also suspect that they may have been Open Box or Returns, with dubious reliability issues.

I would like to buy a 630 when it is available locally. I am a retired-programmer and want to develop apps (mostly simple and free) for WP and would like to have the real deal with a real warranty.

So how or where do I start looking for an unlocked Nokia from a trusted US-source? I do not want to have to sign up with TMo etc for several months and several hundred bucks, to then get them to unlock it.

How/where do developers get an unlocked WP phone? I have an unlocked Moto X direct from Motorola, I'd like to have a Nokia with the similar heritage but not at a $500.

For the short time I had the 520, I did start developing an app and it was so much easier than Androids apps.

Thanks

 

[PiggyMiddle]

Thanks, but not quite there on a couple of points.

The 520 I had was from Amazon and was really unlocked. It did random reboots, something that probably would not have been noticed by the original vendor, if they even checked after a phone was returned. They are branded phones and not all branded the same from the sellers if you read some of the reviews.

Next, TMo, if you read the conditions, they expect me to buy the phone for $99 then use at least $100 of pre-paid calls before they will unlock it. Even then, it will still be SIM-locked to TMo network.

Next!

p.s. I don't lie or BS for anything or to anyone. It's all about Ethics and Morals, to thine own self be true.

 

[myrandex]

Yes it is possible. Some ways will cost you more and some ways will cost you less. Pretty much the easiest way I can say is if you know someone who is an AT&T customer, they can buy a phone full price for you and request an unlock code from AT&T. I've done this for a friend of mine that was visiting the U.S. from India and wanted to purchase a Lumia 820 when it first came out. It worked perfectly and it saved some money compared to buying an unlocked 820 from Amazon (or some other website that sells unlocked variants of phones).

Jason

 

[xandros9]

Yes it is possible. Some ways will cost you more and some ways will cost you less. Pretty much the easiest way I can say is if you know someone who is an AT&T customer, they can buy a phone full price for you and request an unlock code from AT&T. I've done this for a friend of mine that was visiting the U.S. from India and wanted to purchase a Lumia 820 when it first came out. It worked perfectly and it saved some money compared to buying an unlocked 820 from Amazon (or some other website that sells unlocked variants of phones).

Jason

I wouldn't recommend dealing with AT&T unless the money savings is just worth the risk of having to pay for two months of service, and wait for those two months, and never being able to unlock it at all.

Be careful, make sure you have a SCRAM button, like a good return policy.

 

[myrandex]

What I just mentioned involved paying for zero months of service. I today could walk in, buy a phone outright from AT&T (as an AT&T customer) using money that a friend gave me, visit https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...Fwww.att.com%2Fdeviceunlock%2F&token=emeRz9VX and request the unlock code for the phone, and give him the phone and the code at no cost. That's why I said if he knows someone who is an AT&T customer

Jason

 

[David P2]

If you just want to use a phone for dev work, you shouldn't need to sim-unlock it. All you need to do is developer unlock it (which can be done free with the WP SDK software after registering it as a dev phone). Just find the best deal for a pre-paid (or pay as you go) and you're good to go - network shouldn't matter unless you are going to use your own SIM card in it.

 

[iamtim]

The 520 I had was from Amazon and was really unlocked.

I just bought an international 525 on Amazon, unlocked. Completely unbranded in every way. I popped my AT&T SIM into it and could make all the calls I wanted. Unfortunately, it only got Edge data because the international 525 doesn't support AT&T's 3G/4G/LTE bands, so I returned it. But the bottom line is that if you buy a new, international, unlocked Lumia from Amazon, that's what you're getting.

Next, TMo, if you read the conditions, they expect me to buy the phone for $99 then use at least $100 of pre-paid calls before they will unlock it. Even then, it will still be SIM-locked to TMo network.

That makes no sense. Unless you're talking about the developer unlock (which is done through the WP SDK, not by a carrier) a carrier unlock IS a SIM unlock. So if TMo unlocks the phone, they're SIM-unlocking it so you could use it on AT&T or another GSM carrier.

 

[pankaj981]

Buy a cheap 920 or something from eBay or Craigslist, you can developer unlock it and start deploying apps on it for testing. Lumia 920s are going for 100 or something here on Craigslist in Ohio

 

[myrandex]

Buy a cheap 920 or something from eBay or Craigslist, you can developer unlock it and start deploying apps on it for testing. Lumia 920s are going for 100 or something here on Craigslist in Ohio

That avoids the OPs desire for the original warranty from the manufacturer, but squaretrade is always an option as well.

And Pankaj I'm in Ohio as well.

 

[pankaj981]

That avoids the OPs desire for the original warranty from the manufacturer, but squaretrade is always an option as well.

And Pankaj I'm in Ohio as well.

Yes buying a used phone from Craigslist might not come with warranty but low price does compensate for the product bought.

Nice to see someone from Ohio here, where are you from?

 

[PiggyMiddle]

a carrier unlock IS a SIM unlock.

My mistake, I mean frequency locked as the TMo phone version is a 525 and that will not work with my local (out in the boonies) cell-provider towers.

Problem might be solved, phone arriving Friday, bought from reputable site and full US-Nokia Warranty.