Unlocking a second-hand Sprint iPhone?

[mirak]

This spring, I bought a used iPhone 4s from a phone dealer. He told me it was a Sprint phone, but it was jailbroken and gevey sim unlocked to work on the T-Mobile network. He said it was $100 cheaper than a fully-unlocked phone because Sprint does not unlock phones, but he assured me it was legal.

Maybe it was legal, but it doesn't work that great. I can't send/receive MMS messages and I can't update my IOS. I'd like to just the get the thing fully unlocked. Is that possible?

I'm hearing that a law was passed requiring the carriers to unlock out of contract phones. Is that true? And if I'm not a Sprint customer, can I make them unlock a second-hand phone? Would the phone even work on the T-Mobile network?

Thanks for your advice - I just really don't know anything about how this all works.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not possible. Your only option is that gevey.
Or Just sell it and get an iPhone that you can use on the carrier you want and be able to update with no headaches.

 

[eyoungren]

This spring, I bought a used iPhone 4s from a phone dealer. He told me it was a Sprint phone, but it was jailbroken and gevey sim unlocked to work on the T-Mobile network. He said it was $100 cheaper than a fully-unlocked phone because Sprint does not unlock phones, but he assured me it was legal.

Maybe it was legal, but it doesn't work that great. I can't send/receive MMS messages and I can't update my IOS. I'd like to just the get the thing fully unlocked. Is that possible?

I'm hearing that a law was passed requiring the carriers to unlock out of contract phones. Is that true? And if I'm not a Sprint customer, can I make them unlock a second-hand phone? Would the phone even work on the T-Mobile network?

Thanks for your advice - I just really don't know anything about how this all works.

As AJ said, not possible.

Yes there is a law. And no, Sprint is not abiding by it. Why not? Because they rewrote their unlock policy to place the blame of locking on the manufacturers. In other words, it's "technically" impossible for Sprint to unlock your phone. Never mind Sprint mandated this to the manufacturers.

International unlock only. No domestic unlock. Even if you became a Sprint customer that's all you'd get.

 

[mirak]

As AJ said, not possible.

Yes there is a law. And no, Sprint is not abiding by it. Why not? Because they rewrote their unlock policy to place the blame of locking on the manufacturers. In other words, it's "technically" impossible for Sprint to unlock your phone. Never mind Sprint mandated this to the manufacturers.

International unlock only. No domestic unlock. Even if you became a Sprint customer that's all you'd get.

I guess that clears that up. Thanks for the information. I guess I'll just sell it on Craigslist and upgrade to the 6.

 

[eyoungren]

I guess that clears that up. Thanks for the information. I guess I'll just sell it on Craigslist and upgrade to the 6.

No problem. Yeah, it really sucks. Sprint is the only major carrier with this draconian unlock policy. Fortunately, they only have a few months left before they are forced to start unlocking domestically.

Of course, if your phone isn't made before February 2015 though they still can deny you.