Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

K1ngkev1n1

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 17, 2012
110
0
Wanted to know this before I bought one on eBay. Would pay someone couple bucks in eBay as well to unlock it then activate in tmobile
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
Doesn't cricket officially have the iPhone now? Are they still allowing unofficial iPhones? Ate they still allowing the use of unofficial handsets then?
 

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,495
631
NJ
Wanted to know this before I bought one on eBay. Would pay someone couple bucks in eBay as well to unlock it then activate in tmobile

GSM phones dont have ESN's, only CDMA phones do. they use IMEI's. either way, i understand that at&t and tmobile will block IMEI's however, i wasnt aware that it will carry the effect across carriers. i think at&t will block one of their IMEI's from being used on their network only. however, it may be used on another carrier. i would double check that, since like i said, i dont think its cross honored between carriers here yet. i still would still never buy a blacklisted phone on principal.
 

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
GSM phones dont have ESN's, only CDMA phones do. they use IMEI's. either way, i understand that at&t and tmobile will block IMEI's however, i wasnt aware that it will carry the effect across carriers. i think at&t will block one of their IMEI's from being used on their network only. however, it may be used on another carrier. i would double check that, since like i said, i dont think its cross honored between carriers here yet. i still would still never buy a blacklisted phone on principal.

Tmobile and Att now share a database of blacklisted phones.
 

K1ngkev1n1

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 17, 2012
110
0
Can you buy an iPhone 5directly from tmobile? Without signing up for contract? I have a 30$ per month plan now like to hook it up to
 

hexonxonx

macrumors 601
Jul 4, 2007
4,610
1
Denver Colorado
Wanted to know this before I bought one on eBay. Would pay someone couple bucks in eBay as well to unlock it then activate in tmobile
Sell it on eBay. For some reason, there are people willing to pay a lot of money for bas ESN phones.

I sold a bad ESN Verizon 64GB 4S for $375 back in January.
 

Ann P

macrumors 68020
Jun 29, 2009
2,311
9
California
Had iPhone 4s with a bad ESN (due to outstanding balance) on AT&T, but I was able to factory unlock it. Gave it to my brother and he's been using it on T-Mobile. Why is this? Was it because I unlocked it before it was blacklisted? Not complaining of course, just curious.
 

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,495
631
NJ
Had iPhone 4s with a bad ESN (due to outstanding balance) on AT&T, but I was able to factory unlock it. Gave it to my brother and he's been using it on T-Mobile. Why is this? Was it because I unlocked it before it was blacklisted? Not complaining of course, just curious.

when was this?
 

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
Had iPhone 4s with a bad ESN (due to outstanding balance) on AT&T, but I was able to factory unlock it. Gave it to my brother and he's been using it on T-Mobile. Why is this? Was it because I unlocked it before it was blacklisted? Not complaining of course, just curious.

Was that a verizon 4S or AT&T?
The only way that would work with a verizon 4S is by using a gevey sim.
Factory unlocking a verizon 4S would only allow it to use gsm sims outside the US.
 

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,495
631
NJ
Was that a verizon 4S or AT&T?
The only way that would work with a verizon 4S is by using a gevey sim.
Factory unlocking a verizon 4S would only allow it to use gsm sims outside the US.

sounds like shes confusing ESN with IMEI. i assumed she meant IMEI and that it was an at&t iphone 4s that wasnt technically "bad", but just had an outstanding balance on at&t but would work just fine on tmobile. IMEI blocking is for lost/stolen devices, not for accounts with outstanding balances. that would just keep the phone from being used on another at&t account.

an outstanding balance on a verizon iphone with an ESN wouldnt be able to be used on verizon until the balance was paid, however wouldnt effect the SIM slot/IMEI.
 

Ann P

macrumors 68020
Jun 29, 2009
2,311
9
California
IMEI blocking is for lost/stolen devices, not for accounts with outstanding balances. that would just keep the phone from being used on another at&t account.

Ah, I see. Up until now, I believed esn and imei were essentially the same. This makes a lot more sense now. Thanks.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.