Sprint Nextel agrees to start unlocking phones
by Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 26th 2007 at 5:31PM
An under-the-radar class action lawsuit against Sprint Nextel is winding its way towards a settlement this week, and it contains a pretty huge concession by Sprint: the company will unlock phones for both current and former customers, and will begin training its customer service reps on how to connect non-Sprint phones to its network. The settlement was tentatively approved by a California judge on October 2, but hasn't had a final approval hearing yet, according to Sprint -- but it's still a huge win for US consumers, who haven't been able to buy mainstream unlocked phones from any of the major carriers. Of course, since Sprint's network is CDMA, unlocked phones will only work on other CDMA carriers like Verizon -- and there's no guarantees those companies will be happy about it -- but at this point we'll take whatever we can get.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
trooth @ Oct 27th 2007 11:58AM
What is the point of unlocking a CDMA phone? If the PRL can't be updated and the software flashed to a carrier version you will end up with a phone that wont get service, and I doubt Sprint will provide tech support for your device if you didn't purchase a Sprint branded phone. I suspect this will end up trickling down to Verizon and Alltel as well. But it will be easy enough for the 3 carriers to see where the phone came from based on the ESN and then say we don't support the phone. It may be a pain to have to individually add each phone to the allowed devices database, but other than that customer's should be able to use whatever phone they want if they know the risks.
RoseGold @ Oct 26th 2007 6:31PM
yeeees!!! this is is the best news I've heard about sprint in ages...
PhilR8 @ Oct 26th 2007 6:41PM
This is GREAT news. Basically, this means that any CDMA Pocket PC with a 1900MHz radio can be used on Sprint. Got an HTC 5800 from Qwest? Motorola Q9m or Samsung i730 from Verizon? Sprint will activate them now. For data, all they gotta do is be able to dial #777. This is a good thing for sprint users.
mingkee @ Oct 26th 2007 9:21PM
grab a phone from Alltel and use with Sprint=perfect!
Alltel phones have full functional bluetooth (if any), and no DUN restriction
if Sprint utilizes U-RIM, this'll be 999x better
Carlos H Garay @ Oct 26th 2007 10:03PM
In your latest wft of the day, sprint decides to start unlocking phones.
wtf of the day for tomorrow--> apple starts selling unlocked iphones
Chris Przybycien @ Oct 27th 2007 12:32AM
According to Sprint's site at least some of their phones can roam on CDMA networks in South Korea. Would this mean that now we might now be able to use some of those sweet sweet Sammy phones we never get?
K @ Oct 27th 2007 1:13AM
I am confused. Does this mean we can buy any Sprint phone and use it on Verizon???????
dwimmerlaik @ Oct 27th 2007 6:16AM
Well, if Sprint has to do it then I'm sure they will see to it the other carriers using the same access technology have to do it. Equal treatment under the law and all that. Quite frankly I never understood some of the bizarre restrictions in place by the big carriers. The money is obviously in the service not the phones themselves so why not get out of the hardware aspect of the businesss altogether? The handsets can be produced cheaply, they don't hold value, and they are constantly changing. The market at some point was bound to catch up and make the system of proprietary handsets for each carrier un-sustainable. Is it too soon you think to start the merger rumor mongering? It is inevitable you know. I am looking forward to using any phone I want on the new VeriZprint network!
PEZ @ Oct 27th 2007 11:45AM
NICE. And now that this has gone through, the REAL benefit will be with the GSM carriers. Pop that SIM in baby.
Its about time. Join the rest of the world.
If this happens with the iPhone, ATT is facked.
Pamela @ Oct 27th 2007 3:47PM
I would only do this for something like the Krzr or v9m which another carrier would have so I could just put the new carriers software on it and get a new unbranded battery backing. On some phones the PRL could be updated through software.
