Phones come in two ways, locked or unlocked. If a phone is locked, then you can only use it with one provider, such as T-Mobile or Cingular/AT&T. If it is unlocked, you can put a sim card in from another carrier, and use the phone just as normal. Phones are locked because a carrier typically gives you the phone for cheap, and in return you need to stay with them for a certain amount of time. Reasons you might want to have an unlocked phone include: using your phone on a separate carrier, international travel and using a country’s native GSM network, and fetching a higher “unlocked” phone price at auction.

Different phone models have different ways of being unlocked. With Nokias and SonyEricsson, as far as I know, you can generate an unlock code based on the IMEI (Unique identifier) of the phone. These generators can be found for free around the net, just ask google or other trusted source.

Motorola phones are different, they require a unique number that is apparently stored on a secure database which you need to pay to gain access to. I’ve typically found these online services for about $25 per phone.

If you are with T-Mobile, you are in luck. They have one of the most generous unlocking policies for their phones. I’ve heard experiences with other providers are hit or miss. T-mobile has a clearly spelled out policy:

SIM Unlock:

T-Mobile branded phones operating on the T-Mobile network may only use T-Mobile SIM cards. To use a T-Mobile branded phone on another wireless carrier’s network with a non-T-Mobile SIM card, you must first request a “SIM Unlock” code from T-Mobile. Conversely, if you have a phone from another North American wireless carrier, you may need to request a “SIM Unlock” code from that carrier before being able to use a T-Mobile SIM card on the T-Mobile network.

SIM Unlock Requests:

T-Mobile customers must meet the following eligibility requirements before contacting Customer Service to request your SIM Unlock code.

The following restrictions apply to all account types:

* T-Mobile can provide SIM Unlock Codes only for handsets sold by T-Mobile USA, with the exception of Danger Sidekick devices. T-Mobile can obtain SIM Unlock Codes for companies acquired by t-Mobile USA (VoiceStream, Aerial, Omnipoint, SOL, Digiph, PCS One, and Powertel).
* SIM Unlock Codes will only be provided after your account has been active for 90 days. Only one unlock code may be provided per customer every 90 days.
* No SIM Unlock Codes will be provided within the 14-Day Buyer’s Remorse period. Customers who purchase phones in CA California or via Amazon.com are granted a 30-Day Buyer’s Remorse Period.
* SIM Unlock Codes are not always available from the Manufacturer. However, T-Mobile will make a dedicated effort to obtain the SIM Unlock code. Note: Other restrictions may apply depending on account type.

To get your Motorola phone unlocked, simple call T-Mobile Customer Service. Tell them you’d like to unlock your phone, and then they will ask for the make and module, and verify that you are eligible for the unlock code (you must have been an active customer for 90 days). They will then have you tell them the IMEI number on your phone, and provide an e-mail address. They may also ask the reason you are requesting the code - I felt bad telling them I was moving to Cingular, so I said I wanted to use my phone internationally. The reason you normally do this internationally, is that rather than

Within 24 hours, you should receive an e-mail that looks similar to the following:

T-Mobile Sim Unlock Request
Sim Unlock Reference: 095XXXX
IMEI: 356866XXXXXXXX
Unlock Code: 54907825

Thank you for taking the time to contact T-Mobile. Below you will see the Instructions for unlocking your Motorola device.

Before you start you must have a foreign (non-T Mobile) SIM card entered into the handset. If the display reads “Enter Special Code”, enter the unlock code and press “OK”. If the display does not ask for Special code, please enter the instructions below.

1.Press the Menu key on the keypad, and then quickly press 073887*.You should see the Enter Security Code screen.
2.Enter 000000 and select OK.
3.Scroll to Unlock SIM select it.
4.Enter the SIM unlock code and select OK.
5.Press the End key to return to the main screen.

NOTE: If the phone displays, “Please wait to enter special code” or “Contact service provider,” you will have to wait for it to change back. Please be aware that the phone must stay powered on to do this. If the battery is low, be sure to plug it in. It could take 15 minutes to an hour to change back. If the phone does not change back, the handset will need to be replaced.

Thank You,

Sim Unlock Department
T-Mobile USA, Inc.

This e-mail will change depending on your model of phone.

To sum things up, if you have been with T-mobile more than 90 days and wish to unlock your phone, give them a call! T-mobile has the best customer service around, and if they had good coverage in my area I would definitely be staying with them.

Editor’s note: This post was not written by me, it was written by Ken who’s website is sixpixelsapart.com, and is currently down. The original link to this post is here. I grabbed this post from a google cache of his page. Use at your own risk!

