acadiel

Came in 3/2 here in ATL and Wi-Max on my Freedompop device is no more...

As of this morning my Samsung epic can still connect to WiMAX here in Alamogordo NM.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got the "Unlocked Universal" version of this very device from Amazon.  The FCC indicates it does indeed support Sprint frequency bands.  No reason why it really couldn't work other than Sprint not wanting to whitelist the stupid thing.  

I made a nice comparison on XDA Developers about the *C7 and *C8.  

Compiled from FCC information and Wikipedia for two of the Moto E LTE models:

FCC ID IHDT56QC8 (XT1528) -
This LTE transceiver supports high-speed wireless data communications within LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, and 13, with channels up to 20 MHz in bandwidth.

FCC ID IHDT56QC7 (XT1527) -
This LTE transceiver supports high-speed wireless data communications within LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, 12, 17, 25, 26, and 41, with channels up to 20 MHz in bandwidth. 

From Wikipedia:
2 = 1900Mhz (PCS)
4 = 1700Mhz (AWS)
5 = 850 (Cellular?)
12 = 700 a
13 = 700 c
17 = 700 b
25 = 1900 g
26 = 850 (SMR?)
41 = 2500 (old WiMax)

So, the Verizon model (1528) will technically support LTE on AT&T and T-Mobile bands 2 & 4. It has all three Verizon LTE bands (obviously) - 2, 4, 13. You would be missing LTE on AT&T band 17 and LTE on T-Mobile band 12.

The other model (1527) will support LTE on AT&T in 2, 4, and 17. Will support Sprint on 2, 25, 26, and 41. Will support T-Mobile on 2, 4, and 12. Technically it might also support Verizon on 2 and 4. (Verizon is currently using 4 as part of XLTE in certain markets, and I don't know if think are running LTE on 2 at all. )

It appears that the 1527 model is the better one to get for band coverage, unless you want Verizon LTE on band 13.

Found a third model. From FCC docs:

FCC ID: IHDT56QC1.
This mobile device is also equipped with an LTE transceiver. This LTE transceiver supports high-speed wireless data communications within LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, and 17, with channels up to 20 MHz in bandwidth. 

This particular variant will work on LTE on AT&T in bands 2, 4, and 17. It will work on LTE on T-Mobile in 2, 4, and 12. It will work on Verizon's LTE on 2 and 4, but is missing Verizon's core band 13 (700c). Not sure which provider is using it with on band 5 (850). This model apparently (compared to QC7) is missing the Sprint LTE bands completely (25, 26, 41).

Woot, 5S is done.!

I'm sure this will get fixed later on. It doesn't seem right or fair.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6+

They just called me and said its now unlocked. Will try tossing a T-Mobile SIM in later

Very nice and professional. They were awesome. We will see if it works.

You can not have any contract or installment on the line at all. Even if it's s different device, and your iphone was paid in full. This was the trouble I ran into. I had to pay off the old android phone I had there, and wait a week for the installment plan to disappear from their system. People tell me it makes sense, but I just don't see it. I paid for my 6+ out of pocket, but it didn't matter. Their system was rejecting the unlock request every time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6+

From my discussions with their internal team, it's a limitation of the system and the way the developers developed it. It's supposed to be on a device by device basis.

I had to do a restore on my 4S... it refused to unlock until I did by simply putting a foreign SIM.  Not sure about other models right now; and still waiting on them to do my 5S.  It's failing Sprint's 'financial eligibility check' even though it's on a current postpaid account, and full paid off, because I have a "WeGo" device on an installment plan ($5/mo) on the same account.  Now tell me that isn't a screwed up programming job, there.  Nice job, Sprint.

How do you like OS8 on your 4S? Does it slow the phone down? We still have a 4S on OS7 and it is already somewhat slow. Also, can you PM the link to website you got the report?

 

Thanks

It works OK.  There is definitely a difference from using an iPhone 6 to a 4S (I can tell), but it's usable.  I went ahead and put it on Ting's GSM network and put some limits on it for my 10-year-old.  Even after restoring it with the Sprint SIM in it, it would never seem to want to do hands-free activation any longer, and the ##UPDATE# code no longer works (throws an error, even after restoring with the Sprint SIM).  So, the reason Sprint might be saying the 4S and 5 can't be unlocked is because it's a one way street if you do use a GSM SIM in it.

When restored with the Sprint SIM (factory defaults even, I entered DFU mode, restored it, and went through setup), you see "Carrier 18.0" instead of "Sprint", and you still do see the MEID in there.  Just none of the ##UPDATE# or other codes work, it doesn't attempt to activate with CDMA, etc.

Ah well... it's a little more flexible now anyway.

Now the question with the Sprint unlocked 4S is.... do you just do a reset with iTunes (with a Sprint SIM) to get it back on Sprint?

Once it is restored in iTunes with a GSM SIM, ##UPDATE# doesn't work any longer, even if you put the Sprint SIM Back in, reset network settings, reboot it, etc.

