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Sprint IPhone 5 Unlocking and Resell

R

Runningman84

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 14, 2014
14
4
Hi guys. Sorry if this tread is repetitive, but I haven't found anything similar to my situation.

My wife and I got the new iPhones on launch day and have deactivated our iPhone 5's (not 5s). I wanted to know how to unlock them. Mine is brand new, I had it for a week in an otterbox before I got the 6 plus. It was active on sprint for a week before it was deactivated. My Wife's had actually never been activated. We got the iPhone 6 for her, and just this week we went and replaced her old damaged iPhone with a brand new iPhone 5. This phone has never even been turned on. My question is how to unlock these. Is my wife's already unlocked since it has never been activated in sprints network? And for my phone, what do I have to do to unlock it since its been deactivated. I'd like to put them up for sale on eBay, but I want to make sure everything is good to go.

Thanks for your help!

Nick
 
From what I understand Sprint will not unlock any Sprint phone for use with other American carriers, only for overseas travel.

I could be wrong though, someone correct me if I am.
 
You would have to contact Sprint to unlock your iPhones for you. Even then once unlocked, they can only be used with an international sim, not any domestic ones like T-Mobile or AT&T.

Resell value on Sprint iPhones are low because of that. Don't expect to get too much for them on eBay or anywhere else for that matter.
 
Runningman84 said:
Hi guys. Sorry if this tread is repetitive, but I haven't found anything similar to my situation.

My wife and I got the new iPhones on launch day and have deactivated our iPhone 5's (not 5s). I wanted to know how to unlock them. Mine is brand new, I had it for a week in an otterbox before I got the 6 plus. It was active on sprint for a week before it was deactivated. My Wife's had actually never been activated. We got the iPhone 6 for her, and just this week we went and replaced her old damaged iPhone with a brand new iPhone 5. This phone has never even been turned on. My question is how to unlock these. Is my wife's already unlocked since it has never been activated in sprints network? And for my phone, what do I have to do to unlock it since its been deactivated. I'd like to put them up for sale on eBay, but I want to make sure everything is good to go.

Thanks for your help!

Nick
Click to expand...
Nick, it's not possible. Never going to happen. Sell your phones on eBay if you want but make sure to indicate that they are Sprint phones.

You will most likely not get the full price you are looking for. Sprint phones sell for less precisely because they cannot be domestically unlocked.

Here's why…

There is an ID number on your SIM card. Sprint pairs (meaning the numbers are identical) that ID number with the MEID of the phone. The hardware in the phone is programmed to only allow service if the ID on the SIM card and the MEID match.

If you put a different SIM card in then the numbers don't match and you don't get service. There is no way to unprogram this so the phone stays locked to Sprint's network.

Sprint can and will unlock the phone for INTERNATIONAL use, but never domestic.

If you even want that then you've got a problem. Sprint requires that to give you an international unlock your phone must be activated on a non-ASL account for 90 days. Since at least one of your phones was never activated then you'd have to activate it, wait 90 days and then call for the international unlock.

Also, I hear you thinking, well it was never activated so it may be possible to get it domestically unlocked. Nope. Activation has zero to do with the pairing I mentioned.

Sorry Nick, what you want to do is not possible.

See the link in my signature for more info if you want.
 
Ok. Maybe I should just sell them to best buy? They give 240 per phone, and I haven't seen anyone beat that price yet.
 
Runningman84 said:
Ok. Maybe I should just sell them to best buy? They give 240 per phone, and I haven't seen anyone beat that price yet.
Click to expand...
Well, IDK. That's up to you, but one other Sprint forum I lurk at there was a user that sold off his iPhone 5 for $600. Another one on that same forum also sold off his and his wife's iPhone 5's for $300 apiece.

My point is that you just aren't going to get what you think you should simply because they cannot be unlocked.

My own iPhone 5 is 64GB. New, probably around $900. There is no way I will ever get that price for it. But I also can't expect the average prices you'd see for phones on other carriers. Those can be unlocked. Sprint phones cannot.
 
Yeah I should say they're 64GB phones. So should I still pull the sim if I sell them to a Sprint customer? They can use their sims from the sprint network correct? And yes $240, I was surprised as well. And that in just good condition. Mine are brand new. https://tradein.bestbuy.com/client/#/catalog/products/appraisal-form?sku=6739573
 
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