Have T-Mobile but want to buy the Alpha from ATT

chr1sny

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Feb 18, 2011
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Hello,

I have T-Mobile but am planning on buying the Alpha on ATT and wanted to bounce some questions/thoughts off everyone:

1) Will the ATT store allow a non-ATT customer to buy the Alpha full price from them on Friday, the 26th?

2) Is the Alpha unlocked to be used on other carriers?

3) If I need to unlock the phone to work on Tmobile, what is the best way? Third party pay service? Ask an ATT customer to request an unlock code?

Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting an Alpha!
 

worldspy99

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Oct 15, 2013
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1. Most likely not so take a friend who has ATT and see if you can buy it that way outright.
2. It will not be unlocked if you buy it from ATT store (even full price) and will have the ATT's death star logo on the back
3. Third party is your best friend. Cellfservices or unlockcode247 or even a good rating vendor on eBay

Hope this helps.
 

tlr115

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Oct 9, 2013
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You can buy AT&T phones outright on Amazon and you don't have to be an AT&T customer. I've done it many times.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

chr1sny

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You can buy AT&T phones outright on Amazon and you don't have to be an AT&T customer. I've done it many times.

Posted via the Android Central App

thanks, I was thinking of doing that but was looking forward to just walking into an ATT store on Friday and buying the device. I'm too impatient. I also don't see the phone for sale on Amazon's site.
 

Sentrix

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thanks, I was thinking of doing that but was looking forward to just walking into an ATT store on Friday and buying the device. I'm too impatient. I also don't see the phone for sale on Amazon's site.

You could always just say you're looking to put it on GoPhone or on a Mobile Share plan but you're in a rush and will do that part later.
 

Closingracer

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1. Most likely not so take a friend who has ATT and see if you can buy it that way outright.
2. It will not be unlocked if you buy it from ATT store (even full price) and will have the ATT's death star logo on the back
3. Third party is your best friend. Cellfservices or unlockcode247 or even a good rating vendor on eBay

Hope this helps.

Actually IF you paid the phone in full AT&T should give you the unlock code to unlock it. AT&T usually unlocks a phone for Military or if you fulfilled a contract but since you paid in full it is "completed"
 

Corvussimo

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You are MUCH better off buying an unlocked Alpha 850 W 8 which is the Canada Bell version of the,Alpha because it has ALL the 4G LTE Bands for METRO PCS/TMobile , and ALL the 3G Bands needed, and 2G .

Do you know if the 850W8 can do WiFi calling? I'm pretty sure the AT&T model (850A) is not set up for it.
 

Corvussimo

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Perhaps I just don't understand the concept of rooting. I thought rooting a phone allowed--among other things--new features to be added, such as (in this case) a Wi-Fi calling ROM, or even flashing the rooted Galaxy Alpha with a complete T-Mobile ROM. I've read threads discussing both of these topics, and I assumed that rooting would enable such things--given the person really knew what they were doing. Is this not what rooting is about?
 

foxbat121

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You don't need rooting to flash custom ROMs.. Nor is rooting guarantees you can flash custom ROMs. You need unlocked boot loader in order to flash ROMs.
Since there is no T-Mobile version of Alpha, there is no easy way to get the WiFi calling module from. So, some one has to work real hard to develop such ROMs with a deep knowledge how T-Mobile WiFi calling works. Alpha is not exactly an attractive phone for ROM devs. And I heard ATT version isn't exactly friendly towards unlocked boot loader or custom ROMs. So, unless you know how to cook such ROM, don't expect miracles. Rooting is overrated, IMO.
 

Aqalip

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Jun 13, 2015
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Hello,

I have T-Mobile but am planning on buying the Alpha on ATT and wanted to bounce some questions/thoughts off everyone:

1) Will the ATT store allow a non-ATT customer to buy the Alpha full price from them on Friday, the 26th?

2) Is the Alpha unlocked to be used on other carriers?

3) If I need to unlock the phone to work on Tmobile, what is the best way? Third party pay service? Ask an ATT customer to request an unlock code?

Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting an Alpha!