Can a Sprint Samsung Galaxy S5 be unlocked to use internationally?

[kgilbertsen]

Can my Sprint S5 be unlocked to use while traveling in Australia? If so, how do I get it done?

 

[anon(9013794)]

If I'm not mistaken, I think only tmobile and att phone can be used overseas. ..Verizon and sprint use different network without sims

NOTE 3

 

[kaicho]

Sprint uses CDMA...most of the rest of the world use GSM like ATT.

If you have WIFI access where you go, maybe use Skype or other VoIP apps? ...or just get a throw way cell phone.

 

[kgilbertsen]

Thanks. I asked because our daughter, who is the reason we're going to Australia, was able to have her phone unlocked when she moved there. She also has Sprint. But her phone is the iPhone 5. Must be made to work on CDMA and GSM systems??
I had read somewhere that any LTE phone should be able to be used internationally, but could not find that topic covered here in the forums.
Oh well...

 

[jrick]

I believe the Galaxy S5 has GSM capability built in.
For short trips you can enable international roaming.
You can also get the phone unlocked for international SIMs.
Legal / Regulatory & Consumer Resources

 

[AZgl1500]

The Verizon version will work on GSM and CDMA, as will Sprint phones.

both can work overseas in most places. They have a unique set of radio bands that they work on though and can't always use the local frequencies in some places.

A throw away phone might be a lot cheaper for you and easier to do.

Then on your S5, just set up Auto Forward with your carrier to refer to the throw away phone's number.
or not, you don't need telemarketers to call you long distance.

however, you might be able to just go to a local Auzzie phone store, get a local carrier's SIM card and plug it into your phone. If it works, hooray! and go on.

 

[kgilbertsen]

I just got off the phone with Sprint. They unlocked my phone remotely, so I'm good to go. That couldn't have been much easier...
Now all I've got to do is buy a SIM card in Australia and pop it in. I'm now wondering if I can have calls to my current Sprint phone number forwarded to whatever the number is once I'm in Australia. Is that possible?

 

[anon(749368)]

To have calls forwarded to your AUS number, you would have to know the number and since your plan is to get a SIM card in Australia, how would you know that number?

The panda has spoken

 

[AZgl1500]

Once you arrive in Oz, purchase a SIM card. It should have the new phone number listed on it. IF not, then plug it in, and note the new number on your phone. Easy to see with this little Samsung app

* Phone INFO ★Samsung★ - Android Apps on Google Play

Once you know the new phone number, put the original Sprint SIM back in the phone. Call up your home number and enter the new call forwarding number. If that don't work from Oz, see if you can do it from the Sprint website, worst case, get a hold of Sprint tech support and have them do it. ( I can just imagine being oh hold for 30 minutes from Oz though )

But, you REALLY NEED TO THINK THAT ONE THRU....

do you really want anyone, and everyone, calling you in Oz and YOU PICKING UP THE TAB FOR THE CALL?

I think that it would be far better to SMS to only those who matter, what the new phone number is. In fact, it will show up on their phone with that new SMS you sent.

While you are "in country", do they really need to talk to you? I should think a simple SMS with nearly everyone should suffice.

 

[kgilbertsen]

Ah, yeah, right. Hadn't even considered that. I wonder if I'd still see the Google Voice texts when people leave voicemails like I get now. That would be the best, cheapest result. Thanks for that jolt of sanity AZgl1500

 

[AZgl1500]

Don't change your voice mail answer either.

That will be an alert to the thieves out there that "no one is home" and you will come back to a house that is empty, no furniture, no nada...

Have your neighbors park their cars in your driveway, keep the newspapers picked up and even roll the trash barrel out to the street to make it look like you are still home.

That way, when they go to work, their car disappears and it comes back in the evening. All looks normal.

Daughter works for 911 dispatch center, I worked for the Fire Department and retired from there.

 

[anon(377121)]

Yes, I used mine in paris with a SFR sim card this past summer. You may need to get the apn's for whichever provider you use but the store should have them.

caveat you need to call sprint and have them perform a UICC unlock on the phone before you go. They screwed around with me and it took 3 weeks but it did eventually work

 

[kgilbertsen]

Don't change your voice mail answer either.

That will be an alert to the thieves out there that "no one is home" and you will come back to a house that is empty, no furniture, no nada...

Have your neighbors park their cars in your driveway, keep the newspapers picked up and even roll the trash barrel out to the street to make it look like you are still home.

That way, when they go to work, their car disappears and it comes back in the evening. All looks normal.

Daughter works for 911 dispatch center, I worked for the Fire Department and retired from there.

Got that all covered. I'm also retired FD...

 

[kgilbertsen]

I think it's a no. Just like what stevemustang said, it is right.

It's a yes.

 

[anon(377121)]

I used my sprint s5 in paris this past summer. it worked fine. many sprint phones are GSM capable and some foreign LTE networks overlap with sprints LTE spectrum. It does require the provider give you the APN's though.

The UICC unlock will also not let you take your phone to a different US carrier. In other words, you can UICC unlock and use your phone abroad, but once back in the US you are limited to sprint.

 

[jakelewis3d]

Unfortunatly, GoogleVoice doesn't work well overseas (except Canada!), for txts and voice. The problem is that you won't be able to register your Oz phone number as a forwarding phone to receive txts and calls on. I, for one, would be happy to pay the minimal overseas termination rate, but Google don't support it.

You can get your US accounts voicemail notices, the voicemails themselves and get and send txts via the googlevoice app, as it will use your Oz accounts data or better still, local wifi. You may be able to make/receive US account calls via the Hangouts app - I haven't looked into that recently. You can change Skype outgoing callerID to your US number for free so you can at least make calls back home cheaply that look like they are coming from you.

Jake

 

[kgilbertsen]

Thanks Jake, good information. I think I'll just bring the laptop, and access everything through the browser. Not what I wanted, but probably the best way to be sure I can access all that I need.
Thanks again.

 

[jay salemi]

hi i have the same question,
Can anyone help thanks
Jay

 

[Almeuit]

hi i have the same question,
Can anyone help thanks
Jay

Call Sprint and they can unlock you for international travel.

 

[Fitzy8488]

The answer is yes provided you have a phone that operates on both cdma and gsm networks, e.g., Samsung Galaxy S4 or S5. However, you must go through the provider to have the phone unlocked prior to departure. Sprint does not charge for this service but it must be requested either by telephone or through your online account manager under the specific phone number on your account that you want unlocked. This is a one time request in that once it is unlocked, it will always be unlocked. You will be able to use the foreign sim for calls, sms messages, and wi-fi but features like "hotspot" which are paid services on the Sprint network will not be available. Hope this helps.

-Fitzy8488