cell phone unlockers in calgary - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Koby-7 · 12-06-2006, 11:13 AM

do any of u guys no any one who unlocks cell phones in calgary for cheap of course.

Winsor_Pilates · 12-06-2006, 02:22 PM

Some people used to advertise in the bargainfinder that they do this. Check there

CRXguy · 12-06-2006, 02:28 PM

My previous phones were done by some guy at Celluland on Centre St and 10th or 11th Ave N.W.? Use to charge $30, but don't know about now.

HOOT · 12-06-2006, 03:28 PM

a fido dealer in Deerfoot Outlet use to do it...

fredr123 · 12-06-2006, 04:47 PM

Out of curiosity what does unlocking a cell phone do for you? I have a feeling the answer is probably not something mods would want people discussing...

Mccree · 12-06-2006, 04:52 PM

I think unlocking a phones mean you can fully use all the features on the phone. Telus I know does not let you use your own mp3 as ringtones you have to buy it from them. So unlocking lets you use your own.

Also unlocking lets you use your non rogers phones on the rogers network (or telus or fido)

fredr123 · 12-06-2006, 04:58 PM

Interesting. I want to use the new Motofone when it becomes more readily available in North America. I'm on a telus plan through work but would consider using it as my personal cell on rogers if required. Interesting...

arsenal · 12-06-2006, 05:09 PM

If you want your own MP3 files / Theme's etc with Telus phone, you can use bluetooth to upload the files to your phone. Should be able to use them then.

I know I tried downloading a theme (not from telus). It took for all of 3 seconds before it got wiped off my phone. The bluetooth method worked though.

siggy · 12-06-2006, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredr123

Interesting. I want to use the new Motofone when it becomes more readily available in North America. I'm on a telus plan through work but would consider using it as my personal cell on rogers if required. Interesting...

Telus phones can't be used on Rogers, due to differing technologies. Only GSM phones can be used on Rogers network.

Unlocking allows GSM phones from other GSM carriers, or other GSM countries to be used on the Rogers network, and Rogers GSM phones to be used with other GSM providers all over the world. Otherwise, normally only Rogers phones would work on Rogers networks.

FlamesKickAss · 12-06-2006, 05:13 PM

does unlocking do anything else besides being able to use phone on any network? When I bought my phone on ebay even though it is a rogers phone it is unlocked from the factory so i guess not a rogers phone but is in their lineup, i got the Sony W810i and love it

teamchachi · 12-06-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

does unlocking do anything else besides being able to use phone on any network? When I bought my phone on ebay even though it is a rogers phone it is unlocked from the factory so i guess not a rogers phone but is in their lineup, i got the Sony W810i and love it

Sometimes a provider like Rogers will disable certain features on the handset and unlocking it will enable those features. However, in practice they are typically features which the Rogers network doesn't support anyway. So, yeah. Great.

RougeUnderoos · 12-06-2006, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mccree

I think unlocking a phones mean you can fully use all the features on the phone. Telus I know does not let you use your own mp3 as ringtones you have to buy it from them. So unlocking lets you use your own.

Also unlocking lets you use your non rogers phones on the rogers network (or telus or fido)

That sounds surprisingly chintzy, considering it's a phone company. Usually they are so giving.

My cell provider has been generous enough to add new features to my phone and bill without even asking me. I don't need these features, I don't want these features, I don't know how to use these features, but they conveniently have given them to me. Thanks, Rog!

How does this "unlocking" happen? Do you push the right buttons or do you have to mess with the innards?

Mccree · 12-06-2006, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

How does this "unlocking" happen? Do you push the right buttons or do you have to mess with the innards?

I think the innards need a little work

browna · 12-06-2006, 11:18 PM

Unlocking is the ability to use phones with the same technology (usually GSM) on any network, not network restrictive. The phone you get from Rogers is usually subsidized in part, due to the fact that it will only be used on Rogers.