Haven't gotten any notification yet for my 4S, but I just did a complete reinstall of the OS and restore (with an AT&T SIM in), and it unlocked.

I wonder if Sprint changed the international locking policy for the 4S and 5 just to be 'fully unlocked'.  Even after saying they weren't doing it.  

Makes me want to go spend $1.99 on one of those reports to see what activation policy is applied to the 4S.

Edit:  Here it is...

Report Type: Apple GSX IMEI Detailed Report

I think they're having internal issues with the tool they developed, from what you both are mentioning above.

My 5S (paid off) is on the account with a WeGo (which I'm paying $5/mo for), and the tool sees "Whoa, installment plan!" and doesn't let them unlock my 5S.  My rep is trying to work with the developers to fix this.

No worries; I know they're trying their best, and I'm only bugging them about once a week.

I've heard every excuse in the book since Friday. It's so disheartening. I've gone nearly two years without ever having to speak to customer service/technical support, and now I fully understand the complaints I read every day on social media. It's really a shame. Just tell me "no, not yet" instead of the constant mixture of "yeah, sure" and "maybe tomorrow."

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6+

To your credit, yes, they should put internal bulletins up that they are still having issues and the reps should read these before their shift starts, to let the customers know what's going on.

It'll happen. Just be patient.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

No return call today.  They've been pretty good about following up on the active 5S, so I'll wait.

Also, today is the one week (5 business days) for the international unlock I requested for the 4S.  They have two more business days left.

I talked to my senior advisor that is working with engineering today. She had me do a ##clear# - and the 5S shows up as unlocked on Sprint's side, but not on Apple's. So will probably get a follow up tomorrow.

Never under-estimate the complexities of enterprise systems and integrations, especially those between companies. I work for a living on a ton of enterprise wide architecture projects for companies, and it never ceases to amaze me how much baggage/oddities crop up in several of them. I'm guessing when Apple and Sprint integrated to begin with, unlocking was not something that was planned for at all, so this is them working together to scramble and put something in, along with modifying a host of systems to match. Much like any enterprise projects, seldom do things go fully to schedule or plan, so I'm sure they'll get there - just takes time, to reiterate the "patience" call in the thread.

+1 - especially if they never designed the functionality with this in mind.  Keep in mind, you have the development of a multi-tiered application.  You can easily have the following:

• The front end part, which needs to be easy for the reps to use
• The mid tier, which checks device status (blacklisted, paid off, etc), account status, and all the other requirements by tying into other Sprint back end systems.
• The B2B tier, which interfaces with Apple and changes the activation policy for the phone
• And all the back end Sprint databases, which house MEID/Account history, and all the stuff that the mid tier relies on to work properly.

You get a hiccup in any of that, and yeah, all the front end CS rep sees is an error.  And they can't really do anything about it.

Could Sprint have planned better and done better system and integration testing before this deadline?  Yeah, they probably could have.  Did they?  Who knows.  It might just be a single line of code screwing stuff up once they promoted their dev code to prod that they didn't anticipate.

For us IT geeks, it's easy to see all the moving parts that go into these processes... for Joe Blow consumer, though, all they see is that "Sprint won't unlock my phone and keeps stalling because they say their systems are busted."

I also asked for my 4S (now with a MVNO, but used to be on my Sprint account) to be internationally unlocked on 2/16.  They said it would take approximately a week.  So, assuming they submitted it on 2/17 (the next day), it should be unlocked by 2/14 (Tuesday).  We will see

It's a new process for Sprint.  I just spoke with someone inside (whom I got from tweeting to VP Marci @ Sprint about something completely different), and they're still having issues with the tool today (Friday).  My contact is going to check back with me on Monday, and that's perfectly fine with me.  

So, give them a little leeway.  I know they said yesterday was the day, but unless you are going to die unless Sprint unlocks your phone right now, just wait until they work out the kinks.  I'll make sure I report back when my 5S is unlocked.  Bear with them...

eChatted with Sprint this morning about my paid off (but still active) 5S.  They said that the phone showed eligible to be domestic unlocked, but their tool only showed an option for international.  So, they are probably having first-day issues with trying to get it to work.  They did put notes on my account and will schedule a call back.

The rep was very polite and apologetic.  

 

Agent : We're trying to process it on our end however it's not showing us an option to unlock for domestic use when we search for the MEID or the phone number. I do see here that the phone is eligible to be unlocked.

 

I call bull. I've been calling Sprint every day since the 11th, and multiple reps have repeatedly told me they can't do anything until the 19th. I just got done speaking to the nicest csr ever. She told me they literally have no software to do the iPhone DSU. She said this "magical, mystic" program is supposed to appear on the 19th, and to check the Sprint unlocking policy page on the 19th to see if it sticks, or gets pushed back.

 

Edit: plus, it's impossible to DSU a 4s/5. Maybe they can be flashed to page plus or something? But DSU? Forget about it. The technology just isn't there.

