Sprint's HTC One cannot use international SIMs for at least 90 days after purchase, IF THEN.

[rossum]

Summary:
1) Sprint won't unlock any phone unless it's been attached to a phone number for 90 days (with very rare exceptions, see below).
2) The current way that Sprint is unlocking the HTC One may not work anyway.
In other words: DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE if you need to use an international SIM in it any time soon.

Details:
I was sold an HTC One by a rep who said there would be no problem in unlocking it so I could use a French SIM card, because I was an established customer.

International says they can't unlock it because all phones MUST be attached to a phone number for over 90 days before the system allows them to unlock them. No exceptions. The only way this can be overriden is by a "back office" which they can send requests to but which no one can call or email. This "back office" makes a decision based on unknown criteria and if they deny the request they will not reveal the basis for their decision.

Sure enough even though I'm a 10+ year Sprint customer with a great payment record and no outstanding bills, the "back office" denied the request.

After this happened, I read on xda developers that Sprint's "unlock" for this phone actually doesn't work: one person who went to Italy after their phone was unlocked found that the Italian SIM cards did not work and that a "SIM Locked" message still appeared.
(Sprint SIM Unlock - Page 16 - xda-developers - see message 151)

So if you are traveling internationally DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE FROM SPRINT.
(unless you don't mind using "Sprint International" and paying something like $2 a minute)

Sprint is now officially the worst company ever in my book for wasting my time and for their Kafka-esque policies.

 

[thebizz]

I agree I purchased my phone full retail and they refuse to unlock my phone because it's not been on my account for 90 days and I too have read that their prl update does nothing at all. I'm at the point were I'm just ready to cancel my lines with them and change carriers.

 

[rossum]

OK, I can now confirm that Sprint does not know how to unlock this device.

After hours of escalating to different supervisors and through different departments, they finally sent me an email saying the device was successfully unlocked. I rebooted it and it did a PRL update.

Then I put a Spanish SIM I had lying around into the phone and it said "SIM Locked".

So I called HTC tech support and spoke to a senior level technician who confirmed that if the phone says "SIM Locked" it's not actually unlocked. I called Sprint back and spoke to about 6 more people including a top manager of International and a 3rd level technical support of International. All of them maintained that the phone was unlocked even if it said "SIM Locked" and even if HTC said it wasn't unlocked. Which is absurd.

So there you have it: even if you jump through all the hoops and manage to get them to unlock the phone for you, they don't actually know how to actually unlock it.

Do yourself a favor: don't get this device from Sprint if you want to use it with any other carrier.

 

[doc31]

@rossum just wondering did you run the UICC unlock under system updates and restart the device

 

[thebizz]

It does nothing Sprint is simply sending the phones a prl update that allows it to roam globally. What they are not doing is pushing the unlock code to any device. Which angers me because I was told I would be able to unlock this phone when I bought it.

 

[rossum]

@rossum just wondering did you run the UICC unlock under system updates and restart the device

Yes. Everything was tried and nothing actually unlocked the phone.

I talked with the highest level of Sprint International tech support and they were unable to get rid of the "SIM Locked" messages displayed when non Sprint SIM cards were installed.

These phones are not currently able to be unlocked by Sprint.

 

[Sorniel M Davila]

I had the same issue, I informed them that I paid for the HTC One at full price (and would provide proof) as well the law states that any phone paid in full or was bought within the contract (and the contract has been completed) they are legally bound to unlock the phone. Five minutes later they unlocked my device.

 

[Jaggrey]

I had the same issue, I informed them that I paid for the HTC One at full price (and would provide proof) as well the law states that any phone paid in full or was bought within the contract (and the contract has been completed) they are legally bound to unlock the phone. Five minutes later they unlocked my device.

How do you know it's unlocked?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Mohit Raturi]

Sprint Customer Care is really frustrating.
I too had the same problem with my HTC One. When I spoke with customer care before cancelling my contract, they told me that we will unlock the phone. And now after cancelling the contract they just don't care, they said that now your phone is not in our system, we cannot do anything. This is really frustrating, at least they should have told the right information. Each guy from customer care tells something different and keeps juggling the call from one department to other without any follow up process and you have to waste your time explaining the same thing again and again to all guys.
I think we should avoid sprint services in future.

 

[ashrafachukdly]

mey be howmany days finish thatone

 

[mstrblueskys]

I can confirm that a phone in good standing after 90 days will get unlocked almost instantly, though I have no idea if it works. Here's the email:

"Hello MSTRBLUESKYS,



This email is intended to confirm that Sprint has successfully unlocked your HTC One Device. Please follow the steps below to unlock the device after you have the third party SIM:



Turn off device > Insert 3rd party SIM > go to Settings > System Activation > UICC unlock. You will receive the update and it should change to GSM Mode.



Phone number: 555-555-5555"

 

[mstrblueskys]

I tried my GF's AT&T sim card last night and it didn't work.

 

[Jaggrey]

I'm pretty sure when they unlock the SIM it's only for international use; none of the domestic carrier SIMs will work.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[gollum18]

Yes even though sprint breaks the law by not fully unlocking it for domestic use as well as international use. Sprint is still only unlocking phones for international use, even if you bought the phone at full retail price.

Eventually this will catch up with them in the form of a class action lawsuit, but hey they are bringing it upon themselves. I think it has to do with them not wanting you to bring your phone to their direct competition.

Knowing its highly unlikely you'll ever permanently leave the country. They want to lock you into sprint, by callously skirting around the law.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Almeuit]

I tried my GF's AT&T sim card last night and it didn't work.

Yes. Sprint unlocks for international only.. Not domestic (AT&T / T-Mobile).

No matter what.. If you buy the phone full price, are out of contract... They refuse to unlock you for domestic. It's pretty bull...

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[mstrblueskys]

Yes. Sprint unlocks for international only.. Not domestic (AT&T / T-Mobile).

No matter what.. If you buy the phone full price, are out of contract... They refuse to unlock you for domestic. It's pretty bull...

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

Agreed - it's a terrible practice.

 

[davidtm]

Yeah, my frustration with this was buying an overseas SIM from Mobipass which I cannot register until I'm already there, because it can't get on a network here to authenticate. And it's "unlocked".

Grrrrrr!

Posted via Android Central App on my One