My HTC One went through a washing machine cycle, and has just returned from being repaired under insurance. However, I have a few concerns about the replacement...
1) The phone I sent off was locked to the 3UK network, and had 3UK branding. However, the phone I've received back has Vodafone branding! My 3UK SIM is working in it, but I'm just concerned that I might run into problems down the line.
2) When switching the replacement phone on, it has downloaded a software update to version 3.63.161.6 A quick Google of this software version *seems* to indicate it's a Vodafone UK update. Again, I'm concerned I'm going to run into problems with this down the line.
So, seeing as how my 3UK SIM seems to be operating in a phone which has Vodafone branding, I'm thinking it could be an unlocked phone. Fair assumption? Other than trying a different network SIM in the phone, is there any way I can tell whether the phone is an unlocked version?
I'm after a bit of advice really, as I'm not sure whether to bring this to the attention of my network provider. Plus also I'm not liking the Vodafone branding! What would you guys be thinking?
EDIT - CID Getter reports the CID of the replacement phone to be VODAP001. My original 3UK phone had a CID of H3G_001
Related
Hi.
I am looking at purchasing my first HTC phone. My first thought is who to go with. As I am looking through the forums people generally don't seem to happy with what orange have done with the tytn 2. However vodafone customers seem quite happy with the v1615, apparently vodafone have not messed with the phone too much and it still remains close to the HTC release.
Do either vodafone or orange change the main screen with the options for weather etc.
If anyone has any further experience with this, It would be great to hear from you.
Thanks
Marc
I have the V1615, which is only lightly branded. The HTC Home plugin (with the weather etc) is disabled when you first get the phone, but can be easily re-enabled in the Today screen settings. Similarly you can swap the vodafone message and calendar icons for proper WM6 icons in the same settings page. It comes with a nasty Vodafone theme installed, but again you can swap that for something more standard.
The only other customisations I found were the dialling screen, and comms manager, which have cosmetic changes to fit with the Vodafone theme but are functionally identical to the HTC versions. It's also missing a couple of apps - namely Windows Live, Messenger, and Worldcard Mobile.
It's perfectly livable with, certainly compared to what I've seen of the Orange version... having said that, I did debrand mine in the end and switch to the stock HTC rom.
PS - from what I've read here and elsewhere the V1615 is actually sim unlocked, so open to any network, but I've not actually tried any other sim in mine.
The orange customisation is appalling... I flashed the phone with the shipped HTC generic ROM as soon as I got it home. Keep in mind that to do this you have to sim unlock the phone (currently no free solution, £20 or more depending on where you do it)
Also, the orange do not provide the TomTom taster than comes in the generic package.
HOWEVER... I have not seen the Voda TYTN II, but I say with certainty that the Orange TYTN (Hermes) looked much better than the Voda TYTN (Hermes).
Can anyone comment on the differences between how the Kaiser handsets differ visually?
EDIT: I just checked, the two variants look almost exactly the same
Just to jump in here too, I'm looking at getting the TyTN II on either Vodafone or T-Mobile, but can't decide which one to get
Just to add, the Voda V1615 did come with the TomTom taster on disk, along with Sprite backup etc - the same CD package as the HTC, afaik.
I flashed the phone with the shipped HTC generic ROM as soon as I got it home. Keep in mind that to do this you have to sim unlock the phone (currently no free solution, £20 or more depending on where you do it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this is true (and I've no reason to doubt it) then the Vodafone is definitely SIM unlocked. All I had to do with mine is use the free CID utility available here (which just "unlocks" the firmware itself) and then run the usual Rom Update Utility to flash it with the generic HTC version. Total cost = £0.00.
If this is true (and I've no reason to doubt it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are loads of threads with noobs who've flashed and then said AAAAHHHHHHHH WTF ha ha ha ha
I'm not exactly sure why the sim lock kicks in... legally I don't think it should because I have an orange SIM in an orange phone - I've just flashed it with a non-orange OS build.
I read in another thread that maybe the handset detects that you've got a radio stack of a non-orange build and prompts for SIM unlock code...
My UK v1615 is also unlocked. How cool is that?
I rather like the phone so far and visualy it's a very pretty phone with the brushed metal around the screen and the black glossy back. Very nice indeed.
