Specific help unlocking a U.S. T-mobile phone to use in Europe
 

I got an unlock code for my U.S. t-mobile quad band phone for use in Europe using a local SIM card.

The first step in unlocking, alas,is:

"Place a non-T Mobile SIM card into the handset"

Well, I don't have a non-tmobile SIM card nor am I in Europe yet to purchase a local SIM card.

I don't like the idea of not knowing if the unlock code I got actually works until I get to Europe.

What are my options?

1. Borrow someone else's ATTwireless SIM, presuming it does not render the borrowed SIM useless.

2. Buy a cheap SIM.

Order the SIM card now and have it sent to your US address. Then use it to unlock the phone. Then you're sure it's a valid SIM card before you go to Europe.

You can get AT&T SIMs cheap on ebay. But if you can find somebody with an AT&T SIM that they'd lend you to do the unlocking, that'd be optimal.

Last year, I foolishly trusted that the unlock code I got from AT&T/Cingular would work on my quad-band phone, so I waited until I got over to Italy before I found out that the unlock code didn't work. Grrr...

Good luck!

Yes, you can use a sim card from a difference service to unlock the phone.

It anything happens to the other sim (which would be highly unusual) it can be replaced, but not the telephone numbers on the sim.

You don't say where you're going, but in Britain there are shops on every high st that will unlock your phone and sell you a SIM for bobbins.

I believe it is illegal to unlock phones in some European countries - so you might want to check.

If you don't order a SIM to use in Europe, send me your snail-mail address and I'll loan you an AT&T chip.

- or -

Take it into an AT&T store, and ask them if your phone will work if you become a customer (don't sign anything).

thee mail

<b>paristransfers yahoo</b>

I unlocked my T-Mobile phone in a cab on the way top the airport without a new SIM in it--are you sure you have to have a new SIM in it to unlock it?
I'd try it without first. Then I'd borrow someone's or buy a cheap one.

When I completed my instructions the phone indicated it was unlocked, I did not test it with a new SIM card.

I had the same exact concern - I tried unlocking w/ my US SIM -= no go. Luckily i had my old UK SIM which allowed me to unlock it before I left.

I'd take robespierre up on the offer .

good luck

What make/model phone is it you are working with here? Unlocking my BB Pearl required a SIM, unlocking my SO's Motorola RAZR did not.

BTW if you google &quot;unlock cell phone&quot; and your city you will likely find places that will do it for cheap.

I have T-Mobile service and have a Motorola V195S. I called T-Mobile customer service ansd they told me the phone was quad band and it would work in Eurpoe. He added a code to my account at no charge to allow the phone to accept and receive calls in Europe and there was no charge for that. He said I shouldn't have any problem using the phone there, but the charges are $1.00 per minute and .35 for sent text messages. Because I have unlimited messageing, I can receive messages at no charge. I am going to Czech Republic so the charges may differ in other countries.

Hope this helps.

My.T-Mobile.com has a page that allows customers to activate International Roaming - which is free, to be sure.

But that doesn't address the issue of using a SIM other than T-Mo's in Europe. To do that, removing the &quot;carrier lock&quot; is required.

BTW, when I'm traveling, I use my webmail accounts through T-MobileWeb, which gives me unlimited data service for $6/mo as long as my phone is registered on a T-Mo cell site. That way, I don't have to pay for SMS texts.

Sure you need to use a SIM from a difference service to unlock! Buy a cheap one from callineurope.com and then you'll be able to use it during one year if traveling to Europe.

My excellent experience with T-Mobile was similar to that of galeforce above. Have you visited your local T-Mobile store or called them? They were very helpful. J.

When I spoke to T-Mobile, she asked me to enter a code on my Motorola Phone. She said they would unlock the phone for me so that it would work in Europe. I got her to talking and she told me that many people have their phones unlocked and then buy sim cards in the country they are visiting so they can use the local network there and pay local rates. She did not seem to act as if it were a problem. She was very helpful.

Greg,

After receiving the unlock code for my T-Mobile Motorola V195 device (unlock code was 16945946), I borrowed a friends ATT Sim card briefly. I put that Sim card in my phone and turned it on. It asked me for the &quot;special code&quot;. I entered the code and pressed &quot;OK&quot;. The phone accepted the code and recocnized her ATT Sim card.

I shut the phone off, removed her Sim card and put mine back in and turned on again an it now recognized my Sim card.

No damage was done to my friends Sim card. Seemed to work fine. Now I just have to find a good deal on Czech Sim card to use while I'm there. Does anyone know a reputable, inexpensive place to buy a Czech Sim card. I would like to have it here to test before I get to CR.

Hope this helps.

Here is an update on how it worked out.

I borrowed an ATT SIM in the U.S. and unlocked my T-Mobile Motorola v195. The status did not say &quot;unlocked;&quot; the phone &quot;accepted&quot; the ATT SIM card after punching in the unlock code.

Brought my phone to Italy, bought a Vodaphone SIM for 5&euro; after showing my passport, entered the rub-off SIM unlock code written on the plastic card where I popped out the SIM, bought a 15&euro; recharge at the same time, and I had the store immediately recharge my phone (with prepaid fund.)

My phone was functional before stepping out of the store.

bookmarking

Thanks for the update, greg - glad it worked out so well.
Different phones may have different specific procedures.

Greg,
Thanks for the information. I did some research and asked several people in the CZ for a reputable phone service and several recommended Vodaphone. They said I can pick up a SIM card at any store or they also have Kiosks at the ATM machines that show their logo and you can recharge the prepaid SIM there as well.