M8 on Sprint: locked or unlocked?

[Q]

I'm contemplating porting to an MVNO on Sprint and getting this phone. MVNOs, of course, won't have it as quickly, so I may be looking to get it before that. So I'm curious whether the phone is unlocked (because I know some MVNOs get touchy about "non-approved phones"... anyone have any info?

 

[UJ95x]

I'm contemplating porting to an MVNO on Sprint and getting this phone. MVNOs, of course, won't have it as quickly, so I may be looking to get it before that. So I'm curious whether the phone is unlocked (because I know some MVNOs get touchy about "non-approved phones"... anyone have any info?

The Google Play Edition One is a GSM phone, meaning it will not work on Sprint or Verizon. I assume the Sense version is locked out of the box, but Sprint should unlock it if you ask...

 

[Q]

Oops... Didn't realize I'd posted it in the GPE section. I'm leaning toward the Sense version, if only b/c the GPE one is $50 more. (I wish HTC had done the radios like the Nexus 5 where the unlocked one works on Sprint too... that looks to be water under the bridge now, though.)

And asking Sprint to unlock it wouldn't help if I have no connection to Sprint. I'm not on Sprint now, and not getting service on Sprint (what I'm considering is an MVNO that uses Sprint's network). Some MVNOs will support phones on the carrier whose network they use. Some appear to be less allowing, only supporting phones with their own branding/configuration and maybe a few exceptions.

 

[Q]

I'm leaning toward the Sense version, if only b/c the GPE one is $50 more.

Somewhere I saw it yesterday for $649. Now everything says $699! Argh!

 

[UJ95x]

Somewhere I saw it yesterday for $649. Now everything says $699! Argh!

The GPE is 32GB. The base Sense model is only 16, so that's probably why there's a price difference between the two.
I'm pretty sure you still need to be a Sprint customer for them to unlock the phone for you

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2