G'day guys,
This is my first post here so please bear with me. I have come across a good deal on FRYS which is a tech shop in the US. The phone is locked to Verizon. I just wonder if it would be possible to unlock this phone so that I can use it in Australia. If yes, I will just ask a friend of mine living in the US to go and pick up one for me. Thanks in advance.
Here is the deal link:
http://www.frys.com/product/8368677
Thanks mate. On some forums people say it is not sim-locked but bootloader lock which makes my job easier I believe, as I am not planning to flash the rom or whatsoever. When it comes to the hassle part, the phone itself is AU$460 and say plus $40 for shipping to Sydney. It is still $140 off which looks like a good deal for me.
Yeah I agree that you make some savings there and I would do it too for that amount if the phone would be unlocked.
If it would be locked I would prefer not to go through the hassle to try to unlock it.
There is someone here posted selling his edge for $450 ish
Firstly, the model listed is for the AT&T model, SM-N915AZWEATT)(ATT) at the end
Second, there are a lot of bands missing for Australia use according to the Samsung website
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SM-N915AZWEATT
Network
FREQUENCIES AND DATA TYPE
2G GSM: GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900;
3G UMTS: B1(2100), B2(1900), B5(850);
4G FDD LTE: B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B17(700), B20(800);
For instance it would not work well with 3g optus, so that's something to keep in mind.
Lastly, for warranty you would have to bring it back overseas to fix any issues. So it's essentially a grey stock that is not certified to be used in Australia, as oppose to international version of phones with the current frequency bands
From Google:
Unlock using free trick
Insert the foreign SIM card into your Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Turn your handset off and back on again.
On the dialpad on your phone, type in *#197328640#.
Then select [1] UMTS > [1] Debug Screen > [8] Phone Control > [6] Network Lock > Options [3] Perso SHA256 OFF.
Wait for 30 seconds or so before returning to your main menu by choosing back.
In the main menu, you should see a “Network Lock” message, now choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ.
I have no idea if it works though :) and if it must be done with Verizon SIM and in the US so try it before shipping the phone to AU.
I remember I bought my Note 3 from Finland and they were area locked but making 15mins of phone calls with a Finnish SIM card the area lock automatically was disabled.
And wouldn't it be less of a hassle to buy one for $640 from eBay from a local seller with local warranty? :)