Query about the AT&T Lumia 830

[psreloaded]

Hi guys,

One of my friends is coming from US after three months so wanted to ask her to get the at&t version for me. If I buy the AT&T version of the phone outright paying 450$, will they unlock it immediately?

 

[xandros9]

Possibly, but DO NOT DO IT.
DO NOT.
UH UH.
DO NOT BUY ATT PHONES WITH THE INTENT TO IMMEDIATELY UNLOCK.
(especially if the phone is secondhand, but that is not the case here)

It likely requires six months of service minimum, and even then they have leeway in denying requests.
The potential money saved is not worth the risk of being shafted, buy it factory unlocked or from a friendlier carrier outside of the US.

 

[Fred Wilson2]

No they will not.
I've had 3 AT&T phones, always bought outright and they want 3 months service first.


Fred

Hi guys,

One of my friends is coming from US after three months so wanted to ask her to get the at&t version for me. If I buy the AT&T version of the phone outright paying 450$, will they unlock it immediately?

 

[wpfan2be]

B & H Photo is selling it unlocked.

 

[IlyaBu]

AT&T have their unlock policy posted here: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...viceunlock%2Fclient%2Fen_US%2F&token=h_pD3e5c

Looks like someone has to have an AT&T account which has been active for at least 60 days. If your friend has an AT&T account which has been open for 60 days or longer they can get the phone unlocked. If you buy the phone prepaid then the device has to be active for at least 6 months.

 

[Fred Wilson2]

Actually AT&T has told me (for all three AT&T phones that I've bought over 3 years) is that the phone has to be active for at least 60 days on the account, not just having had an account for 60 days.


Fred

 

[psreloaded]

Thanks guys.. Since she will come after 3 months.. is suppose buying now would mean it can be unlocked by the time she comes here.

 

[psreloaded]

B & H Photo is selling it unlocked.

I think that is the Non AT&T version.

 

[wpfan2be]

Question, if you unlock an AT&T phone, do you still have to wait for updates to be released by AT&T or you can get them directly from MS as for example a 1520.3 does. Thanks

 

[aximtreo]

I think that is the Non AT&T version.

It is but it works just fine on AT&T. I think it comes factory unlocked.

 

[xandros9]

Question, if you unlock an AT&T phone, do you still have to wait for updates to be released by AT&T or you can get them directly from MS as for example a 1520.3 does. Thanks

The current unlock status of a phone does not affect the update source.
That is dictated by the phone's firmware. An ATT phone with an ATT ROM means it will get updates from ATT regardless, whether unlocked or not.
Flashing it to, say, an international ROM will not unlock the phone, but it does change the update source to be direct from Microsoft/Nokia.
Example: My 920 is AT&T locked, but flashed on a French ROM. (complications led to LTE loss, but if I had more time, i might put in the effort to fix it.) meaning updates are unimpeded.

If your friend buys it now, they'll probably have to pay for a few months of service, so don't do it. Buy unlocked, that will be easiest.

 

[raqball]

I always pay full price for phones, I have an AT&T account and I've never once been denied an unlock. I think you get 5 unlockes a year. So far this year I've unlocked an iPhone and a Note 4. I have not submitted my request for the 830 yet but I don't anticipate and problems.

On the iPhone it was smooth. On the Note 4 I had to call because I was getting an IMEI not found error via their online tool. The rep submitted a ticket and had me fax the receipt. The next day I had the unlocking code for that phone..

 

[psreloaded]

I couldn't find any place where they are selling the at&t variant unlocked..

 

[PepperdotNet]

Another reason you don't want the AT&T variant: as mentioned above, you can flash a phone to a different firmware in case the firmware you're on is slow getting updates. Except that AT&T does "something" to their ROMs ever since the 1020, it is impossible to flash them to anything else.

An unlocked, unbranded device is almost always preferable to a carrier ROM.

 

[raqball]

I couldn't find any place where they are selling the at&t variant unlocked..

AT&T unlocks it AFTER you by it at FULL retail price.. Takes about a day to get the unlocking instructions / code

 

[xandros9]

I couldn't find any place where they are selling the at&t variant unlocked..

Buy a NON-AT&T version which happens to be unlocked.

AT&T unlocks it AFTER you by it at FULL retail price.. Takes about a day to get the unlocking instructions / code

All my knowledge to date points to the contrary though...

 

[raqball]

All my knowledge to date points to the contrary though...

I've unlocked 2 phones through them this year already that way and submitted my request for the 830 earlier..

 

[xandros9]

I've unlocked 2 phones through them this year already that way and submitted my request for the 830 earlier..

I stand corrected!
Is the full retail price different than the no contract price? (meaning there's three tiers of pricing?)

 

[raqball]

I stand corrected!
Is the full retail price different than the no contract price? (meaning there's three tiers of pricing?)

Full price and no contract price are the same. My bad for the improper wording..

 

[xandros9]

Full price and no contract price are the same. My bad for the improper wording..

I thought they would be different because I was told that six months of service was required before any consideration of an unlock would be taken, so I thought that they might have subsidized the no-contract option too, like how the GoPhone 520 was $50 or so.
Hmm.. but that appears to not be the case, fortunately.