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2009-09-18
, 17:36
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Posts: 27 |
Thanked: 16 times |
Joined on Sep 2009
@ Munich, Germany
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#22
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Typical.. I'd just cancelled my ordered from Nokia and placed an order with Mobile Phones Direct (MPD) and now there's differing opinion from the MPD support staff as to whether the N900 supplied on pre-pay is SIM locked or not..
I'll be quite surprised if the device is actually locked, if (as I was told) they are the same SKU as the 'Sim Free' boxes.
I find it hard to believe that MPD are opening the boxes on devices to be sold as Pre-pay and applying a SIM lock themselves - I thought that normally SIM/network locked devices are variants customised for the network (along with settings / branding etc.)
Does anyone else have any experience with Mobile Phones Direct unbranded pre-pay devices?
I guess the $64,000 question is whether it is possible for us to reflash the baseband, with the aim of resetting any SIM or Network locks.
If anyone has experience on flashing the Proto's it would be great to hear whether it is only the application layer being rewritten, or whether it's combined with the protocol stack / BB part.
I'll be quite surprised if the device is actually locked, if (as I was told) they are the same SKU as the 'Sim Free' boxes.
I find it hard to believe that MPD are opening the boxes on devices to be sold as Pre-pay and applying a SIM lock themselves - I thought that normally SIM/network locked devices are variants customised for the network (along with settings / branding etc.)
Does anyone else have any experience with Mobile Phones Direct unbranded pre-pay devices?
I guess the $64,000 question is whether it is possible for us to reflash the baseband, with the aim of resetting any SIM or Network locks.
If anyone has experience on flashing the Proto's it would be great to hear whether it is only the application layer being rewritten, or whether it's combined with the protocol stack / BB part.
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2009-09-18
, 18:05
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Posts: 279 |
Thanked: 208 times |
Joined on Aug 2009
@ London
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#23
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Originally Posted by Withnail
If you buy from the carrier then it will be branded and locked but it takes time for these firmwares to come through and even upgrades from networks come unbranded in the early days.
I'll be quite surprised if the device is actually locked, if (as I was told) they are the same SKU as the 'Sim Free' boxes.
I find it hard to believe that MPD are opening the boxes on devices to be sold as Pre-pay and applying a SIM lock themselves - I thought that normally SIM/network locked devices are variants customised for the network (along with settings / branding etc.)
Its just not worth the time and money for resellers to mess about with these things, they are all about volume, get em out as fast as possible for the minimum operating cost. Thats why in reality even the payg ones are unlocked.
If your concerned, buy the sim free version from whoever you feel comfortable with.
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2009-09-18
, 18:32
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Posts: 116 |
Thanked: 18 times |
Joined on Sep 2009
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#24
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i dont think its a good idea to buy the pay as you go as i was also told it will be locked. :S not a good idea.
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2009-09-18
, 18:58
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Posts: 14 |
Thanked: 1 time |
Joined on Sep 2009
@ London
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#25
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I'm due an upgrade at t mobile so I thought I'd call them up and see if my upgrade price would be a lot cheaper than buying sim free (doesn't usually happen as I'm on half price line rental for life so they make me pay for upgrades) and the guy on the other end of the phone said they haven't been told about the n900 being out end of Sept/beginning of Oct so he reckons it wouldn't be available until the end of October.
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2009-09-18
, 19:42
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Posts: 600 |
Thanked: 742 times |
Joined on Sep 2008
@ England
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#26
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Originally Posted by dansus
It can vary on a batch-by-batch basis. Sometimes the carrier can be bothered to produce a run of sim-locked devices, sometimes they can't. It depends on sales volumes, stock levels, cash flow, all kinds of things.
In theory it is supposed to be locked if you buy on payg from a reseller, in practice it is often unlocked.
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2009-09-18
, 22:53
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Posts: 279 |
Thanked: 208 times |
Joined on Aug 2009
@ London
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#27
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£459.95 at Mobile Fun, 2 year warranty, ‘30 Day No-Quibble Money Back Guarantee’.
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/sim-free-...900-p21485.htm
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/sim-free-...900-p21485.htm
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2009-09-18
, 23:01
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Posts: 17 |
Thanked: 9 times |
Joined on Sep 2009
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#28
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there is nearly a 100% chance that the handsets obtained on pay as you go from these third party reselers are unlocked, especially since none of the major networks have announced it. Do you really think Vodafone or tmobile or O2 or any of these guys will take the time and the money asking Nokia for branded handsets and then not even sell it using their own channels. When they say pay as you go on a handset such as this one is simply the fact that these third party resellers have a tie up with the network wherin they promise to sell a handset with a network sim card for which the network might give them a percentage based subsidy. The network wins as it shows one more customer on its charts, the reseller wins because they just made a decent profit and you win because well you are happy that you saved 40 to 50 £'s.
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2009-09-20
, 16:54
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Posts: 284 |
Thanked: 80 times |
Joined on Mar 2007
@ London, UK
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#29
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£392.99 is an amazing price!!
I would be very surprised if it's SIM locked too but can understand why retailers don't openly advertise this.
Unless there are any better prices at launch I think I will purchase from these guys, but with a little extra "insurance."
My plan is to confirm this via LiveChat shortly before placing the order, including their name and saving the log. (Repeat chat until positive outcome
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In the unlikely event the N900 I receive is SIM locked I will demand a full refund, including P&P, under the Sales of Goods Act 1979 (as amended), section "Not fit for purpose" which includes circumstances when a sales person confirms an item is suitable for a customer's particular use (i.e. with an Orange SIM card).
Check here for a summary of your S.A.D. F.A.R.T. rights.
I would be very surprised if it's SIM locked too but can understand why retailers don't openly advertise this.
Unless there are any better prices at launch I think I will purchase from these guys, but with a little extra "insurance."
My plan is to confirm this via LiveChat shortly before placing the order, including their name and saving the log. (Repeat chat until positive outcome
)In the unlikely event the N900 I receive is SIM locked I will demand a full refund, including P&P, under the Sales of Goods Act 1979 (as amended), section "Not fit for purpose" which includes circumstances when a sales person confirms an item is suitable for a customer's particular use (i.e. with an Orange SIM card).
Check here for a summary of your S.A.D. F.A.R.T. rights.
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2009-09-20
, 18:39
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Posts: 27 |
Thanked: 16 times |
Joined on Sep 2009
@ Munich, Germany
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#30
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Originally Posted by Faz
It seems the LiveChat staff have been singing from a different hymn sheet since my first conversation with them! (#15)
My plan is to confirm this via LiveChat shortly before placing the order, including their name and saving the log. (Repeat chat until positive outcome
Thankfully I took the opportunity to email myself the transcript in case of dispute, but hope this won't be necessary.
..either that, or an N900 locked to Vodafone will be making its way onto eBay
Last edited by Withnail; 2009-09-20 at 18:41.
As ive explained before, resellers buy a load direct from the manufacture and sell it on with a sim.