Cell phone question..

modi123

modi123

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
Messages
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Ok... so it seems my 2 year contract with sprint is up since their customer retention trolls have been calling me nonstop to pimp some new phone with another 2 year contract. I am not too fancy on this contract idea, but I am looking for a new phone.

The questions are if I buy a phone off Fleabay or get it sans contract:
- what do I need to look for in a phone I buy third party?
- what's locked/unlocked mean? Does that even apply?
- if I get a phone, do I just call up sprint (or go into a store) and say, "hey, i have this phone make it so all my calls go to it"?
- is there a charge for doing this?
- I am going to assume my parts warrenty doesn't cover this new phone (the three bucks they take out each month) - right?

Thanks!
 
modi123 said:
Ok... so it seems my 2 year contract with sprint is up since their customer retention trolls have been calling me nonstop to pimp some new phone with another 2 year contract. I am not too fancy on this contract idea, but I am looking for a new phone.

The questions are if I buy a phone off Fleabay or get it sans contract:
- what do I need to look for in a phone I buy third party?
- what's locked/unlocked mean? Does that even apply?
- if I get a phone, do I just call up sprint (or go into a store) and say, "hey, i have this phone make it so all my calls go to it"?
- is there a charge for doing this?
- I am going to assume my parts warrenty doesn't cover this new phone (the three bucks they take out each month) - right?

Thanks!
Click to expand...


1) Make sure it's NIB and factory sealed along with all of the accessories. Check the seller's rating to make sure they're legit.
2) Unlocked means the SIM isn't tied to a network or for that matter a particular phone (read THIS for more detail), so....
3) Yes but make sure a GSM phone will work with Sprint.
4) I'm with Verizon and they have never charged me. I don't know if Sprint would charge an activation fee or not.
5) Probably not. I would assume if you didn't buy it from them they aren't going to allow it to be covered, but it never hurts to ask.
 
I dont think Sprint runs on GSM. So i dont know if you can get any unlocked phone (since most are GSM).

If it were a GSM phone, then it would be quite simple: get the sim card out of your current phone and throw it into the new one.
 
Ok.. so Sprint's not GSM - and that means I won't have the ability to use a SIM or anything fancy. I get a new in box phone, call up sprint (or go to a store) and say switch my phone to this new one. That doesn't seem too terribly bad.

Thanks!
 
When I got a phone from sprint (bought it from same store) they charge 20-30$ to activate it. But, I was extending my plan another 2 yrs so they waved the fee.

I guess it depends on which sprint store u go to.
 
There is no way to use a 3rd party phone with sprint. Like verizon sprint does not use gsm so no sim card. The sim card for a gsm phone is like the heart of the phone. But on a cant remember the tech name everything is built inside of the phone. When you buy a 3rd party phone you remove the battery and then remove the simcard underneath. But since sprint doesnt have sim cards your stuck using there phones.
 
thefewtheproud said:
There is no way to use a 3rd party phone with sprint. Like verizon sprint does not use gsm so no sim card. The sim card for a gsm phone is like the heart of the phone. But on a cant remember the tech name everything is built inside of the phone. When you buy a 3rd party phone you remove the battery and then remove the simcard underneath. But since sprint doesnt have sim cards your stuck using there phones.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have no problem using a sprint branded phone. All I want is the ability to buy a new phone, not lock myself into another contract, and have them activate that phone to my line. *shrug* We shall see..
 
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