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marloz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 28, 2012
6
0
Hello,

I have a IPhone 5 Sprint used with my GSM card in Europe. Everything works fine - calling/MMS/data/recieve SMS - but I cannot send SMS.

I've tried restoring a bunch of times, tried to set the SMS Service Center using the **5005*-thing, turn off dial assist, data, pretty much every thing - but no luck.

Anyone has any idea what causes this?
 

WildstarBR

macrumors newbie
Aug 21, 2010
6
0
EXACTLY the same situation here in Brazil. iPhone 5 from Sprint, can't send SMS... Telecom Provider: Oi
 

oneprouddaddy

macrumors member
Jan 31, 2010
62
0
Texas
Got my Sprint iPhone 5 today and I plan to going to Europe next year with it, so i called them and they said its sim slot is locked but they will unlock it for me next year. I asked if I got next month will they unlock it and they said yes since you have been a spring customer more than 3 months. I know that doesn't help but I figured I share. Sorry hopefully u guys get it working soon.
 

Micmac.vietnam

macrumors newbie
Sep 29, 2012
8
0
but the thing is that Apple has sold Sprint I phone 5 with full price as fully usable with local SIM overseas, if this SMS problem is generated because of the locked slim slot then Apple shouldn't sell for the full price the sprint I phone to people who specified that they are non-US resident and expect to use it in their country.
How can we fix the problem if the solution is coming from sprint with overseas people who doesn't have any account ? :mad:
 

Micmac.vietnam

macrumors newbie
Sep 29, 2012
8
0
here is the answer of sprint >
*If your able to use all other services on your Sprint iPhone 5 with an international SIM except sending SMS, then your iPhone is not locked by Sprint. For those on the forum you posted, my first question would be why purchase the CDMA version io the iPhone 5 to use solely in GSM markets? Additionally, there are only a few posts in that forum indicating this problem may be isolated to a small percentage of people. Have you backed up your iPhone 5, erased all content and settings, and restored? Ruling out any software corruption from manufacturing? *

*All provisioning elements for Sprint devices comes from our billing system. If you do not have an account with Sprint, we would have no way of sending the unlock command to your device. And as I stated before, if everything else is working, we would say it's already unlocked or rather never was locked by Sprint. *
 

WildstarBR

macrumors newbie
Aug 21, 2010
6
0
Oneprouddaddy: If the device were locked, no services at all would work on te device. Moreover, paying "full price" means "no contract" - i.e. you didn't receive the subsidy that motivates the lock - so you're free to use everywhere.

Reading all posts in different forums and even at Apple forums, that is seeming to be something related to the way the iPhone's A1429 model works with the GSM SMS service centres... :-(
 
Last edited:

Micmac.vietnam

macrumors newbie
Sep 29, 2012
8
0
I am not sure about that, Verizon is using the same A1429 model and there is no problem for overseas users to send SMS with it so it means that the hardware is fine and able to send SMS ( which makes sense, do you imagine Apple makes a model of iPhone 5 with no SMS sending option ??? )
... I believe that the problem is coming more from the specific sprint firmware ... US carriers are messing with their so complicated different lock/unlocked policies and Apple made the mistake to sell full price the sprint model if there is such a restriction ( no SMS sending on iPhone 5 A1429 with GSM network ???... what a bad joke ! )
... the good news is that if it's a problem from the iPhone model itself then Sprint will have to face the problem with their client and their international unlocked option, and they will have to find a solution in coordination with Apple
 

WildstarBR

macrumors newbie
Aug 21, 2010
6
0
Micmac: do you know Verizon iPhone 5 users using GSM chips with no SMS issues? I think there is no difference between Verizon and Sprint regarding iPhone 5 specs...

----------

I mean - if we're experiencing this issue with SMS with the Sprint version, it would be logical Verizon iPhone 5 users having the same issue as well...
 

WildstarBR

macrumors newbie
Aug 21, 2010
6
0
MarioZ, where are you from?

Hello,

I have a IPhone 5 Sprint used with my GSM card in Europe. Everything works fine - calling/MMS/data/recieve SMS - but I cannot send SMS.

I've tried restoring a bunch of times, tried to set the SMS Service Center using the **5005*-thing, turn off dial assist, data, pretty much every thing - but no luck.