Havent tried to debrand the ROM yet as i've found no reason to.
I have the V1615 from Vodafone and can confirm it is not sim locked none of the phonesi have ever had form Vodafone including my old TYTn were ever locked.
V1615 seems quite normal and has a very low amount of customisation, less than on most Vodafone phones.
Boinng said:
If this is true (and I've no reason to doubt it) then the Vodafone is definitely SIM unlocked. All I had to do with mine is use the free CID utility available here (which just "unlocks" the firmware itself) and then run the usual Rom Update Utility to flash it with the generic HTC version. Total cost = £0.00.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What happens is, if you flash a new radio rom (that is not an orange rom) to an orange TYTN 2 then the phone complains about the sim card not being accepted.
The only current way around this is to pay £20+ (there is a member on here that will provide you with an unlock code) and unlock the phone.
Then you can carry on using the phone with none orange radio roms.
What people are currently doing (and sucessfully with out paying £20+ to unlock the phone) is flashing HardSPL and then flashing just the OS rom to their orange phones
Putting aside the Orange variants problem with simlock (which can be solved relatively cheaply) I would have said the argument is which carrier provides you the best deal, not just on the phone but the airtime package, network coverage etc.
At the end of the day, the device is the same and you can flash any of the ROMs found here and customise your shiny device any way you want
To be clear on the Orange simlock issue - this only occurs if you flash a different radio rom, flashing an OS only rom has no issues at all. Currently there is no need to use a different radio rom with the cooked rom's available here.
All,
I've been out of the Android loop for some time, I bought a HTC One M7 from T-Mobile UK (EE), it's a non contract/non payg model just the handset, I decided to switch providers and unlocked the phone with no issues.
However T-Mobile have modified the device somehow and locked the APN/MMS settings, I have put new ones in but it defaults to the T-Mobile (EE) settings, as I am using a Virgin sim card it sort of half works as it's on the same network. But I do not get MMS etc.
Also when I dial my voicemail it will no longer allow me to make calls until I remove the sim or reboot the phone which is annoying!
What I would really like to do is turn it in to a non carrier UK/EU device and get OTA updates from HTC.
I have looked and looked at information, but my head is fried, can anyone help me with this, OTA updates are important, I do not want any modified ROMS and I want to revert it to normal if I need to send it in for a repair.
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.
Long story short: Is there a way to network unlock the M7 from Cincinnati Bell (SIM network unlock) for other carriers?
Background and current state:
Been a while since my last HTC which was the sensation.
I picked up an M7 recently that turns out was carrier locked to Cincinnati Bell. Nice phone at least.
Did the bootloader, root, s-off, and set the cid to 11111111 this last step here used to sim unlock the phone from what I recall.
Evidently, things have changed somewhat and this is no longer true
Replaced the Cincinnati Bell sim card with an at&t one and I get the SIM Network Unlock PIN message with the keypad - blah
Have spent a couple hrs looking around on xda and google but nothing interesting comes up that might work.
I've reset the cid and flashed the OEM firmware (luckily I made a backup) just in case they're needed. Its on 4.3 if that matters
now where's that icon for the life preserver...
tblade2 said:
Long story short: Is there a way to network unlock the M7 from Cincinnati Bell (SIM network unlock) for other carriers?
Background and current state:
Been a while since my last HTC which was the sensation.
I picked up an M7 recently that turns out was carrier locked to Cincinnati Bell. Nice phone at least.
Did the bootloader, root, s-off, and set the cid to 11111111 this last step here used to sim unlock the phone from what I recall.
Evidently, things have changed somewhat and this is no longer true
Replaced the Cincinnati Bell sim card with an at&t one and I get the SIM Network Unlock PIN message with the keypad - blah
Have spent a couple hrs looking around on xda and google but nothing interesting comes up that might work.
I've reset the cid and flashed the OEM firmware (luckily I made a backup) just in case they're needed. Its on 4.3 if that matters
now where's that icon for the life preserver...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SuperCid doesn't simunlock. All you need is the unlocked pin you have benn prompted to enter.
