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Is the Visorphone "Unlocked"?


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Topic: Is the Visorphone "Unlocked"?

MitzEclipse
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Posts: 413

Is the Visorphone "Unlocked"?

Hi,

I have done a search and read that the visor phone is GSM 900/1900 standard. Thus, I can use it here in the USA and everywhere else there is 900. (Too bad it's not 1800 too).

Anyway, many cell phones such as Nokia's, Erissons, etc.. need to be "unlocked" to allow the phone to have non-service-providor-sims installed. Does the visor phone need to be unlocked?

Thanks

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02-08-2002 05:10 AM

whiteytech
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Conway SC USA
Posts: 92

The phone is not locked put the sim can be locked the same as any other gms phone. This is to keep others from using the phone until you unlock it.

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GOD BLESS AMERICA

02-08-2002 11:20 AM

olivier101
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Luxembourg
Posts: 68

quote:
Originally posted by whiteytech
The phone is not locked put the sim can be locked the same as any other gms phone. This is to keep others from using the phone until you unlock it.

There might be something I didn't get, but a SIM card is always locked, because that's what ties you to a service provider. The point is, some phones will only accept SIM cards from a specific provider, typically when you buy the phone together with a service plan.
However, I think that jurisprudence in Europe is that it's perfectly legal for a user to "unlock" such phones so that they can be used with SIM cards from other providers.
Back to the subject, the question is: if you buy a VisorPhone together with a service plan, can you use it with a SIM card from another provider without any manipulation?

02-08-2002 01:15 PM

nivw
Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location:
Posts: 14

works fine here at israel (bought in usa)

02-08-2002 04:47 PM

MitzEclipse
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Posts: 413

uh, I didn't quite understand whiteytech's explaination.

If I buy a vp here, can I use it overseas when I purchase a "prepaid SIM" from orange or vodafone?

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02-08-2002 07:36 PM

nivw
Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location:
Posts: 14

YES

I didn't buy the VisorPhone with any subscription. when I got it I just went to Orange, bought a sim card, punched it in, and it works swell. :-)

02-08-2002 07:58 PM

donnan
Member

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 9

Buying a pre pay sim card is easy, but it depands what you want to do with the visor phone. Not all pre-pay/pay & go sims are data enabled. So you would not be able to send email/ surf the net or send a fax using the visor phone with just any pre pay uk sim card.

Try using one of the virtual networks, like Fresh or Genie, they do not seem to have the same kind of restrictions on their pay & go sim cards as the main uk networks do.

02-08-2002 11:37 PM

olivier101
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Luxembourg
Posts: 68

Re: YES

quote:
Originally posted by nivw
I didn't buy the VisorPhone with any subscription. when I got it I just went to Orange, bought a sim card, punched it in, and it works swell. :-)

Of course, if you didn't buy it with a subscription, it can't be locked!!!
What I haven't seen so far is the testimony of someone who bought a VisorPhone WITH a subscription, and successfully used it with a SIM card from ANOTHER provider.

02-09-2002 01:00 AM

Mr Pc
Member

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Bristol, England
Posts: 3

Yes it is unlocked.

In the UK it will work with BT Cellnet or Vodaphone.

One poster has said he got it to work with the Orange how I do not know because it is not possiable.

02-09-2002 11:56 PM

olivier101
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Luxembourg
Posts: 68

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Pc
One poster has said he got it to work with the Orange how I do not know because it is not possiable.

Why not?

02-10-2002 12:40 PM

nwhitfield
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92

quote:
Originally posted by olivier101

Why not?

Actually, it depends which Orange ;-)

The original Orange network, which is in the UK, won't work with VP since it's only 1800MHz.

However, the poster who talked about using an Orange SIM didn't say which country they're in, and since the takeover of Orange by France Telecom, forming Orange SA, the original network in France (I think it was SFR, wasn't it? Or maybe Itineris - I can't remember my french GSM details right now; too much South African wine with the Belgian cheese this evening)...

Anyway, France Telecom GSM network has now been rebranded as Orange, and is a GSM 900 network, so will work with Visorphone.

Meanwhile, there are other Orange-branded networks around Europe too, such as the swiss one (1800, I think) and the Belgian (also 1800, but curiously not, the last time I checked, part of the Orange SA group, being a bastard child spawned from Hutchison and KPN).

So - VP will work with some Orange networks. But not all, and certainly not Orange UK.

Nigel.

02-11-2002 10:59 PM

olivier101
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Luxembourg
Posts: 68

quote:
Originally posted by nwhitfield

Actually, it depends which Orange ;-)

(...)

Now I understand... it is a matter of incompatible frequency, not provider locking. The original sentence was a bit too affirmative...

BTW, Orange used to be Itineris; SFR still exists, together with Bouygues Telecom, and those are the 3 french GSM providers.

02-12-2002 12:58 AM

jtretakoff
Member

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 4

Still unclear: activated VP in Europe?

OK, I'm still confused. I have a VisorPhone, activated with Cingular Wireless in CA. I am traveling to Italy at the end of the month. According to Cingular, they offer international roaming through:

Italy Omnitel Pronto 900 MHz
Italy Telecom Italia Mobile 900 MHz
Italy Wind 900/1800 MHz

Now, can I just buy a prepaid SIM from one of those (900 MHz), stick it in my VisorPhone that I use every day, and have a number that works in Italy? Do I have to perform any sacrifices to the gods or bizarre incantations, or will this just work?