Rough @ Oct 28th 2007 6:25AM
Why not think of it as rather than bringing over my Verizon phone to Sprint, this opens up the ability of the phone manufacturers to do direct sale to consumers...Wouldn't it be nice to go to Samsung.com choose the phone you want, pic who you'll be using it on so they can pre-configure the settings and then ship it off to you? Maybe stores where rather than visiting the Alltel store, you go to a cell phone store, pick your phone, pick your service and they configure it and get it up and running for you...It'll be a while, but imagine the possibilities. We won't have to wait for the carriers to get done re-coding the firmware before we can get the latest handsets!
derX @ Oct 28th 2007 11:57AM
See, there are certain companies I don't compliment often (VZW, Motorola, TMobile [but that's because they never do anything of note], Samsung, PALM etc...) but when a company does something good (yes, the noun, I did not intend to use the adverbial form, for the pedantics), I've gotta give it to them.
See, this rocks on many levels. There are the obvious ones people have mentioned: this means that non-Sprint CDMA phones can now work on their network and that Sprint will unlock their phones so that, possibly, their phones can work on other CDMA carriers' networks. But, seriously, let's look at the their-being-tactful level. The only other big CDMA carrier is VZW, although Alltel is getting up there. It takes VZW, like, a year to release an announced phone on their network *coughs*i760*coughs*where the hell is the vx6800?*coughs* because it does all this "compatibility testing," do you really think they'll allow someone with an unlocked Sprint Mogul to just hook it up? Not likely. Now, with Sprint opening up its network it'll allow CDMA customers who want some of those cool Korean phones to finally have a US carrier support it.
This is a win-win situation for Sprint. No one will probably take their unlocked phones (besides those tiny, almost nameless carriers) and other people who love CDMA--all 12 of them--will defect to their network.
One word, Sprint: Score!
Blue Fusion @ Oct 29th 2007 12:41AM
Even if this is true, Sprint is so restrictive that it will be hell trying to unlock your phone at the store.
invictus1er @ Oct 29th 2007 2:56PM
So will sprint unlock Verizon phones to work on sprint's network? Or will they only unlock sprint phones to work on other CDMA networks?
Mark @ Oct 30th 2007 2:24AM
Reply
Neutralinvictus1er @ Oct 29th 2007 2:56PM
So will sprint unlock Verizon phones to work on sprint's network? Or will they only unlock sprint phones to work on other CDMA networks?
Did you read the story???? Here is part of line 3 in the story: "and will begin training its customer service reps on how to connect non-Sprint phones to its network." There is your answer!
trooth @ Oct 30th 2007 5:00PM
From what I understand there isn't really any unlocking required. It is going to be more of reprogramming and then loading the ESN onto their network to allow it to be used. CDMA carriers keep a database and only phones (identified by the ESN) that are in the database are able to be placed on their network. Their is no SIM card with CDMA carriers, all of your service information is on the database and is matched up by the ESN. The phone stores a PRL to tell it what towers to pull service from, and then the rest of the IP address and various settings are stored on the phone itself.
You will have to be able to load the companies PRL for the phone to pull coverage correctly, and then you will need to have all of the software reprogrammed to allow for any data applications/services to work. After that you are going to end up with pretty much the same phone as you would have received from the other carrier. It sounds fair enough to me to be able to take a Krazr or Razr2 from one carrier to another, just have a little bit more of a hassle to go through, but it is worth it when you are getting CDMA service that works where GSM isnt available.
jpitt42 @ Nov 7th 2007 12:01PM
Sprint locks those phones because they are subsidizing the cost of them when you buy them. If you bought them directly from the manufacturer, you'd pay quite a bit more up-front. They subsidize them because they will recoup the cost of doing so, and then some, by having you use their service for the term of your contract. The exclusivity is a major revenue stream for them. They will have to recoup that money in other ways to stay profitable.
I wouldn't get too excited about DUN access on Sprint's network. They will likely take other measures to prevent DUN users freeloading off of the network's bandwidth without paying for it.
andrewon44th @ Nov 7th 2007 5:18PM
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I researched this.
Neither Verizon or Alltel, by their service contracts, allow a non-branded phone on their network. Unless you have a local provider in your area with different policies, you'll have to move to South Korea to use your Sprint phone on another network.
Verizon's clause "Your wireless phone is any device you use to receive our wireless voice or data service. It must comply with Federal Communications Commission regulations and be compatible with our network and your Calling Plan. Whether you buy your wireless phone from us or someone else is entirely your choice." Means you can get your Verizon-branded phone second hand or from an agent (like Best Buy), not that you can use a non-Verizon phone.