Best cell phone hospital?

[Bluespicker]

We'd like to see if we can get our US phones unlocked so we can ditch our cheap mexican phones. Recommendations? TIA.

[diggerjeff]

Just buy a new sim card at a cell phone store. That's all you have to do. Or get your service provider to give you the code.i think they are required to by law??
If you buy a new card you can change back and forth if you wish.
You can purchase unlocked phones fairly cheap these days as well.

Jeff

[absoluteAL]

I have a thread going about problems with my "home" button on my Iphone 4. Dropped it off at a highly recommended cell phone hospital/store in Centro Maya today. Was told that they could fix it for 500 pesos and it would be ready late Thursday afternoon. The store is called INCELL and is just a few doors down from (west off) Telcel's main office and on the outer area of the center. The store was very clean, neat and organized with a large selection of Apple and Blackberry "aftermarket" products. I asked if they unlock and/or jailbreak phones and was told NO. Will report on their repair service once I get my phone back.

[Bluespicker]

Originally Posted by diggerjeff

Just buy a new sim card at a cell phone store. That's all you have to do. Or get your service provider to give you the code.i think they are required to by law??
If you buy a new card you can change back and forth if you wish.
You can purchase unlocked phones fairly cheap these days as well.

Jeff

Verizon phone so exchanging the card won't work. It would be nice to have a full keyboard phone again if we can get it switched fairly cheap.

[Bluespicker]

Originally Posted by absoluteAL

I have a thread going about problems with my "home" button on my Iphone 4. Dropped it off at a highly recommended cell phone hospital/store in Centro Maya today. Was told that they could fix it for 500 pesos and it would be ready late Thursday afternoon. The store is called UNICELL and is just a few doors down from (west off) Telcel's main office and on the outer area of the center. The store was very clean, neat and organized with a large selection of Apple and Blackberry "aftermarket" products. I asked if they unlock and/or jailbreak phones and was told NO. Will report on their repair service once I get my phone back.

Yeah I need the jailbreak. might be time to buy a better phone here.

[Playa Joe]

Originally Posted by Bluespicker

We'd like to see if we can get our US phones unlocked so we can ditch our cheap mexican phones. Recommendations? TIA.

First you have to make sure your phones are GSM which means they use a SIM car. (a small micro chip card that can be removed).

If that's the case you can ask your U.S. operator to supply you the unlock code but unless you've paid through the entire term of your original contract. (usually 24-36 months) I doubt that they will give it to you.

So if they don't simply go to ebay and do a search for unlock code + the model of your phone.

You should be able to find many members offering the service.

[absoluteAL]

I got from Iphone4 back from INCELL (cell phone repairs) in Centro Maya. The "home" button had stopped functioning. The phone was ready when promised and it (home button) works once again. I am happy with the work that they did and the cost was $500 pesos. Could have had it done in the US for $30 but add $200-$300 for a plane ticket, and well................
If I had another problem with a phone I would certainly take it back to INCELL for repairs.

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by diggerjeff

Just buy a new sim card at a cell phone store. That's all you have to do.

No. This made-up advice is not correct.

Many phones are carrier-locked, so whether you insert a new SIM or not the phone will only work on a specific carrier.

The OP was asking about getting a phone unlocked so it could work on a different carrier. If the phone was obtained with a carrier lock, this process would be necessary.

Originally Posted by diggerjeff

Or get your service provider to give you the code.i think they are required to by law??

It's possible that this may be true in some places.

It is not true in the US.

Some US carriers will unlock phones under certain conditions that they dictate, but this entirely up to the carrier's whim.

Originally Posted by diggerjeff

You can purchase unlocked phones fairly cheap these days as well.

This is the only completely true statement in the post.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by mstevens

Some US carriers will unlock phones under certain conditions that they dictate, but this entirely up to the carrier's whim.

T-mobile's whim is that you need to have had an account with them for 3 months. After then they will unlock almost any phone you buy from them.

[Sue]

I have a lovely HTC smart phone that I purchased through Sprint when I was living in the US. Unfortunately, it's worthless as a phone down here.

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by Sue

I have a lovely HTC smart phone that I purchased through Sprint when I was living in the US. Unfortunately, it's worthless as a phone down here.

Nope. There's good CDMA signal in the area and a Sprint phone will work just fine. Unfortunately, it'll cost an absolute fortune to use.

Several smartphones sold by Sprint, including a couple made by HTC, have GSM radios and SIM slots (to make them "world phones") and can easily accept a TelCel Amigo SIM. Yours may not be one of them

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by Bluespicker

Verizon phone so exchanging the card won't work.

If it's not a phone with a GSM radio, then the whole concept of "unlocking" doesn't really apply- you'd have to find a local CDMA carrier (which exist) willing to accept a foreign ESN on their system, which is practically never going to happen.

If your Verizon phone really has a GSM radio and a SIM slot, then you may or may not need to get it unlocked to work with a TelCel Amigo SIM. Sprint phones with GSM radios and SIM slots do not need to be unlocked to use foreign SIM's, but none will work while within the US.

[Bluespicker]

Originally Posted by mstevens

If it's not a phone with a GSM radio, then the whole concept of "unlocking" doesn't really apply- you'd have to find a local CDMA carrier (which exist) willing to accept a foreign ESN on their system, which is practically never going to happen.

If your Verizon phone really has a GSM radio and a SIM slot, then you may or may not need to get it unlocked to work with a TelCel Amigo SIM. Sprint phones with GSM radios and SIM slots do not need to be unlocked to use foreign SIM's, but none will work while within the US.

Thanks for the info....I'm beginning to think it'll be easier to get a good phone here.

[playawannabe]

I have a couple of iPhone 3GS that are unlocked that I would be willing to part with... a white 16gb and a black 8gb... both are running iOS 4.x and cannot be upgraded due to the unlock. They are definitely used but are in good working condition, both have had some recent refurbishing (antennas, home button/charging ports, etc) Just pop a regular SIM card in and go! (easier to find than the micro-SIMS that the 4's take) Let me know if you are interested... I'll be down in November

[snappysammy]

Originally Posted by playawannabe

I have a couple of iPhone 3GS that are unlocked that I would be willing to part with... a white 16gb and a black 8gb... both are running iOS 4.x and cannot be upgraded due to the unlock. They are definitely used but are in good working condition, both have had some recent refurbishing (antennas, home button/charging ports, etc) Just pop a regular SIM card in and go! (easier to find than the micro-SIMS that the 4's take) Let me know if you are interested... I'll be down in November

interested, for sure