Around the World
Unlock SPH i500
I am traveling to Europe in 3 weeks for a 2 week vacation. My carrier, Sprint, can activate my i500 to work overseas, but the $1.50 per minute airtime charge seems high. I heard I can 'unlock' my cell phone so I can insert a European carriers SIM card that would cost me dramatically less to use my cell phone. How do I go about unlocking my phone? Also, will the kiosks in Europe where I pick up a SIM card assist me with removing my current SIM and installing their SIM?
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Steven
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Steven
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castlebroker said:
My carrier, Sprint, can activate my i500 to work overseas, ...
😳 Who told you that? Check again, because whoever told you that is incorrect, at least when it comes to Europe. Your i500, like all current Sprint phones, is CDMA. European networks are all GSM, which is incompatible with CDMA. Your i500 also operates at different frequency bands than they use in Europe. Your i500 also doesn't have a SIM card slot. It's just totally different technology.
The only country where your i500 might work is Korea, but that's not where you're going, so that's moot.
You'll need a different phone. No matter what, you'll need to buy or rent an unlocked GSM phone for your trip.
Sprint can send ...
(continues)
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Some uninformed Sprint rep probably told him that. They don't teach us anything about network standards during training. CDMA, GSM, EDGE, EV-DO, it's all alphabet soup to your average frontline Sprint representative.
In my first month here, I told an Air Force fellow that, when he gets stationed in Italy, he can take his phone and use it there. 😳
But yeah. You can go the GSM Roaming route, but you'll also have to pay another $36 activation fee and, if I'm not mistaken, a monthly charge for the priviledge of using a SIM card. I'll look up exact pricing when I clock in and post back here with the info.
What country are you going to, Steven?
In my first month here, I told an Air Force fellow that, when he gets stationed in Italy, he can take his phone and use it there. 😳
But yeah. You can go the GSM Roaming route, but you'll also have to pay another $36 activation fee and, if I'm not mistaken, a monthly charge for the priviledge of using a SIM card. I'll look up exact pricing when I clock in and post back here with the info.
What country are you going to, Steven?
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