If you want to switch your cell phone from Sprint to Cingular, you may be blocked by more than just contractual obligations. Your phone itself may block the change. This software issue could prevent calls from going through when you switch the chip in the battery compartment to a Cingular chip. To remedy this, you'll need an unlock code.
Instructions
1. Open the home page of one of these websites: Unlocking, Mobile Unlocked, My Unlock Code, or GSM Liberty. See Resources for links. All four are paid sites.
2. Select your phone's manufacturer (don't search on Sprint; that's a network) and then its model number from the list of phone models or from the drop-down menu. For My Unlock Code, you'll need to search on the model name to find it.
3. Remove the phone battery. Look inside the battery compartment for the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. You will be prompted for the IMEI at some point so they can generate the unlock code. The IMEI also allows the code producers to confirm the phone wasn't stolen.
4. Type in the unlock code, exactly as it appears in the email you'll be sent. For example, enter "A5246J Send" on your keypad while in phone mode as 252465. "Send" the code to your phone for processing by pushing the Call/Talk button.
5. Replace Sprint's (SIM) chip in the battery compartment with the Cingular chip. If you still get an error message when you try to make calls, repeat Step 4 a few times. Then contact the company that emailed you the code so they can resolve the issue.
Tags: battery compartment, chip battery, chip battery compartment, Cingular chip, your phone