2 options to get this code:
call carrier and ask from simunlock code (you will need to provide IMEI #) normally this is free if the carrier accept to give you the code
use a internet unlocking site and provide imei. they will send you an e-mail with the unlock code. Cost between 10-20$ US
thanks, it is beginnnig to look like that is the case.
the cost is really not the issue...
not many years ago, this was one of the main reasons to hack phones. now the focus seems more around cooking up a rom or updating the internals. interesting how things change. maybe manufacturers are getting smarter
wonder why this is not interesting to work on...
anyway, I'll pick it up off fleabay - thanks for the input
tblade2 said:
maybe manufacturers are getting smarter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
imo manufacturers aren't getting smarter. They only are doing this under carriers pressure.
Here is my situation, I have looked multiple places and have found many mixed answers.
My friend purchased an HTC One m7 from the "Chinese ebay" when he was living in China. He was given an HTC One m7wls, which from what I can find is the sprint version. He's now back in the US and he tried to do a factory reset which made the phone useless, broke the recovery and relocked and unrooted the phone.
I have unlocked the phone again, rooted it and got it working with a Sprint RUU based on posts in this forum. The problem is he has purchased a tmobile SIM card with service. The phone sees the SIM, sees the apn's but never get service. The same thing was happening before he did a factory reset. The radio shows an x and does not receive a signal at all.
The CID is currently SuperCID and the MID is now set to the sprint MID, it was set to blank beforehand. I did try to use a tmobile RUU but it would just bootloop.
The only thing that works that wasn't working is the Google play store and services actually function now.
Any suggestions on getting it working on tmobile if possible?
Thanks for the help!
PSA for Sprint Moto z3 Play. After the last software update to Build OCW28.70-47, a factory reset caused my phone to no longer read my sim card and appears to somehow have relocked the phone to Sprint. Prior to this software update and reset, the phone read my T-Mobile sim card fine and connected to the network. Calling Sprint verified that my device was already sim unlocked. Calling T-Mobile and they can't do anything on their end. Lastly calling directly to Motorola, and they confirmed that they have already received other calls and that they are working on a software update to fix this glitch. For now, this leaves me with a phone I can't use until this software update fixes it. So just sharing here so others in this situation won't be in the same boat.
LBN1 said:
PSA for Sprint Moto z3 Play. After the last software update to Build OCW28.70-47, a factory reset caused my phone to no longer read my sim card and appears to somehow have relocked the phone to Sprint. Prior to this software update and reset, the phone read my T-Mobile sim card fine and connected to the network. Calling Sprint verified that my device was already sim unlocked. Calling T-Mobile and they can't do anything on their end. Lastly calling directly to Motorola, and they confirmed that they have already received other calls and that they are working on a software update to fix this glitch. For now, this leaves me with a phone I can't use until this software update fixes it. So just sharing here so others in this situation won't be in the same boat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick question, did you unlock it through Sprint? How's the service and reception on it?
I'm on T-mobile and thinking of buying a Sprint variant to unlock and use with T-mo.
Thank you
I got this phone from a reseller already unlocked thru Sprint. For the short time it worked on T-Mo before it got relocked, service and reception was fine. But my advice is Don't Do It! Buy yourself the fully unlocked version, don't bother with a Sprint model to unlock as it is not worth the hassle; plus the fully unlocked version has 64gb versus 32gb on the Sprint version. Unless you are on Sprint, don't get the Sprint model!!! My story is similar to hundreds of other people with other phones having much difficulty in getting a Sprint model unlocked to work on other carriers (e.g. Essential phone has lots of similar problems).
UPDATE: Was able to go to a Sprint store, get a sample Sprint sim, insert and request the UICC unlock code and it got pushed through again so now my X3 is again unlocked for any carrier and now works with my T-Mo sim. So you need a Sprint sim to get that unlock code pushed thru, won't work just on wi-fi without that Sprint sim!
have an update for us to hear? this xt1929-3 still unlocked...
we bought this model (sprint) as a cheap gamble off ebay and it was the best thing. put in my redpocket gsm-t sim this morning and it says in the system update setting under uicc unlock "the device is unlocked for any sim card". that was even after unlocking the bootloader last night. thought we were going to need to do some modding to get away from sprint but didnt have to! so thrilled we will have this nice phone for the wife to enjoy.