Sher

I called T-Mobile and they sent me the unlock code for my Samsung Blast.

I followed the directions and the message said something like: phone authorization unlocked.

I replaced the T-Mobile SIM with a Riing SIM I have here, which by the way I never got a chance to use.

The phone seemed to function exactly like it does with the T-Mobile SIM. I didn't actually make a call but the phone lit up, I could see my phone book. There was no strange error message on the face.

This is a stupid question, but is it ready to go?

I only have used Ebay purchased unlocked phones before this and guess I am a little uncertain that I could be so lucky to have accomplished the unlocking so easily.

I realize I could have used the T-Mobile phone in Mexico (next week) and in Europe (in May) but the rates were just too high for me through the carrier.

Thanks

global_guy

Have someone call you or make a call, that way you'll know for sure, but you probably have got it. It VERY simple.

sjj

Call your home phone from your cell phone using the Riing Sim and have somebody answer. Complete the call, see if you can hear the person who answers and if he or she can hear you, and then hang up. This will cost $2 or $3. Then have somebody call your Riing number from your hone phone, and again have a brief conversation. This provides an inexpensive test of your sim. The reason I suggest this is that Riing Sims don't work on some cell phones, and it's worth finding this out before you go overseas.

xyz123

Do as the previous poster suggests but do not complete the call...it is too expensive...if you dial your home number with riiing (aka United Mobile) and the phone rings, it works.

Then if you dial the UM number, and the phone rings, it works....

Incidentally, if you have an old riiing card, you have a Liechtenstein number (+423)...from your view point it doesn't matter but the long distance carriers have really piled on heavy termination fees on calls to Liechtenstein...United Mobile has a new service with a British (although not UK) number with a +44 country code called United Mobile plus...you might be able to convert for free...check it out on www.united-mobile.com

Sher

Thanks everyone.

I partially dialed my home phone number but didn't let the call go through. I will reinstall the SIM and do that.

xyz123. I actually have two different SIM cards.

Here are the numbers and I am sure you probably know where they are from.
The Riing number is a +423 exchange.
The Mobal number is +44.

So I guess I might have the United Mobal Plus but I have had this SIM for a while. So I am going to check out the cost with the UM SIM.

I don't know why I have kept the Riing SIM but I guess it seemed like a waste to just throw it away. It was reasonable to use when I acquired it.

The UM SIM came with one of the $49 phones but never got it unlocked and now have no need to with the T-Moble phones I have. It is just a spare in case, I guess.

xyz123

The UM +423 card is a Liechtenstein number...till about two years ago, it was a great buy...you get the free incoming calls throughout all of Western, Central and Eastern Europe pretty much west of Russia and using such call back services like enlinea or callbackworld, you could make calling out and others calling in dirt cheap...

For whatever the reasons, the telcoms decided to gang up on people going this route so that today the UM +423 card while still giving you free incoming calls, will have the people calling you hating you because the termination fees to call +423 number are horrifically high....

Responding to this, last July, UM came out with a sister operation called UM+...they use the services of a telcom in a channel island called Jersey..instead of a +423 number, you get a +44 number and people calling you pay the rates to +44 mobiles, considerably by a wide mile cheaper than to +423...at that time, UM had a promotion and allowed holders of its +423 card to switch for free to a +44 card and transfer the credit...that is what I think you should be looking into..without going throw all the nuances you can go to www.united-mobile.com and read up about the differences between the 2 cards and whether you can still switch for free....

Sher

I inserted the Riing SIM into my phone and all I got was a searching where the logo for the carrier is on the face of the phone.

I then inserted the UM SIM and dialed my phone using my home phone and a calling card I have to the SIM phone number.

The call went through but directly to voice mail.

I am assuming that the UM SIM is really too old as it has been longer than 9 months since I have used it.

I haven't contacted UM to see if I can convert the card. I think I will just take the phone to Mexico next week and buy a local SIM to test it.

I will go from there.

Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions.

sanschag

Another option to test that it really is unlocked is to find someone (friend, relative, coworker, etc.) with a AT&T/Cingular phone. If you can use their SIM card in your phone, you're good to go. In reality, if the phone seemed to function with the Riing or UM card, it is almost assuredly unlocked as a locked phone will normally display a message about an "Invalid SIM" (or similar) if a non-network SIM is inserted.

Paul

mrcamp

Your phone is definitely unlocked since it accepts the sim. However, Riing uses a callback system to complete the outgoing call. With the sim card in your phone, the screen should either display Cingular/AT&t or Tmobile. If it does not log on to a network, or if you see one of them, and still canot complete a call, your sim may have been deactivated. I have the United Mobile (UM)/Riing sims myself.

Sher

I really cannot use an ATT SIM to see if it logs on to that network because almost everyone I know here uses Verizon and I don't think those phones have a SIM card.

I am pretty sure the Riing SIM is not valid now.

I am pretty confident the phone is ready for another SIM and I will definitely find out next week in Mexico.

Thanks to everyone.

Kellye

It really is that simple. I unlocked my T-Mobile Blackberry before a trip last summer and it was a quick string of numbers/characters and it worked flawlessly with various SIMS. Have fun on your trip, using cheaper calling options.