If not, I see references in other posts of US based VP owners traveling to Europe and having their VP work; how does that happen?

Thanks to all...

02-18-2002 01:52 AM

nwhitfield
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92

Re: Still unclear: activated VP in Europe?

quote:
Originally posted by jtretakoff
I see references in other posts of US based VP owners traveling to Europe and having their VP work; how does that happen?

It happens by magic.

More accurately, when you turn your VisorPhone on in Europe, it will search for networks, and either present you with a list to choose from, or pick one automatically.

The phone will be able to register itself with any network with which your carrier has a roaming agreement and a compatible frequency - which is any of those networks using 900MHz, so you have a choice of three in Italy.

Once the phone has done its magic behind the scenes, it just works. People dial your usual US number, and the phone rings. You make calls as if you're in Italy (because you are!), dialing the same number as anyone else in Italy would do (though it's more sensible to store all your numbers in the GSM +country area number format - eg +1 212 555 1234 for a US number, or +44 20 7222 1234 for a London number in the UK.

If a number is stored like this, then the GSM network swaps the + and country code for the appropriate info, based on where you are. If you're in the US and try to dial +44 20 ..., then 011 44 20 ... is what you get. In Italy it would actually turn into 00 44 20 ... and in the UK, it would just come out as 020 ...

The key thing is that if you save number in the international format, you don't need to do anything except turn the VP on, and callers don't need to do anything special. They dial your number in the usual way, and the GSM network does everything else.

The business of SIMs is something of a red herring; you don't need it to roam. Just leave your Cingular SIM in the VP, turn it on, pick a network if it gives you a choice, and people can call your usual number. You pay for the international part of incoming calls you receive.

The reason people are worrying about inserting a local SIM into the phone is because it means you'll be able to make cheaper calls when you're abroad, since you won't be paying hefty roaming charges. But the downside is that callers won't be able to reach you on your usual number, so you'll have to get them your local Italian number somehow after you arrive and buy a SIM.

02-18-2002 10:47 AM

jtretakoff
Member

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 4

Re: Re: Still unclear: activated VP in Europe?

quote:
Originally posted by nwhitfield

The business of SIMs is something of a red herring; you don't need it to roam. Just leave your Cingular SIM in the VP, turn it on, pick a network if it gives you a choice, and people can call your usual number. You pay for the international part of incoming calls you receive.

The reason people are worrying about inserting a local SIM into the phone is because it means you'll be able to make cheaper calls when you're abroad, since you won't be paying hefty roaming charges. But the downside is that callers won't be able to reach you on your usual number, so you'll have to get them your local Italian number somehow after you arrive and buy a SIM.

First of all, THANK YOU!!!

It makes it very clear that, as long as I tell Cingular to activate international roaming, it will, as you say, just work. Thank you so much for clearing that piece of magic up.

The part quoted above is what is my secondary concern. Given the staggering costs of international roaming, I've been advised numerous times to buy a prepaid SIM while in Italy, and distribute the number or use for local calls. Makes good economic sense. Downside, as I understand, is that there is an "iffy" chance that my data services will be activated with this SIM.

To clarify: can I purchase a prepaid SIM in Italy, and just pop it into my VP, and have a phone with an Italian number?

By the way, thanks so much for the tips on saving numbers in the international format. Anyone know how to universally convert numbers in Outlook to international format?

02-18-2002 11:02 AM

nwhitfield
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92

Re: Re: Re: Still unclear: activated VP in Europe?

quote:
Originally posted by jtretakoff
To clarify: can I purchase a prepaid SIM in Italy, and just pop it into my VP, and have a phone with an Italian number?

Yes, you can. I haven't seen anything to suggest that the VisorPhone is supplied in a 'locked' state by any network operator, nor that suggests it actually has such a lock facility.

The SP (Service Provider) lock is found in some phones and is a way that the firmware in the phone can be programmed to reject a SIM from anything other than a specified network. It's typically used when phones are heavily discounted by the networks - as much as �200 is common in the UK - to make it harder for people to get a cheap phone, then re-sell it abroad, or use it on another network. But most networks will let you unlock, for an additional fee, or you can do it yourself with plenty of freely available software.

That, though, appears to be academic in the case of VP; the number of reports of different SIMs being put in them strongly suggests that they do not offer an SP lock. You should have no problems at all.

I'd recommend choosing a SIM from a network that's solely 900MHz, not a dual band one; dual band networks will often use the 1800MHz cells to 'fill in' or provide coverage in cities where there are potential capacity benefits. It would be irksome, to say the least, if you found you were staying in a hotel covered by an 1800MHz cell from a dual band network instead of a 900MHz one!

Nigel.

02-18-2002 05:08 PM

jtretakoff
Member

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 4

Nigel: god of all Int'l VP issues!

I cannot express enough my thanks for the clear, comprehensive information that has been provided regarding my questions. I look forward to my Italian trip, now more than ever!

02-18-2002 07:20 PM

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