Introduction

Today I have a special treat for any of you
with a T-Mobile SDA
like my own. I’ve decided to write a nice little article about how to
unlock your SDA
so that you can use it with any provider (T-Mobile, Cingular,
Verizon, any provider with SIM cards). The added bonus here, however,
is the piece of this article that explains how to overclock your SDA
and install SKYPE for use over your WLAN network. Skype is a VoIP
(Voice over Internet Protocol) program that, when you add some money
to the account ($12 worked for me for about 6 months) allows you to
get your own Skype phone number (dialable from any landline or other
cell phone) and place calls to any landline or cellphone for a
fraction of the cost of regular T-Mobile cell phone minutes. Well, I
think that sums it up, so let’s get on to the how to: Unlocking
Your SDA
for FREE To unlock your SDA,
you’ll require the following things:

• A PC running Windows (Windows XP
  is best, if you can swing it)

• Your T-Mobile SDA

• A USB-to-Mini USB cable (the one
  that connects your SDA
  to your computer)

• Some amount of sanity

• A desire to be free of (or have the ability to be free of)
  your current network

WARNING: What you are about to do will
almost certainly void your warranty. Don’t try it unless you know
what you are doing. I take no responsibility for your bricked cell
phone. Once again: don’t try this unless you know what you’re doing.
If you don’t have Microsoft’s ActiveSync installed and configured
already, do so by installing it from the CD that came with your SDA,
or by downloading it here.
If you’re downloading it, you should just be able to install it from
the file you’ve downloaded. –> Test the connection between your
computer and SDA
by plugging in your USB cable to the phone and PC. They should begin
synchronizing. Allow them to do so, and when they’re finished, leave
the SDA
plugged into the PC <– Now that you have ActiveSync configured,
you’ll need to download some software that will assist you in
unlocking your SDA.
The first tool, SDA_ApplicationUnlock, removes the phone’s lock
against running unsigned applications. An unsigned application is an
application that was not created by a reputable company (in this
case, T-Mobile). SDA_ApplicationUnlock was created by the spectacular
NovoMobile. –> Download
SDA_ApplicationUnlock <– Next, you’ll need to get the
SPV-Services toolset, which is provided free-of-charge by the
wonderful developers over at SPV-Developers.com.
The SPV-Services toolset will allow SPV-Developers.com’s server to
interface with your phone and unlock it for you. Download the toolset
as a ZIP file, and extract it to a new folder with a name of your
choice on your desktop. –> Download
the SPV-Services toolset <– Now that you have the software
necessary to unlock your phone, you’ll need to do two things before
you can start doing so: Begin by running the SDA_ApplicationUnlock
program with your phone still plugged in. Just do what the program
tells you. You should get a message telling you that your phone was
successfully unlocked. Next, you’ll need to install the Cert.cab file
on your phone. The Cert.cab file can be installed by copying it to
your phone using the "explore device" button in ActiveSync.
Next, simply use the File Explorer program on your SDA
to browse to the file and open it. That’s it. Now, open the
SPV-Services toolset folder that you created on your desktop. Inside
is a file called SPVServices.exe. Start it, and use the sidebar on
the left to select "SIM lock" or something similar. Follow
the instructions on the page, and click the button to unlock the
phone. The process should be fairly instantanious. DO NOT AT ANY TIME
UNPLUG YOUR PHONE. You can also change your CID if you feel the need
to. Assuming everything has gone on without a hitch, that’s all you
had to do! Your phone is now unlocked and can be used with any
network!

Installing and Using SKYPE to Make Phone Calls Over
Your Wireless LAN

Now here’s the exciting part — the one
that saves you money! A lovely company called Skype allows you to
make calls to other Skype members over the internet. However, if you
add some money to your Skype account, you get SkypeOut and SkypeIn -
services that, respectively, allow you to make calls to outside
numbers (landline and cell phone numbers) and recieve calls (at your
own personal phone number just like any other). This part of the
tutorial will guide you in installing Skype on your SDA,
and overclocking it so that lag is minimized. If you complete this
tutorial successfully, you’ll be able to make phone calls (almost for
free) to anywhere in the world over your home, work, or school
wireless networks. WARNING: This part of
the the tutorial will involve manually modifying the software and
operating system of the SDA.
It will also involve overclocking (or increasing the speed of) the
SDA
to potentially unsafe levels. As tested, I haven’t had any problems.
You should be okay, but there is always a possibility (as with
anything you do) that your SDA
will be damaged. I assume no responsibility for this or any other
modification you make to your SDA.
Following these instructions as closely as possible will minimize
risks to your person or phone. That said, let’s get started! Begin by
downloading
the Skype cab file, and extracting and renaming its contents. If
you have Windows XP, you can simply double-click on the .CAB file to
open it. If you don’t have XP, you’ll need WinZip or an something or
something of the like. Extract the contents of the .CAB file to a new
folder on your desktop, and rename the files as shown:

