is g900t unlocked? - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S 5

hi
i wanna buy SM-G900T and it is 650 $, therefor i suppose it is unlocked
how can i check if it is factory unlocked? or it was locked and some fella unlocked it with a trick or something (if it is possible :laugh
and if i install any official or custom ROM, will it be locked again?
thanks

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It doesn't come unlocked since that is the T-Mobile model.
Not sure how to check it.
And flashing other software don't relock it.

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kv7shadow said:
hi
i wanna buy SM-G900T and it is 650 $, therefor i suppose it is unlocked
how can i check if it is factory unlocked? or it was locked and some fella unlocked it with a trick or something (if it is possible :laugh
and if i install any official or custom ROM, will it be locked again?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are buying it for 650, buy it straight TMo. Why do you want a used one.
If buying used, you can get it for around 500. BUT... if the person reports it as stolen later, or if he defaults on its payment (if not purchased in full like on contract), the carrier can blacklist it, and you won't be able to use the phone.
S5 has been notoriously famous in US for that latter given that all major carriers are now using an integrated database of blacklisted IMEIs.
Request to see the bill from the person you are buying phone.
For AT&T, you can have him come to AT&T store, n then take the phone to the person there and have a new SIM inserted (different SIM, but same number) and register the IMEI on your name. This way the owner cannot blacklist the IMEI after the IMEI is registered on your name.
I am not sure if this process is followed by TMobile too.

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diablo009 said:
If you are buying it for 650, buy it straight TMo. Why do you want a used one.
If buying used, you can get it for around 500. BUT... if the person reports it as stolen later, or if he defaults on its payment (if not purchased in full like on contract), the carrier can blacklist it, and you won't be able to use the phone.
S5 has been notoriously famous in US for that latter given that all major carriers are now using an integrated database of blacklisted IMEIs.
Request to see the bill from the person you are buying phone.
For AT&T, you can have him come to AT&T store, n then take the phone to the person there and have a new SIM inserted (different SIM, but same number) and register the IMEI on your name. This way the owner cannot blacklist the IMEI after the IMEI is registered on your name.
I am not sure if this process is followed by TMobile too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's not used! it is packed
it has t-mobile logo on the box, but not on the phone
so basically if there is the Sim unlock code (with the phones IMEI), there is no problem?

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diablo009 said:
If you are buying it for 650, buy it straight TMo. Why do you want a used one.
If buying used, you can get it for around 500. BUT... if the person reports it as stolen later, or if he defaults on its payment (if not purchased in full like on contract), the carrier can blacklist it, and you won't be able to use the phone.
S5 has been notoriously famous in US for that latter given that all major carriers are now using an integrated database of blacklisted IMEIs.
Request to see the bill from the person you are buying phone.
For AT&T, you can have him come to AT&T store, n then take the phone to the person there and have a new SIM inserted (different SIM, but same number) and register the IMEI on your name. This way the owner cannot blacklist the IMEI after the IMEI is registered on your name.
I am not sure if this process is followed by TMobile too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This process does work with tmobile. Craig's list has some interesting deals. Here is a list of the question I ask.
Clean IMEI? If it's not the rest of the questions are irrelevant.
Has it been activated? Just because it's in the box doesn't mean it's New.
Balance due? This question can only be answered by the owner. So the person doing the deal with you had better be the owner. None of this, "I doing the deal for my girlfriend."
If he claims he's authorized by the owner to do the deal ask for the Pin on account. Without that you don't have a deal.
Bottom line If the account hasn't been activated you have a deal.
If it's been activated it's not new but if the balance is paid up you can still cut a deal... for a better price.

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And for clean IMEI, check with TMo store, with the seller beside you. If he is genuine, he will come with you into the store.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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Buy from T-Mobile and then buy an unlock code. Save yourself the hassle and the headache.
I can't trust some dude on eBay or Craig's list. Especially on such purchases.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

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tnx guys
the box is exactly looks like this.
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"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
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he says it's unlocked
my question is, if i factory reset, or install official ROM, it'll be locked again?
what about custom ROMs?
is there possibility of Bad IMEI?
and if there is, would it be solved by installing a custom ROM?

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kv7shadow said:
tnx guys
the box is exactly looks like this.
he says it's unlocked
my question is, if i factory reset, or install official ROM, it'll be locked again?
what about custom ROMs?
is there possibility of Bad IMEI?
and if there is, would it be solved by installing a custom ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmobile says they don't sell unlocked Galaxy S5s. Which means if it's unlocked it's been opened.
Now T-mobile will unlock after 40 days.
Which raises the question, "If it's been unlocked what else was it used for?"
My questions would start with, "Are you the original owner and has this phone been activated.?"