 

Sent from my iPhone 6+

Note, these were for 4S/5 unlocks.  Not 5C/5S/6/6+ ones.  People were getting Sprint to internationally unlock their 4S and 5 units and were also somehow getting a domestic unlock on there.  Sprint does do international unlocks on those handsets, there's no "you have to wait until 2/19" for them.

I follow Slick Deals... did any of you see this thread on here?

http://slickdeals.net/f/7642912-sprint-unlocking-its-iphones-for-use-with-any-sim?v=1

Apparently, some of the people asking for an unlock for 4S/5 units are getting domestic ones too, whether intentional or not.  One guy even posted pictures.  Seems like multiple confirmations, too.

USIM is required on UICCs for UMTS systems (WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, TD-WCDMA, and LTE). It also provides interfaces for authenticating GSM. CSIM is an optional program for UICCs that enables authentication on CDMA2000 systems.

 

A third one, ISIM, is required on UICCs for authentication with IMS subsystem on UMTS systems.

 

Sprint's UICCs lack the ISIM program today. Most of the UICCs also lack the CSIM program, too.

So, what about the iPhone 4S and 5S UICCs is different than the latter ones? I think I was getting to that question in a roundabout way. Did Sprint have Apple embed the CDMA auth just inside the phone (completely off of the UICC) or something? Is this why those are likely not unlockable? The Sprint Carrier bundle/firmware on a 4S/5 is looking for primary auth to come internally and the SIM only for international use?

Then why is Sprint doing this for current/legacy Apple devices? That is where my confusion comes from.

Who knows.  Market forces from customers raising cane?  Apple pushing Sprint?  (Too many people complained to Apple?)

For those who are deep in the know about the differences between the old USIMs and the CSIMs - were the USIMs more of a hack to get CDMA working or something and they couldn't unlock them domestically because the Sprint USIM was the only way register properly on CDMA (and messed with domestic SIM usage)?  What makes USIM devices harder to unlock than CSIM ones?  As I recall, Sprint used a USIM in their iPhone 5, and VZW used a CSIM.  

At this point, only Sprint and Apple know, I guess.

Note Sprint just updated it's unlocking FAQ.

http://www.sprint.com/legal/unlocking_policy.html

Sprint will unlock a device from Sprint's network under the following circumstances:

• Any associated Service Agreement, Installment Billing Agreement, or Lease Agreement has been fulfilled including payment in full of any applicable early termination fees or end-of-lease purchase options
• The associated account is in good standing
• The device has not been reported as lost or stolen, associated with fraudulent activity, or otherwise flagged as ineligible to be unlocked

Generally, if you have a device that was launched prior to February 2015 and it is capable of being unlocked, Sprint will provide a bill notification and/or text message when you are eligible to have your device unlocked. The bill notification will direct you to Sprint Customer Care who can assist in efforts to unlock your device.

For domestic SIM unlockable ("DSU") devices launched after February 2015, Sprint will automatically unlock the device when it becomes eligible.

For inactive devices, customers must contact Sprint Customer Care to request that their DSU-capable device be unlocked and may have to take steps to perform an over-the-air update to ensure the unlock programming has been relayed to the device.

Well this is news.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Sprint/comments/2ut91c/clarifying_ctia_and_sprints_unlock_policy/

 

5S/5C/6/6+ and all phones released after 2/19 will be automatically unlocked at the end of the 2-year contract or device installment plan. Looks like current Android phones won't be getting any unlock love.

Dangit.  I should raise holy crap for my 4S that I have as well.  That's just bunk that they wouldn't include the one other iPhone that they sold that was global capable.

At least my 5S will be automatically unlocked after 2/19 since it is paid off.

I wonder if the BYOD stuff Sprint almost launched in Dec was waiting on all of this to happen first before before they launched it.  

It's only a matter of time before 850 is refarmed for mostly LTE.  Get most of your 1X and EVDO users off, or move them to a limited band in 1900, and there ya go.  Just like 700, the 850 range is prime lower frequencies which work well inside buildings, etc.  We'll probably see VZW LTE on 600, 700, 850, XLTE bands, and PCS bands all at once before it's over.

There's a lot of embedded stuff using 1X and EVDO still; just like the AMPS and TDMA transition from 2008, the stuff will eventually just have to be replaced when the providers kick 1X and EVDO to the curb. 

Man, I miss the 850 A/B system days.  I thought it was crazy when they launched the block PCS A-G, and at the time, wondered how they were going to have that many providers.  (A-C were 30mhz, I think, and D-G were 10mhz).  Now, it's all over the map with 600, 700, 1800/2100, 2500, plus the "old school" 850 and slightly newer 1900.  And it's not a 1-1 provider to frequency relationship like it was back in the day; multiple providers have multiple blocks now.  If someone ever did like XFF did a long time ago and actually created a spectrum map with all the bands we have today and who has them, I guarantee it would be a very difficult undertaking.