• 000Boing.002 becomes
  Boing.wav

• 000Skype.001 becomes
  Skype.exe

• SKYPED~1.003 becomes SkypeDialer.dll

Without overclocking the SDA,
Skype has a 10-second delay when calling a landline. You’ll want to
overclock yours up to 240 MHz. You can do so by downloading a nifty
little program called OmapClock, which you can find here. You can
simply move it to the /Windows folder on your SDA
via the "explore device" button in ActiveSync. When it has
been transferred to your SDA,
execute it by selecting it using the "file manager" program
on the SDA.
If it does not run correctly, chances are that you didn’t
application-unlock your SDA.
Do so by following the first part of this tutorial. Change the
processor speed to 240 MHz (NO MORE, NO LESS) and save your
settings using the left soft-button menu. After you’ve done so, move
the Boing.wav, Skype.exe, and SkypeDialer.dll files to the SDA
using ActiveSync’s "explore device" functionality. You’ll
want to put them in the "/Windows" folder. Congrads, skype
is installed. Unfortunately, you still have to configure it, which is
made harder by the fact that the SDA
doesn’t have a touchscreen. You’ll have to use a neat program called
Pocket Controller Pro to actually tap Skype’s "Sign In"
button (because it was designed for Pocket PCs with touchscreens).
Luckily, you’ll never have to use this program again (unless you need
to reconfigure it). You can download
Pocket Controller Pro here (as a trial with full functionality).
Install Pocket Controller Pro, open Skype on your device, and enter
your Skype account information - using your PC’s mouse to click on
the "Sign In" button. Make sure that you’ve told Skype to
remember your sign-in information (sign-in automatically on startup).
That’s it! You should have working Skype! Optional: If you’re like
me, you have/hate the dreaded T-Zones button on your phone. We can
change the functionality of that button so that it opens Skype
instead! To do so, open a new notepad (.txt) file and paste
"19#/Windows/Skype.exe" (without the quotes) on the first
line of the file. Save the file as "Short_AP1.lnk" and move
that file to the /Windows folder of your SDA
using ActiveSync’s "explore device" functionality. It
should ask if you want to overwrite a file with the same name. Click
"yes" or "yes to all". That should do it! Hope
you’ve enjoyed this little tutorial!!! ALSO: There have been some
follow-ups! Look through the posts at the top of my homepage.
The follow-ups basically answer any questions you submit in your
comments.

I know I’m a day late and a dollar short, but I wanted to throw in my thoughts on Apple, Inc.’s newly introduced iPhone. Besides pending trademark issue with the Cisco/Linksys iPhone, this looks like a great device. Even if they change its name - a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

A few years back, I predicted that in several years we would see massive convergence of three devices - the mp3 player, the cell phone, and the camera. You could also add in video player and web/email browser. Now, I’m not talking about the cameras we see on cell phones today - even the 2 megapixel versions that are out are really not that good at taking shots. The full convergence will be successful when it does each of these tasks well.

I knew it had not taken place yet, because the mp3 player/cell phones that have come out so far are pitiful. I bought a Motorola V360 last year, which has memory card support along with a built in mp3 player. However, the interface to this mp3 player was horrible. Every time you launched the java mp3 player applet, it would take up to a minute to load all of your songs. From there it took 30 more seconds to find the song you wish to play. This is not an experience you want to have.

Motorola then ditched it’s mp3 applet in favor of iTunes for cell phones. I was able to install it to my V360 via a hack - it wasn’t pretty but it worked and greatly improved the mp3 playing ability of the cell phone. However the full experience was still missing something.

Enter the new phone from Apple. It plays music, video, photos… and oh yeah it can make calls too. Apple has completely redone the interface, and it is different than any phone currently on the market. The call interface actually looks pretty Skype-ish, which is a good thing. The way you navigate the phone is different as it is a gigantic touch screen. I think there will be some resistance to this type of navigation (as well as the touch keyboard) but it will grow on people and eventually will become the standard on all cell phones. Why keep the whole keyboard there if you only need it a fraction of the time?

I want this phone. I want it bad. Personally, it will be great to have this phone. However, as a business class device, there are a few features I am concerned about, because if it does not support them then it is DOA in the workplace.

The first is its e-mail client. During the demos, you can see it handles photos flawlessly. What about office attachments? Word and excel spreadsheets? Being an Apple device I would not expect these functions to be built in but I am hopeful that Apple has enough sense that it will open it’s OS for development. This is tied into my second reservation. The OS it is running is based off of OS X:

All the power and sophistication of the world’s most advanced operating system — OS X — is now available on a small, handheld device that gives you access to true desktop-class applications and software, including rich HTML email, full-featured web browsing, and applications such as widgets, Safari, calendar, text messaging, Notes, and Address Book. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background. This software completely redefines what you can do with a mobile phone. [Source]

OS X is based off of BSD - will this be the case with this phone? If so, it should help developers add any kind of applet they can dream up of and will greatly enhance the usability of the phone. I hope Apple takes this direction.

My third reservation is the technology the phone is using. It is not a 3G phone, so the data rates seen on it will not be as good as the Cingular 8525, which uses the 3G UMTS/HSDPA network that Cingular is rolling out. However, the technologies used in this phone might just be enough to outweigh this drawback. It is also possible Apple decided not to use this new technology for cost reasons as the device is already at the upper end of what people will be willing to pay for a phone (especially on a 2 year contract).

Apple has a real winner with the iPhone. Expect this type of phone to really flourish in the next year or two. Apple has conquered my first two devices - mp3 player and cell phone. Once they get a quality 5 or 6 megapixel camera integrated, along with their famous Apple polished interface - Apple will finally have won the integrated device battle.