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gridflash said:
Tmobile says they don't sell unlocked Galaxy S5s. Which means if it's unlocked it's been opened.
Now T-mobile will unlock after 40 days.
Which raises the question, "If it's been unlocked what else was it used for?"
My questions would start with, "Are you the original owner and has this phone been activated.?"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's not mine
i want to buy it from a fellow

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kv7shadow said:
it's not mine
i want to buy it from a fellow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are the questions I would ask your friend.
Edit: If the phone has been activated then you have to worry about account balance. And the second thing you need to check is the knox bit.

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kv7shadow said:
it's not mine
i want to buy it from a fellow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have your friend check and see if they can get it unlocked from T-Mobile first.

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TheArtiszan said:
Have your friend check and see if they can get it unlocked from T-Mobile first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if that person isn't the original owner, chances are, T-Mobile would not unlock it.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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kv7shadow said:
hi
i wanna buy SM-G900T and it is 650 $, therefor i suppose it is unlocked
how can i check if it is factory unlocked? or it was locked and some fella unlocked it with a trick or something (if it is possible :laugh
and if i install any official or custom ROM, will it be locked again?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, even though you are paying full price and the handset is not subsidized.. it will still be locked by default by TMobile. Yeah, it is great to be a oligopoly. If you ask nicely TMobile may unlock it right away for you, more likely they will try to make you wait a month or two before agreeing to do so. But there are plenty of third-party vendors that can and will unlock your S5 now for $15 - $30.
Once unlocked, the phone will normally remain that way permanently even after OTA upgrades or if you flash a different ROM. It is possible for a carrier to relock your phone, although I haven't heard of this happening to anyone. Phones are obstensibly locked at the outset to protect the carrier against subsidy fraud but carriers also like the barrier against you easily moving to a different carrier.
And if you are paying full price, you should buy directly from TMobile or have a trusted friend buy it from TMobile for you. Buying used adds considerable risk which you shouldn't take since you are paying full price. There are a lot of scammers that will buy a phone on contract, sell it.. and subsequently report it stolen (for the insurance) or default on the subsidized contract. Even if they paid full price in cash, without a contract, have a genuine receipt and the phone is not currently on an IMEI blacklist - it could end up there two weeks later if you are not the original purchaser and they report it stolen.
.

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fffft said:
No, even though you are paying full price and the handset is not subsidized.. it will still be locked by default by TMobile. Yeah, it is great to be a oligopoly. If you ask nicely TMobile may unlock it right away for you, more likely they will try to make you wait a month or two before agreeing to do so. But there are plenty of third-party vendors that can and will unlock your S5 now for $15 - $30.
Once unlocked, the phone will normally remain that way permanently even after OTA upgrades or if you flash a different ROM. It is possible for a carrier to relock your phone, although I haven't heard of this happening to anyone. Phones are obstensibly locked at the outset to protect the carrier against subsidy fraud but carriers also like the barrier against you easily moving to a different carrier.
And if you are paying full price, you should buy directly from TMobile or have a trusted friend buy it from TMobile for you. Buying used adds considerable risk which you shouldn't take since you are paying full price. There are a lot of scammers that will buy a phone on contract, sell it.. and subsequently report it stolen (for the insurance) or default on the subsidized contract. Even if they paid full price in cash, without a contract, have a genuine receipt and the phone is not currently on an IMEI blacklist - it could end up there two weeks later if you are not the original purchaser and they report it stolen.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
if it is unlocked, even if i install official rom (can i install G900F's?) will it remain unlocked?

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kv7shadow said:
if it is unlocked, even if i install official rom (can i install G900F's?) will it remain unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fffft said:
Once unlocked, the phone will normally remain that way permanently even ... if you flash a different ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can install a 900F based ROM if there is some reason you want to do that. But you will still have the 900T bootloader aka baseband.
.

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fffft said:
You can install a 900F based ROM if there is some reason you want to do that. But you will still have the 900T bootloader aka baseband.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW, "aka" would not be a proper term to use. People will get confused xD Baseband and bootloader are two separate things. However, under your "about" you will see the baseband version which is the "modem" of the phone. It usually corresponds to which bootloader is on the device as well. Unless a different modem was flashed.

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elesbb said:
under your "about" you will see the baseband version which is the "modem"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ Another example of something that is usually but not always equivalent.
As you say, at a nuts and bolts, code level the bootlooder and baseband are not the same thing. But you are splitting hairs. In the context that I said that, they are not usually separated and are functionally equivalent.
.

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fffft said:
^ Another example of something that is usually but not always equivalent.
As you say, at a nuts and bolts, code level the bootlooder and baseband are not the same thing. But you are splitting hairs. In the context that I said that, they are not usually separated and are functionally equivalent.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Humm... I just tried flashing a G900F rom on G900T but the tmobile phone would not allow that? Am I missing something?

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Apparently because lots of others have done it successfully.
However, you should start your own thread, rather than usurp an existing one. And provide a detailed description of what you did.
.