Unlocking Telus Phones

I have a Telus phone and am confused about whether I can unlock it or not. Some people say you can't because they are CDMA while other providers like Rogers are GSM. Others say it is possible if you use a software and connect the phone to your PC.

Does anyone know if it's possible to unlock Telus phones?

Originally Posted by mushroomcheese

I have a Telus phone and am confused about whether I can unlock it or not. Some people say you can't because they are CDMA while other providers like Rogers are GSM. Others say it is possible if you use a software and connect the phone to your PC.

Does anyone know if it's possible to unlock Telus phones?

You cannot unlock a Telus phone, because there is nothing to unlock to. The phone was made for telus, that's all there is to it, it's not as if you can put another sim card on the back right.

Telus/Bell/Virgin Mobile/PC Mobile/7Eleven Speak Out all have phones that cannot be unlocked, since they do not accept sim cards.

Originally Posted by mushroomcheese

Does anyone know if it's possible to unlock Telus phones?

Where did you plan to use it if you did unlock it? Only Telus and Bell use CDMA.

Originally Posted by emoci

7Eleven Speak Out all have phones that cannot be unlocked, since they do not accept sim cards.

7-11 uses a sim card on the Fido footprint of Rogers.

Originally Posted by Whitedart

7-11 uses a sim card on the Fido footprint of Rogers.

Really, I guess you live and you learn.

Just out of curiosity, how much different the same phone be for each provider? I'd think that there would not be much different in the software. I'm no engineer but i'm surprised that no-one has figured this out yet.

Samer

"Unlocking" a CDMA phone consists of using a cable and specific software to alter a phone's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) to a different phone's ESN.

As compared to unlocking a GSM phone altering a CDMA phone's ESN (and getting caught, which is very likely as they can tell it's not the 'right' phone for that ESN) can get you kicked off the provider's network and permanently banned.

Stick with GSM networks if you like a new handset at the drop of a hat.

Originally Posted by emoci

You cannot unlock a Telus phone, because there is nothing to unlock to. The phone was made for telus, that's all there is to it, it's not as if you can put another sim card on the back right.

Telus/Bell/Virgin Mobile/PC Mobile/7Eleven Speak Out all have phones that cannot be unlocked, since they do not accept sim cards.

there are no "telus phones" or "bell phones" or "vm phones" they are just generic phones that are subsidy locked and customised to the carrier. if you can get the subsidy code you can "unlock" a cdma phone.

Originally Posted by cwb27

"Unlocking" a CDMA phone consists of using a cable and specific software to alter a phone's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) to a different phone's ESN.

As compared to unlocking a GSM phone altering a CDMA phone's ESN (and getting caught, which is very likely as they can tell it's not the 'right' phone for that ESN) can get you kicked off the provider's network and permanently banned.

Stick with GSM networks if you like a new handset at the drop of a hat.

that is not unlocking, that's cloning to use a non-carrier phone with a certain carrier.

Originally Posted by BeaverLiquor

that is not unlocking, that's cloning to use a non-carrier phone with a certain carrier.

Hence the " " used around the word. I probably should have been more clear.

Hate to bump an old thread - but I won a Telus Blackberry, however I currently have a three year contract with Bell. Any chance of unlocking, or is the best bet to just sell?

There's nothing to unlock. Enjoy your crippled CDMAids.

Originally Posted by gulfan

Hate to bump an old thread - but I won a Telus Blackberry, however I currently have a three year contract with Bell. Any chance of unlocking, or is the best bet to just sell?

Even if you could unlock it Bell would never allow it on their network.

Best bet is to sell it.

Originally Posted by emoci

.... The phone was made for telus, that's all there is to it,...

....

You are mistaken.

Bell and Telus are both CDMA. Their devices will work on each others' networks...they just CHOSE to NOT allow foreign devices on their networks.

Originally Posted by cwb27

"Unlocking" a CDMA phone consists of using a cable and specific software to alter a phone's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) to a different phone's ESN....

Although I haven't bothered to verify, I have heard that you can in fact 'lock' (this is a parrallel to SIM locking a GSM Device) a CDMA device.

These are technicalities I just wanted to share., the jist of the replies offered thus far are definately not at all incorrect.

You can only buy another LIKE-provider device if youwant, and can only SELL to a LIKE-provider buyer.

If you want to buy from any bucket in the sea...go GSM.

i just want to unlock so i can use my own applications on it. telus seems have put the kibosh on that.