BlackBerry Forums Support Community

lrdiaz · 01-13-2006, 01:01 AM

Originally, I had a TMO 7105t. But over Christmas, I purchased an 8700c from Cingular and have been using it since, BES & BIS.
Got the unlock code for the 8700 from GSMsource, inserted my TMO sim into BB8700, and followed unlock instructions.
Went to Cingular BIS client website and changed my pin/imei to BB7290, and deleted the BIS email accounts.
Went to TMO website, and immediately a dialog box appeared with a warning that my account is with pin xxxx, do I wish to switch to pin yyy. Quickly answered yes, added my BIS email accounts. No changes required for the BES service since the pin number remains the same. I was expecting all kinds of trouble due to pin/imei registrations with BB servers, and I am currently roaming in the UK. However, it was painless and without problems. It took all of 10 minutes.

mas90guru · 01-13-2006, 08:00 AM

I did the same on Wed of this week...bought the 8700C from Amazon for $449, added the BES plan for $29, cradled my device, swapped PINS. Within an hour everything was all set. I also unlocked from gsmsource.

tfaz1 · 01-13-2006, 12:01 PM

May I welcome you both to the Deutsche Telekom family.

drgoodtymes · 01-13-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfaz1

May I welcome you both to the Deutsche Telekom family.

I second that

rgoodwin · 01-14-2006, 05:19 AM

If I bought an 8700 from former Cingular user (and am not at all a Cingular user myself) would I expect to ever need to do anything additional at Cingular site? (Assuming I got him to make the changes for me first)

Anything else tied to Cingular (browser, home pages, extra loaded junk?

)

Thanks!!

lrdiaz · 01-14-2006, 07:04 AM

Try entering the Pin/IMEI numbers at the T-Mo website, and if it rejects due to being assigned to cingular, then have the original owner call cingular to remove it from BB server. I have read this solution right here on this forum.

wrxboi · 01-18-2006, 11:38 AM

what if you buy right of the shelf?? will it still work. I currently have the 7290 (tmobile) but I really want the 8700 and I do not want to switch carriers.

mas90guru · 01-18-2006, 01:33 PM

I purchased my 8700C from Amazon ($449). When it came in I got the unlock code off eBay for $45. Then I called Tmo and they added the BES add-on to my account for $29 (if you don't need Enterprise then the price is only $19 for the add-on).

About 5 minutes later I was using my new 8700.

I previously was a 6510/7510/7100i user on Nextel. The service quality on Tmobile is as good or better than what I received on Nextel....Tmobile's BB fees are the lowest I've seen.

The whole unlocking process was simple.

I considered buying an 8700 off eBay but figured the receipt from Amazon might be worth something should the device become defective. The price difference between Amazon and eBay for the 8700C was not very large either.

wrxboi · 01-18-2006, 01:59 PM

Is the unlock code different for every phone??

nickp · 01-18-2006, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrxboi

Is the unlock code different for every phone??

Yes. IMEI specific.

wrxboi · 01-18-2006, 02:08 PM

what's IMEI mean??

nickp · 01-18-2006, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrxboi

what's IMEI mean??

It is your phone's unique electronic serial number. Kind of like an IP address on a computer. It tells the network who it is talking to.

Log on to www.gsmphonesource.com and go to the Unlocking Services Section. Look under Cingular 8700c and it will tell you how to obtain the IMEI for your unit.

shackk · 01-19-2006, 05:06 PM

When you switch your device over to tmo, do you have to manually remove all of the cingular icons etc from the phone or do they all stay? Can you have the entire phone "unbranded?"

stonent · 01-19-2006, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackk

When you switch your device over to tmo, do you have to manually remove all of the cingular icons etc from the phone or do they all stay? Can you have the entire phone "unbranded?"

Much of the phone will still say Cingular because that info is permanently burned into the phone.

The closest thing to an unbranded phone are some of the 7290's that Cingular sells with no logos on them. They just say "Blackberry" (like if you go to the browser screen) instead of "Cingular Drive Safe"

Some of them will supposedly work on AT&T SIMs and Cingular SIMs.

The Truth · 01-19-2006, 05:53 PM

Hey everyone,

Im also currently in the process of switching services from Cingular to T-Mobile with my 8700 and have run into a small snag that I cant seem to find the answer too.

I already unlocked the device via GSMphonesource and activated a new service with T-mobile (which is already working perfectly). The problem that I have now however is that my IMEI is still attached to the Cingular plan that I had originally. I just cancelled the Cingular account today so maybe the answer might simply be that the cancellation hasnt taken into effect yet. But the "snag" is that I cant register the blackberry online with T-mobile because I get an error message that says the device is already attached to another account (obviously).

As I said before the device is working perfectly (sending/recieving emails) is it absolutely necessary to register the IMEI online with T-mobile?

Thanks in advance!

hf1khal · 01-19-2006, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Truth

Hey everyone,

Im also currently in the process of switching services from Cingular to T-Mobile with my 8700 and have run into a small snag that I cant seem to find the answer too.

I already unlocked the device via GSMphonesource and activated a new service with T-mobile (which is already working perfectly). The problem that I have now however is that my IMEI is still attached to the Cingular plan that I had originally. I just cancelled the Cingular account today so maybe the answer might simply be that the cancellation hasnt taken into effect yet. But the "snag" is that I cant register the blackberry online with T-mobile because I get an error message that says the device is already attached to another account (obviously).

As I said before the device is working perfectly (sending/recieving emails) is it absolutely necessary to register the IMEI online with T-mobile?

Thanks in advance!

Cingular needs to tell BB to release your account and the info and based on my understanding, tou need to call cingular to get that done, unless T mobile can help and get it done for you.

The Truth · 01-20-2006, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hf1khal

Cingular needs to tell BB to release your account and the info and based on my understanding, tou need to call cingular to get that done, unless T mobile can help and get it done for you.

Thank you, ill give that a try. But is it absolutely necessary to do so?

takeshi · 01-20-2006, 08:30 AM

From what you're saying it sounds like it's only necessary if you plan to use BWC/BIS. I assume from what you've said that you're getting email via BES? I'd go ahead and do this if it were me (and even if I had no plans to use BWC/BIS).