OK techies, unlocked / jail broke phones ? ? ?

[Great-Kazoo]

What the hell is the difference, if any? Does a jail broke / unlocked cell have the capability to work with any carrier or just who it's jail broke for? My phone shit the bed and for use of i cannot see paying out the anal cavity $2-400, when a lot of "Used" phones are on CL.

[Lurch]

Who is your carrier? I'm getting ready to switch and will have a Verizon phone to sell.

[kwando]

Jailbreak only plies to apple. Same as rooting for android. That opens up the phone to the main file system. Has nothing to do with carrier.

Unlock allows you to use the phone on another carrier, if they are on the same band. sprint/Verizon are CDMA, tmobile/AT&T are GSM. There MIGHT be some,tweaking involved to get all the features working properly (visual VM, MMS,etc). Try to get a phone on the same carrier if possible.

[Rabid]

Watch out for used Sprint phones, if they are reported stolen they can never be used again with Sprint. If you do have Sprint the best thing to do is to make the deal at a sprint store and have them check to see if it is stolen before you hand over the cash.

[brutal]

Carrier and contract status?

Sprint has the GS4 for $99 on contract. Love mine and it blows away the Moto I had that shit sideways twice.

[Circuits]

Unlocked means the phone can be used with any compatible carrier - it is not "locked" to one service provider.

Most contract plan phones will only work with the carrier you got them from. Some carriers will unlock the phone when you have completed your contract, or if you pay a fee to accelerate the end of the contract. You can also buy many phones unlocked, or get hackers of some sort to unlock them for you.

An unlocked iPhone5 direct from Apple is like $649 for the basic model, versus $99 when you sign a new 2-yr service contract.

As has already been explained, jailbroken is Apple-specific and means the phone will run apps not approved by Apple and bought directly from the Apple online store. Rooting on the Android phones means about the same thing - though is not as big a deal, since the android marketplace is a lot looser on what they will and won't allow to be sold.

[blacklabel]

For the least amount of pain, pick up a used phone made for your carrier.

[Great-Kazoo]

Who is your carrier? I'm getting ready to switch and will have a Verizon phone to sell.

Verizon


Carrier and contract status?

Sprint has the GS4 for $99 on contract. Love mine and it blows away the Moto I had that shit sideways twice.


Contract, we don't need no steenken contract. PREPAID. Was contract with V for 12 years, did M-M for 1 yr then went prepaid. NO UNIVERSAL CHARGES, TAXES, ETC.

[OtterbatHellcat]

I heard that apple accessory owners that jailbreak their shit...completely void the warranty of the device.. they know if you did that or not.

[Circuits]

Verizon


Unless you gonna VOIP it straight up, you still need a carrier, a plan and a SIM. Verizon system compat gives you CDMA options, but only multimode phones will carry over to GSM-based SIM like ATT/T-Mobile/Europe.

If you're happy with verizon, buy a multimode unlocked or CDMA unlocked, or verizon phone. Bitch is usually the data plan to fully utilize the phone on carrier. You can use a jailbroken iPhone on ATT/T-Mobile network no problem, but unless they authorize you a data plan, it's a phone, and your data needs are served only off wifi. I used to use a jailbroken/unlocked iPhone 3Gs on T-Mobile pay-as-you go for my primary phone, but they only supported day-by-day Gen2 (EDGE/GPRS) data service to it, for an extra charge, and turned that option off over a year ago on me.

Data is the achilles heel of a smartphone to a carrier, unless you have ubiquitous wifi throughout your service area(s).

[Jer]

What the hell is the difference, if any? Does a jail broke / unlocked cell have the capability to work with any carrier or just who it's jail broke for? My phone shit the bed and for use of i cannot see paying out the anal cavity $2-400, when a lot of "Used" phones are on CL.

You misspelled Jitterbug.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/08/090827-jitterbug-01.jpg

Jitterbug!

[Great-Kazoo]

Unless you gonna VOIP it straight up, you still need a carrier, a plan and a SIM. Verizon system compat gives you CDMA options, but only multimode phones will carry over to GSM-based SIM like ATT/T-Mobile/Europe.

If you're happy with verizon, buy a multimode unlocked or CDMA unlocked, or verizon phone. Bitch is usually the data plan to fully utilize the phone on carrier. You can use a jailbroken iPhone on ATT/T-Mobile network no problem, but unless they authorize you a data plan, it's a phone, and your data needs are served only off wifi. I used to use a jailbroken/unlocked iPhone 3Gs on T-Mobile pay-as-you go for my primary phone, but they only supported day-by-day Gen2 (EDGE/GPRS) data service to it, for an extra charge, and turned that option off over a year ago on me.

Data is the achilles heel of a smartphone to a carrier, unless you have ubiquitous wifi throughout your service area(s).

Don't use or need a data plan. GPS, i read a map, e-m- tablet or pc, text, vm and the tried and true (ring, ring) Hello. phone call. Which seems to be going the way of writing a letter.
I hate texting.
Especially when i receive AT WORK unable to talk now, will call you after work. unless i end up working overtime. if that happens i'll call after 9 tonight.. After all that you could have just answered the phone and asked to call later, OR go to VM [Bang]

[waxthis]

Don't use or need a data plan. GPS, i read a map, e-m- tablet or pc, text, vm and the tried and true (ring, ring) Hello. phone call. Which seems to be going the way of writing a letter.
I hate texting.
Especially when i receive AT WORK unable to talk now, will call you after work. unless i end up working overtime. if that happens i'll call after 9 tonight.. After all that you could have just answered the phone and asked to call later, OR go to VM [Bang]

^^^^^LMMFAO

[BigNick73]

Watch out for used Sprint phones, if they are reported stolen they can never be used again with Sprint. If you do have Sprint the best thing to do is to make the deal at a sprint store and have them check to see if it is stolen before you hand over the cash.

