Cubericana

Q: Can I use my sprint iPhone 4S with another carrier if it's unlocked

Can I use my sprint iPhone 4S with another carrier if it's unlocked. Sprint will only unlock it if it's international. they will not unlock it if I want to use the iphone4s with another USA carrier.  Why? I have paid for the phone and don't have a contract.  I wanted to switch the SIM card and use tmobile or another provider because I am very dissatisfied with sprint service. Lots of drop calls and texting takes 15 to reach the other person.  It is horrible,,,, I hate sprint!,

iPhone 4S

Posted on Jan 2, 2014 9:55 PM

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Q: Can I use my sprint iPhone 4S with another carrier if it's unlocked

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  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Jan 2, 2014 9:59 PM in response to Cubericana
    Level 7 (26,444 points)
    iCloud
    Jan 2, 2014 9:59 PM in response to Cubericana

    Sorry, but even with an unlocked Sprint phone, you cannot go with another carrier because Sprint uses CDMA technology, and AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM. They are not compatible.

     

    Sorry,

     

    GB

  • by Cubericana,

    Cubericana Cubericana Jan 2, 2014 10:11 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 2, 2014 10:11 PM in response to gail from maine

    How about verizon? It uses CDMA technology.  I read that the iPhone 4S has a SIM card that accommodates for both CDMA and gsm technology.  This is the reason sprint unlocks for international use because some SIM cards sold for international use gsm technology. If they unlock it for international use why won't it work for domestic.  Doesn't make sense to me.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Jan 2, 2014 11:01 PM in response to Cubericana
    Level 7 (26,444 points)
    iCloud
    Jan 2, 2014 11:01 PM in response to Cubericana

    Talk to Sprint....

     

    GB

  • by Jesusv87,Helpful

    Jesusv87 Jesusv87 Jan 2, 2014 11:06 PM in response to Cubericana
    Level 1 (60 points)
    Jan 2, 2014 11:06 PM in response to Cubericana

    iPhone 4s has the proper bands for GSM. But its some sort of deal they have with Apple I pressume. There are ways to unlock it when you have it on iOS 6 there is a chip that goes between your sim and tricks phone so it can work but then you wont get picture messaging or possibly no data depending on what carrier you go to next.

     

    If you want an true unlocked phone I would recommend buying another phone.

  • by Ethmoid,

    Ethmoid Ethmoid Jan 3, 2014 1:35 AM in response to Cubericana
    Level 6 (11,282 points)
    Jan 3, 2014 1:35 AM in response to Cubericana

    Because Sprint is a CDMA carrier and the other carriers that you wish to use are GSM carriers.  The CDMA carriers - Verizon and Sprint have always been this way and because they use CDMA technology, you do not need to insert a sim card into your phone, unless you are travelling.

     

    That is just the way it is and if you want to leave Sprint as your carrier and go to a GSM carrier, then unfortunately you will not be able to use a CDMA phone - that is just how it works, so if you want to do anything different, then you will have to go and buy a new GSM unlocked phone so that you can use it with T-Mobile or whatever other GSM carrier you wish to.

     

    Nothing else for it - you'll have to get a new phone.

  • by Cubericana,

    Cubericana Cubericana Jan 4, 2014 9:59 PM in response to Ethmoid
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2014 9:59 PM in response to Ethmoid

    Spoke to Sprint international department and they told me my iPhone 4S is unlocked only for international use. I'm able to switch my sprint SIM card to another carrier only international use for gsm. However, I requested a lock for domestic use and sprint transferred me to their technical dept which don't know what they are talking about. The rep in the technical dept had me on hold forever reading documents googling I don't know why he was taking so Long and then he said he had an msl code thAt I can give tmobile and that tmobile would be able to unlock my phone for domestic use with my msl code.

    This does not sound right to me. Sprint is giving me the run around. I can't get a smart person to talk to me. Who is sprint hiring? Stupid people!

  • by Allan Sampson,

    Allan Sampson Allan Sampson Jan 4, 2014 10:07 PM in response to Cubericana
    Level 10 (123,464 points)
    Jan 4, 2014 10:07 PM in response to Cubericana

    What you were told is not correct. Only the carrier an iPhone was sold as carrier locked with can officially unlock the iPhone or send the unlock request to Apple on the owner's behalf. A combo CDMA/GSM iPhone activated with Sprint can be unlocked for to use a GSM carrier's SIM card outside of the U.S. only.

