How do I unlock a U.S. Cellular R530U CDMA to GSM?

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Trackr

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I bought a Samsung Galaxy S III U.S. Cellular R530U on eBay and it appears to be CDMA//LTE, though it has a SIM card slot.

I'm trying to unlock it so I can use it with my GSM carrier here in Israel, but none of the codes are working for me, like *#197328640#.

What am I supposed to do? I don't care if I only get 2G speeds, I just want it to work..

Thank you!
 

zedorda

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CDMA and GSM are two different radio technologies not just a software option. There is nothing legal you can do. The illegal solutions are not supported here.
 

Trackr

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Illegal solutions..? What, like taking the phone apart and changing the hardware?

But my phone has a SIM card slot! Doesn't that make it GSM?
 

dpham00

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Based on the info here it should work


http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2475979


According to the specs, it lists band 2, 4 and 12 lte, so it should work on tmobile band 4 lte and band 2 and 12 lte, once tmobile deploys it.

Att also uses band 2,4 and will use band 12 once deployed . But currently all in limited deployment

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...-phones%2FSCH-R530MBBUSC-specs&token=TcDaTJdR

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JudH

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Careful. The poster in that link couldn't make or receive voice calls. Don't current LTE phones fall back to 2G/3G for calls? Has VOLTE been implemented anywhere? (And would the S3 support it anyway?) That would leave regular VOIP as the only way to do voice calls.
 

dpham00

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Careful. The poster in that link couldn't make or receive voice calls. Don't current LTE phones fall back to 2G/3G for calls? Has VOLTE been implemented anywhere? (And would the S3 support it anyway?) That would leave regular VOIP as the only way to do voice calls.

He would need to unlock it first of course. The carrier should provide him an unlock code if he met their requirements or he can buy one. There may be other methods, I am not really familiar with usc phones.

Also I believe usc uses cdma for voice but this phone should contain gsm radios as well.

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dpham00

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Have you tried to contact usc for an unlock code?

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
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Trackr

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Well, the question right now is - is my phone GSM or CDMA.

It has a SIM slot, but apparently it's not GSM.. does that make sense?

If I knew for a fact that I could use 3G GSM SIM cards in it, I'd contact whoever I needed to contact.
 

dpham00

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It is probably similar to my Verizon s3,meaning it has both gsm and cdma radios

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
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zedorda

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LTE is a GSM technology and that is why Verizon has sim cards and any other LTE device that does not have hard coded ID.

It is also illegal(violates copyright laws) to change radio firmware in a CDMA device in any way by anyone but the carrier/manufacturer.
 

Trackr

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LTE is a GSM technology and that is why Verizon has sim cards and any other LTE device that does not have hard coded ID.

It is also illegal(violates copyright laws) to change radio firmware in a CDMA device in any way by anyone but the carrier/manufacturer.

I paid for the device, it's my right to use it however I choose. I don't care what the law says, it only exists to enrich corporations.
 

zedorda

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I paid for the device, it's my right to use it however I choose. I don't care what the law says, it only exists to enrich corporations.

I have the same beliefs but I don't buy CDMA devices for that very reason. You also had the same choice when you bought your CDMA device. And when you speak with your wallet by not sending your money in the directions that supports these methods of customer controls. Is the only way to effect change.
 
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