A subtle difference, features of the phone that are blocked by the provider, such as Telus and appyling ringtones as MP3's, isn't unlocking, its more or less changing the software defaults of the phone (that Telus has applied) through what amounts to a registry editor.

In both cases, its all software "flashing" from a computer with the correct file or editor, loaded up via cable onto a phone to unlock it, or, a different program (editor) to connect via a cable unlock any blocked software features.

STeeLy · 12-07-2006, 02:13 AM

I actually buy my phones in Hong Kong when I go back because it is either a lot newer or a lot cheaper (or on occasion, both) and I can just stick in a sim card when I get back, no need to unlock, nothing...

however, if u buy phones in north America, i believe that is a different story, or maybe its just canada... I bought a roger's phone once and that HAD to be unlocked. Telus is what my parents are on... since they usually get them from Cell City, everything is done by them.

cgy2london · 12-07-2006, 04:56 AM

id take a walk down 2 china town those guys down there can do anything! they chiped my playstation back in the day in the back of some shady food store lol

CubicleGeek · 12-07-2006, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STeeLy

I actually buy my phones in Hong Kong when I go back because it is either a lot newer or a lot cheaper (or on occasion, both) and I can just stick in a sim card when I get back, no need to unlock, nothing...

however, if u buy phones in north America, i believe that is a different story, or maybe its just canada... I bought a roger's phone once and that HAD to be unlocked. Telus is what my parents are on... since they usually get them from Cell City, everything is done by them.

I think North America is the only place that locks phones to carriers. This may happen in certain European markets I'm not aware of, but it is illegal for carriers to lock phones in Asia to promote competition. The rationale behind locking you to the carrier is that in North America all carriers provide some sort of subsidy on the cell phone. By locking that phone, they have a higher guarantee that you will stay with them long enough for them to recover their money from the subsidy and profit. Even if you are willing to pay the penalty for early termination, the fact that you can't bring your phone with you to another competitor is a huge deterent.

Phone subsidies were unheard of in Asia until recently, mostly because they can't lock phones and in many countries, such as China, most people don't have enough credit for them to enforce a penalty if they don't live up to their end of the contract. In Hong Kong, it is becoming more and more common for them to subsidize a phone but requiring you to sign a 1 or 2 or 3 year deal. You require a valid credit card and they will charge you a fee if you want to leave. But unlike NA, because your phone is not locked, you can also take that phone to another carrier.

Salisbury · 12-07-2006, 01:33 PM

The simple answer to why unlock is this, COST.
I am with Rogers so that I can use my phone in Europe and South Africa. The first time I took my (locked) Roger (GSM)phone to UK, i used it there, it works well, but you are roaming and the Rogers charges are high. Imagine my horror when I returned to a $600 phone bill.
I discovered that Pay as you Go is very popular in Europe and South Africa, but you have to use a local SIM (UK) sim card. That is where Rogers get you, because all their phones are locked and wont accept sim cards from other companies! So for $30 I got my phone unlocked here (its a simple adjustment to software). I bought a UK, Pay as you Go SIM card, with a local UK #, its WAY WAY cheaper. ALL incoming calls are free, so if family phone you from here they only get charged the Telus overseas LD rate 5-10c min, and you have great calling rates in Europe as you are NOT roaming. Telus and Bell phones dont work in most overseas countries.

trew · 12-07-2006, 01:53 PM

I unlocked my phone via a website (sorry can't remember the address).

Basically I paid them $10 or so bucks with a credit card, sent them my IMEI code from my phone (they showed me how to retrieve this), and then they sent me instructions and codes on how to unlock it. I actually think it was an automated system, because the instructions came pretty much right away. Whole process took about 15 minutes.

Don't know if some/most/all phones can be unlocked this way (mine was a Nokia), but if so, it's probably the cheapest and quickest way to go.

Salisbury · 12-07-2006, 02:23 PM

^ That is the easy way to unlock Nokias. Motorolla usually require some kind of software change with a computer interface, it is very easy, and many geeks can do it.
This web site offers amazing information on cellphones:
http://www.howardforums.com/