By now you may have heard of the exciting concept that is unlocking a cellphone: purchasing a device that’s been restricted to one carrier only to find their services – or prices – lacking.
But what if you love that brand-new BlackBerry Passport smell but not the scent of your carrier? Our own CIO, Jim Love, feels your pain. Here’s his guide of how get the best of both worlds in only a few easy steps.
Disclaimer: This video is produced to show you what Jim Love did. CDN does not endorse or recommend unlocking a device as any damage may void your warranty, violate your cell phone contract, and may result in loss of data.
Much of this knowledge comes from Crackberry.com. According to Jim, it’s his “first stop for information about anything BlackBerry.”
Step 1. Obtain your device’s IMEI number
You can do this by dialing *#06# (that’s Star Pound Zero Six Pound) on your phone. You must provide this number to the unlock code provider in Step 2 for them to know which code to send for your specific device.
Step 2. Obtain unlock code
If you go the “legitimate” route and do this through a carrier, expect to wait 90 days unless you paid for the full cost of the phone upfront, and a fee of around $50.
For a cheaper and faster solution, many small businesses are willing to bend the rules to supply you with your device’s code, but you also don’t want to trust just anyone.
A bit of research into customer feedback led Jim to go with BlackBerryCodeSource.com, which also has Crackberry.com’s endorsement. Their fee for the code was $27.95 via credit card.
Step 3. Back up your phone using BlackBerry Link
For more information, visit BlackBerry’s official website.
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Step 4. Obtain a Nano SIM card from the desired carrier
This should be fairly straightforward and should only cost a few dollars. Replace your old Nano SIM with it and keep your old one safe.
Step 5. Enter Unlock Code
Once you’ve replaced the Nano SIM and powered the device back on, go into
Settings > Security and Privacy > SIM Card > Unlock Network
and then enter the unlock number.
Step 6. Activate new SIM card
Phone your new cell provider and ask them to activate the new SIM card.
Done!
What does the SIM card and calling your carrier have to do with unlocking a phone? Is this specific to the Passport, or another poorly researched article?
Perhaps the title should be Changing carriers with a BB Passport?