Cellphone Question

[Bond]

If I were to buy a cellphone and bring it into my phone provider (US Cellular) would they allow me to use the phone that I bought on their network?

[Bube]

I really couldn't understand what you meant, but I'm guessing you're buying a phone with an x provider subscription, and want to use a y subscription with it, no?

If that's the case, most of the time the phone is locked against the other providers, meaning it doesn't get any reception with the y provider. You'd need to get it cracked/hacked/something, which voids the guarantee.

But that's the case here in Turkey (and England, I've learned), maybe it's different over there.

On the other hand, if this wasn't what you were asking..well..then I feel like an idiot :)

[BreakABone]

I think he was asking if he bought an unlocked phone could he switch it over to his provider.

It really depends on the provider and how the phone works. If it uses a SIM card with your info, should be no problem. If the phone has to be activated it will be.

[Angrist]

So did you steal it from an old woman or a little kid? :sneaky:

[Cheez-Its]

yea my brother tried 2 buy a nokia-phone that he could use. he said it was unlocked but i think ebay is not a good place 2 buy things :D

[Bond]

Ok, so basically my provider, US Cellular, doesn't carry the Sony Ericsson phone that I want. So, if I buy the said ericsson phone that I want off of Sony's website, would I then be able to bring it to my provider and use it with their service?

[KillerGremlin]

What Sony Ericsson model do you want to use?

First, I recommend you just call up a US Cellular store and see what they say. Obviously, take anything they say with a grain of salt....my next recommendation is for you to check out The Howard Forums, which is a massive cellphone forum with wealths of information posted by people that are much more knowledgeable than me.

http://www.howardforums.com/

They have a forum for US Cellular and for Sony Ericsson phones. The folks there are friendly and will help you out, however you'd be advised to use the built-in-forum search feature first to make sure that you're not missing an obvious sticky thread.

Finally, not all phones can be unlocked. You might need to purchase a data cable for your phone and flash some firmware or software to it. Doing so will void any manufacturer warranty. There are places online that you can buy pre-unlocked cell phones, but expect to pay an additional price. In fact, the price of an unlocked phone is outrageous. But that's just my observation.

Anyway...good luck on your quest, your cellphone is an essential piece of your daily life. It's always good to go with what you want and not settle for less, I'm happy I spent a few months researching my LG enV....

[Bube]

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to do that Bond. But it seems you have a different system than ours, so..I guess I'm not much help :)