[reprobate]

Can any GSM phone be used on Cingulars or TMobiles service?

Several times I have found a phone with features I really liked but the service I used said they didn't use it (only supported the phones hanging on their walls).

Is there really something about certain phones that allow them to be used only on one carrier? I think it is BS because several providers offer the Motorola V3 so I think it is a matter of whose SIM is installed.

What I have wanted to do is buy a phone without service, take it to the providers service center and have it activated.

I can understand that they would want to sell their own inventory but I am willing to pay a service charge to activate a phone. Has anyone been sucessful in bullying, bribing, cajoling etc a provicer to do this!~

I have edited this to add that I am refering only to phones that use SIM cards, only GSM, and "virgin" phones. I am not concerned with unlocking non-SIM ready phones. Samsung has a nice phone that Cingular doesn't sell.

I have tried a search on the forums and found nothing but possibly didn't use good search terms.

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› See More: buying a phone, then the service.

[peryus88]

What you can do is activate a new account with the provider of your choice since it sounds like that's what you're going to do, and choose the phone that would come in the packaged deal. Afterwards, just sell the phone on eBay, Craigslist, or the classifieds. Then use the money that you got from the phone you sold to lighten the expense in buying the phone that you desire, and just insert your SIM card in.

Whether you go by phone or to a corporate store, the reps are going to persuade you to get one of the phones that they carry. The only other way I see to get an unlocked phone first then the provider is to go to a small cell phone store like in Chinatown. The only problem I see with them is that some of those stores' warranty policy are shady at best.

[reprobate]

just insert your SIM card in.
Thanks,
I have Cingular service now. I use all of the phones feaures (except games, I don't play around ), SMS, browser, camera but want to get a different one. I suspected that the SIM card would work in any.