Anyone has any idea what causes this?
 

zeeyo987

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2012
129
10
i was under the assumption that if you bought the sprint iphone 5 with no contract full price it was still locked?
 

marloz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 28, 2012
6
0
MarioZ, where are you from?

Norway. As a side note a friend of mine who also bought the phone in the US has the exact same problem.

I've been in contact with Apple and the most recent advice I got was to try another sim-card. I've tried with three genuine nanoSIMs (whereas two of them are different carriers) but still no luck. I've forwarded this to the contact-person at Apple and atm waiting for a response. (They were talking about taking the device in for a check earlier, allthough as this seem to affect all Verizon/Sprint-phones sold I don't see a reason why they would need to check a single device.)

Im also leaning/guessing that this has something to do with the (custom?) modem firmware.

Keeping you guys posted on any further updates.
 

Locha

macrumors newbie
Oct 3, 2012
2
0
Norway. As a side note a friend of mine who also bought the phone in the US has the exact same problem.

I've been in contact with Apple and the most recent advice I got was to try another sim-card. I've tried with three genuine nanoSIMs (whereas two of them are different carriers) but still no luck. I've forwarded this to the contact-person at Apple and atm waiting for a response. (They were talking about taking the device in for a check earlier, allthough as this seem to affect all Verizon/Sprint-phones sold I don't see a reason why they would need to check a single device.)

Im also leaning/guessing that this has something to do with the (custom?) modem firmware.

Keeping you guys posted on any further updates.

Hi Marloz,

I have a friend using the Verizon device in Brazil and works fine. So, the problem looks only with the Sprint devices.
 

WildstarBR

macrumors newbie
Aug 21, 2010
6
0
Hmmm... Seems Sprint devices are locked on GSM. My guess now is what we've been experiencing is a defective lock, not a defective unlock - let me explain: seems Sprint wanted to lock its device - but seems the lock has a glitch that leave everything free to be used but the SMS. Verizon already declared its device is unlocked - but no word from Sprint...

That's what I heard also.
The Sprint iphone 5 phones not the verizon version.
 

marloz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 28, 2012
6
0
WildstarBR, thats sounds illogical - from both what the Apple-expert told me while selling it, and how a lock normally works. Ie. you won't be able to activate it, not block you from sending SMS.

What are your sources here?
 

mcordovero

macrumors newbie
Oct 4, 2012
1
0
Problem with sms iphone 5 Sprint

Hi all, I agree with this claim with you. Same thing happened to me at all, acquired an iPhone 5 in an Apple store under the sprint company at the price of free. When you get everything worked perfect excepeto Argentina sending SMS. Try all possible methods calling my local telephone operator, I contacted Sprint via Skype and call Apple but none gave me a solution, just tell me that I can help and I cut the phone. We're in big trouble, or sprint apple should do something! I propose that we join together to travez a facebook group so we can discuss and talk better to find some way to take! Greetings.
 

Micmac.vietnam

macrumors newbie
Sep 29, 2012
8
0
Marloz, check your locked statue online with your IMEI you will see the device is checked as "locked", it makes sense with what Sprint has announced and when you tell to Sprint that you can use their device with your gsm sim they don't understand at all what's going on, it wasn't supposed to be like that. The problem comes from Apple
 

CaratJack

macrumors newbie
Oct 8, 2012
1
0
Temporary Workaround

I had the same problem but was able to find a temporary workaround until Apple/Sprint releases some kind of fix. It's not perfect, but it gets me by for now. worked for me, but I don't know if it'll work for every locale:

I am outside the US and trying to use a GSM SIM card in a Sprint iPhone5 but could not send SMS messages (only receive)

Try this:

1. Go to Settings / Messages

2. Make sure "Show Subject Field" is on

3. Try sending a message but type your message in the subject heading instead of the main box. The key is that the subject line has to have something in it, even a " " blank space will do

I tried sending it this way to other iphones and smart phones and both the subject and body of the SMS would go through, but to older cell phones only the subject heading goes through, and only the first 39 characters.

Hopefully Apple/Sprint will come up with an actual fix, but I'm hoping this is of help to some people out there

CJ
 
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