Can I get a Nexus6 formerly on AT&T to work w/ Sprint?

[AC Question]

I bought a Nexus 6 on ebay to replace my cracked Nexus 6. It was listed as being used on AT&T but it was my understanding that these phones could work on both CDMA and GSM. In fact when I bought my last N6 I had to go get a sim card from a Sprint store, and worked fine.

The Sprint site does not recognize the IMEI and when I chatted w/ a rep on line she told me to go to a store to get a new SIM card (even tho I have a SIM card working in my current N6).

One in-store rep told me it should work if I go to a store w/ Sim cards and another told me I should just have the screens swapped at the repair store that "they recommend" for a discounted price. I feel like non of the reps really have any idea - especially on a phone a couple years old.

I really like my Nexus 6 and don't want to spend a fortune on a phone I won't like as much. Should I keep going to different Sprint stores and asking new reps?

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums. I would consider having a shop swap the 2 screens. Those kind of parts should be universal.

 

[bcurt10]

Thank you. I was hoping to avoid spending MORE money since I already bought a new phone, but I suppose this is better than buying ANOTHER phone.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thank you. I was hoping to avoid spending MORE money since I already bought a new phone, but I suppose this is better than buying ANOTHER phone.

Well, you could try to see if the device works. But I figured this would in the long run be easier as you would avoid setting up the phone again.

 

[bcurt10]

Phone works fine on wifi. Boots up to just regular Google. It just won't accept my sprint SIM card. Hopefully I'll find a Sprint rep that can tell me definitively if it will work or not, but there aren't that many of those out there. Thanks for the suggestion, that will be my back up plan.

 

[Rukbat]

Swapping a SIM from one phone to another sometimes causes problems, but it usually works. But ... Sprint "locks" their phones by not allowing any phone not in their database (by IMEI) onto their network. If you bring the old phone and the new one into a Sprint company store (most of them are franchise stores - you don't want that because they can't do anything), they may be able to talk to an engineer at Sprint to make an exception for your phone. (Or you may be told that you have to buy the replacement from them - in which case it's cheaper to have an independent dealer replace the screen on the old one and list the AT&T one on eBay.)

 

[Golfdriver97]

@Rukbat has a good option. Might be worth looking into.