  • by Ethmoid,

    Ethmoid Ethmoid Jan 5, 2014 1:50 AM in response to Cubericana
    Level 6 (11,282 points)
    Jan 5, 2014 1:50 AM in response to Cubericana

    You cannot unlock the phone for domestic use.  Your Sprint phone has a sim card slot that can only be used internationally when travelling to pick up GSM signals and that is it.  Don't know why they mentioned T-Mobile? If you have a Sprint CDMA phone, then T-Mobile have nothing to do with any kind of unlocking.

     

    If you have a Sprint phone, then you can only ever use it with Sprint in the US and that is it.  If you want to use another network such as Verizon, then you'll have to go to either Apple or Verizon and buy a new phone for use on the CDMA Verizon network. 

     

    Also, if you wish to switch to another GSM network in the US, such as AT&T or T-Moible, then you'll have to buy a new unlocked iPhone that you can use.

     

    You can only use a Sprint phone in the US with Sprint - nothing else, but you can use the sim slot internationally whilst travelling for GSM use.

     

    Bottom Line:  If you want to use any other network in the US, CDMA or GSM, then you are looking at buying a new phone.

  • by Narutakikun,Helpful

    Narutakikun Narutakikun Jan 24, 2014 4:45 PM in response to Cubericana
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Jan 24, 2014 4:45 PM in response to Cubericana

    Sorry, what others here have said is wrong, wrong, wrong. There is nothing about the hardware of the iPhone 4S that would prevent a Sprint 4S from being used on T-Mobile, or any GSM carrier, international or domestic. Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Each and every 4S is 100% hardware capable of doing both GSM and CDMA out of the box. The only impediment is that Sprint would have to authorize an unlock for you. This is something they simply refuse to do. If anyone at Sprint has told you that they can't unlock a 4S for domestic use with another carrier, they have lied to your face. This, by the way, is something they're doing with everyone who asks the question - just Google search "Sprint unlock iPhone 4S", and you'll see dozens of internet threads where people talk about being lied to by Sprint about this issue. The good news is that Sprint signed an agreement with the FCC regarding letting off-contract customers unlock their phones. The agreement takes effect in mid-March, and Sprint is dragging its feet until then. Once that deadline passes, if Sprint still hasn't agreed to unlock your phone, then they're in violation of the agreement, and you can and should report them to the FCC. I sure plan to. Then I'm going to switch carriers, to one that doesn't lie to me and keep fraudulent liens on my property.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jan 24, 2014 5:15 PM in response to Narutakikun
    Level 9 (54,686 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 24, 2014 5:15 PM in response to Narutakikun

    What a wonderful, emotional rant.

     

    It is wrong but you sure got into it.

  • by Narutakikun,Solvedanswer

    Narutakikun Narutakikun Jan 24, 2014 5:27 PM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Jan 24, 2014 5:27 PM in response to deggie

    Sorry, but no, it isn't. Again, the 4S is completely hardware capable of doing both GSM and CDMA, which means it's totally usable on both AT&T and T-Mobile. If Sprint says that it can't unlock it for use with domestic GSM carriers, that's just an outright lie (unless by "can't" they simply mean "won't"). If they can unlock it for use with international GSM carriers, they could unlock it for use with domestic carriers. they simply refuse to.

     

    I repeat: the 4S is 100% hardware capable of doing both GSM and CDMA. There is zero hardware difference between a 4S you get from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. There was for the 4, but not the 4S.

  • by ChrisJ4203,

    ChrisJ4203 ChrisJ4203 Jan 24, 2014 5:33 PM in response to Narutakikun
    Level 9 (59,146 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 24, 2014 5:33 PM in response to Narutakikun

    Could you please provide a link to the part where domestic carriers are going to unlock phones for domestic carrier use? I would like to read through that myself. I would especially like to read about the ability to activate a CDMA phone on another carrier.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jan 24, 2014 5:41 PM in response to ChrisJ4203
    Level 9 (54,686 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 24, 2014 5:41 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

    Which carrier the phone can use can be set via firmware. While you are are correct that the hardware could work Sprint chooses not to allow it. But the people posting that the Sprint 4s can't be unlocked for domestic use are right and so it Sprint.

  • by ChrisJ4203,

    ChrisJ4203 ChrisJ4203 Jan 24, 2014 5:44 PM in response to deggie
    Level 9 (59,146 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 24, 2014 5:44 PM in response to deggie

    I know, domestic carriers have always prevented devices from being used on other domestic carriers, and Sprint and Verizon do not allow devices not from their network originally from being used on the other. They would not activate them. I just wanted to see what ruling he was referring to.

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