This is the same for Verizon. If you can get the "esn" from the seller you can call Verizon and check to see if it's good or not, I'm thinking there's a web page you can also do this but cant find it atm. I usually buy mine on ebay and pay with paypal so there's some recourse if it comes up bad. Only happened once to me and the seller exchanged it no problem.

[Jamnanc]

Verizon requires a call to make sure that phone doesn't have a bad es#? If the old user didn't pay their bill, you won't be able to activate it. What carrier do you have Jim? I might be able to find something.

[brutal]

Don't use or need a data plan. GPS, i read a map, e-m- tablet or pc, text, vm and the tried and true (ring, ring) Hello. phone call. Which seems to be going the way of writing a letter. I hate texting. Especially when i receive AT WORK unable to talk now, will call you after work. unless i end up working overtime. if that happens i'll call after 9 tonight.. After all that you could have just answered the phone and asked to call later, OR go to VM [Bang]

Sorry, I have that one programmed into my quick text for responding to rejected calls. :D

The one thing I miss about my Moto is the smart actions. Rules based actions like auto text replies and such. Still haven't looked at the alternative I installed.

[Circuits]

Jim, we are going to prepaid next month too. we have had verizon contracts for 10 years. My wife and I use between 100-300 minutes a month combined and no texting AT ALL. No use for a smart phone or anything like that.
I thought a lot of the packages for prepaid came with a phone or were in the $30-60 range? Now, which prepaid company to use?

For pre-paid, I use T-Mobile. $100 card is 1000 minutes and they're good for a year, and roll over when you buy another card. So my home phone is one of my old iPhones and I pay about $100/yr for it.

[Great-Kazoo]

that sounds great. thanks for the information.

Verizon is Unlimited Talk and text. I have their "phone in a box" $21 and the $50 per pay plan. NEVER had any hidden or surprise charges. Unfortunately the $20 unit is currently held together with duct tape and baling wire.

[ZERO THEORY]

A rooted Android allows you to delete bloatware, unlock the WiFi permissions so you can use your phone as a hotspot for free, use your own backup programs, run custom ROMs, alter permissions for apps, etc.

A jail-broken iPhone is still an iPhone; useless.

EDIT:
Oh, you just mean a service unlock. Right, go for it.

[hurley842002]

unlock the WiFi permissions so you can use your phone as a hotspot for free[B].

This is what I need, so I can take advantage of my unlimited data and hotspot. As it is now, I'd have to ditch my grandfathered unlimited Verizon data in order to use the hotspot feature.

[ZERO THEORY]

This is what I need, so I can take advantage of my unlimited data and hotspot. As it is now, I'd have to ditch my grandfathered unlimited Verizon data in order to use the hotspot feature.

What device do you have?

[twitchyfinger]

A rooted Android allows you to delete bloatware, unlock the WiFi permissions so you can use your phone as a hotspot .

This is what I need on my new driod also just afraid to do it.

Jim,

I will have a Verizon iphone 4 you can have in a couple weeks if you want it.

[hurley842002]

What device do you have?

HTC DNA

[brutal]

This is what I need on my new driod also just afraid to do it. Jim, I will have a Verizon iphone 4 you can have in a couple weeks if you want it.

I won't root mine until the warranty is up. Had I done my last one, I would have been hosed on getting it replaced due to issues with it. Work provides a 4gLTE MiFi so no compelling reason to root the phone.

[Great-Kazoo]

A rooted Android allows you to delete bloatware, unlock the WiFi permissions so you can use your phone as a hotspot for free, use your own backup programs, run custom ROMs, alter permissions for apps, etc.

A jail-broken iPhone is still an iPhone; useless.

EDIT:
Oh, you just mean a service unlock. Right, go for it.


Have no clue what the hell you're talking about. We just had indoor plumbing installed. That's where i'm at on "tech" lingo.

[DD977GM2]

Jim, can you even operate a phone more sophisticated than a rotary dial phone? [ROFL1][ROFL2][ROFL3][LOL]

[Sixgun]

Jim,
i have like brand new Samsung bright side. Non-smart phone from Verizon. It was my daughter cell. She never used it, It's yours if ya want it.

[ZERO THEORY]

HTC DNA

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1996389

I always go to XDA for all my mobile tech needs. Used their software and guides for my S3, as well as my Optimus G Pro. I did find a much more streamlined guide here (http://www.howtorootphones.com/2013/07/root-htc-droid-dna.html). Can't speak for that second site, however.

[Danimal]

There is a difference between jailbreaking and a carrier unlock. Jailbreak is hacking of the phones OS allowing for the phone to use apps and other features the powers of apple have shunned. But the problem is that no one sits down and hacks an OS for free; usually there are hidden little surprises in there that steal financial information or other information from your phone. I would not recommend going with one of those. A carrier unlock maintains the phones OS and security features but allows you to use the phone on any network that you choose.

[Great-Kazoo]

There is a difference between jailbreaking and a carrier unlock. Jailbreak is hacking of the phones OS allowing for the phone to use apps and other features the powers of apple have shunned. But the problem is that no one sits down and hacks an OS for free; usually there are hidden little surprises in there that steal financial information or other information from your phone. I would not recommend going with one of those. A carrier unlock maintains the phones OS and security features but allows you to use the phone on any network that you choose.

That is what i was interested in. I see these jailbroke / unlocked cell for sale ad's and don't want to get dicked on something, that will not work for my needs.