Sprint WILL NOT Activate Non-Sprint Phones

[Mobile Mike]

To avoid endless threads asking the same question as to whether Sprint can activate a Verizon phone (of any kind), or a phone from Helio, Alltel, US Cellular or Grandma's Cellular, below is the answer given each time this question is asked:

Sprint will not activate any phone they do not sell, even if the same model is carried by any CDMA network competitor, like Verizon or Alltel.

Though this is not absolute, the likelihood of them activating a non-Sprint phone is slim to none. Even if you get lucky and are able to do it, you are fortunate because a Sprint employee did something they are not supposed to do.

The time and effort it would take to try and activate a non-Sprint phone with Sprint is not worth the bother.

Sell your other-carrier phone and buy the Sprint version.

Another important point to make is Sprint and Verizon, in particular, have their own user interface they use with on phones to personalize it to the carrier's options and standards. A phone would need to be "flashed" in order to even be able to be used on another carrier. If you don't know what "flashing a phone" means, you shouldn't bother doing it. You would really have to know how to do it properly and even then, the time and effort is not worth the bother AND you run the risk of killing the phone, otherwise relegating it to a paper-weight or door-stopper. Besides, you would not have access to several Sprint features because you do not have their options programmed into the phone. Flashing doesn't guarantee it will work with Sprint either.

"Unlocking" a phone is irrelevant to CDMA carriers, like Sprint. Unlocking is most useful for GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile, as unlocking your phone allows you to use it on any GSM network.

Hopefully this answers a question you are about to ask as a new thread.

[Bill Clinton]

Thanks for making this thread. So many people join just to make their own thread about Sprint BB to Verizon, or Verizon Q on Sprint, or Can I use my Verizon 8830 on Sprint? It is downright annoying because the answer is always the same. Thanks for making the thread to avoid future questions. I bet some people will still ask anyway, but hopefully this will get their attention before they go and make a new thread about a question that has been discussed many many times already.

In case you didn't read all of Mike's post, here it is one more time everyone. Yes it can be done, but it is more trouble than it is worth. Just sell your old phone and buy a new one from that carrier.

If you are thinking about bringing your old phone along, don't post here and ask if it is possible. If you make your own thread when this one already tells you the answer, you will look like a fool.

[TelcomJunkie]

The thread outa be a nice prominent sticky.

[RJB]

Yeah mike thanks I am with you as well but people are still going to post it lo.l.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by RJB

Yeah mike thanks I am with you as well but people are still going to post it lo.l.

I got the idea to post this from the funny but true reply you made to the person with the "Q" question. If they make this a sticky (as well as the one in the Verizon forum), hopefully people might pay attention to it, otherwise we'll remind them to read this thread...

[niteowl]

so youre saying they limit service exclusively to the phones they offer on their website? and pretty much absolutely nothing else? because i really would like an ericsson, but i think im going to have to switch to t-mobile, although i hear their service isnt so great...

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by niteowl

so youre saying they limit service exclusively to the phones they offer on their website? and pretty much absolutely nothing else? because i really would like an ericsson, but i think im going to have to switch to t-mobile, although i hear their service isnt so great...

If it doesn't say Sprint on the phone itself, Sprint won't activate it.

On a side note, I haven't seen an Ericsson CDMA handset in a while, here in the US I think it's been almost four or five years since I've seen one.

[Bill Clinton]

Originally Posted by niteowl

so youre saying they limit service exclusively to the phones they offer on their website? and pretty much absolutely nothing else? because i really would like an ericsson, but i think im going to have to switch to t-mobile, although i hear their service isnt so great...

Well if the phone you want is a GSM phone Sprint won't activate it because they don't use GSM. If you want an Ericsson, but you don't want T-Mobile, you can get an unlocked Ericsson and use it on AT&T or another GSM carrier. With GSM you can take the SIM card out and put another SIM in the phone. CDMA phones don't use SIM cards and the phone must be activated by the carrier. CDMA carriers usually don't activate phones that they did not sell.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by TelcomJunkie

On a side note, I haven't seen an Ericsson CDMA handset in a while, here in the US I think it's been almost four or five years since I've seen one.

Yeah I haven't seen one in years either, and now they are all known as Sony Ericsson's so I bet it's a really old CDMA phone or a old TDMA phone, since I believe they became SE when AT&T went GSM or right around that time. I had the old Ericsson GAIT phone before they changed names.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by niteowl

so youre saying they limit service exclusively to the phones they offer on their website? and pretty much absolutely nothing else? because i really would like an ericsson, but i think im going to have to switch to t-mobile, although i hear their service isnt so great...

Yep, that's what I'm saying. No Ericsson on Sprint. They don't carry them and they aren't available anymore.

Sony Ericsson makes GSM handsets ONLY. AT&T and T-Mobile are your "major carrier" choices.

[RJB]

It is to bad that nokia and sony are gsm only they do make some good phones.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by RJB

It is to bad that nokia and sony are gsm only they do make some good phones.

I wonder what Sprint's thing with Sanyo is all about? I've heard (and seen) their phones are a mixed bag.

[Bill Clinton]

Originally Posted by RJB

It is to bad that nokia and sony are gsm only they do make some good phones.

I like the high end Nokia devices. The N95 is so nice. It came out before than the iPhone and I like it more. I wish Nokia would make some nice CDMA phones.

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Bill Clinton

I like the high end Nokia devices. The N95 is so nice. It came out before than the iPhone and I like it more. I wish Nokia would make some nice CDMA phones.

I hear you my man

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by Bill Clinton

I wish Nokia would make some nice CDMA phones.

Sadly it wasn't worth it for them anymore. So much so they recruited Pantech to be the maker of their CDMA "Nokia" branded phones...

I'm with you and Ryan on this one...

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

Sadly it wasn't worth it for them anymore. So much so they recruited Pantech to be the maker of their CDMA "Nokia" branded phones...

I'm with you and Ryan on this one...

Yeah it is to bad they went this way oh well

[djcmaz]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

To avoid endless threads asking the same question as to whether Sprint can activate a Verizon phone (of any kind), or a phone from Helio, Alltel, US Cellular or Grandma's Cellular, below is the answer given each time this question is asked:

Sprint will not activate any phone they do not sell, even if the same model is carried by any CDMA network competitor, like Verizon or Alltel.

Though this is not absolute, the likelihood of them activating a non-Sprint phone is slim to none. Even if you get lucky and are able to do it, you are fortunate because a Sprint employee did something they are not supposed to do.

The time and effort it would take to try and activate a non-Sprint phone with Sprint is not worth the bother.

Sell your other-carrier phone and buy the Sprint version.

Another important point to make is Sprint and Verizon, in particular, have their own user interface they use with on phones to personalize it to the carrier's options and standards. A phone would need to be "flashed" in order to even be able to be used on another carrier. If you don't know what "flashing a phone" means, you shouldn't bother doing it. You would really have to know how to do it properly and even then, the time and effort is not worth the bother AND you run the risk of killing the phone, otherwise relegating it to a paper-weight or door-stopper. Besides, you would not have access to several Sprint features because you do not have their options programmed into the phone. Flashing doesn't guarantee it will work with Sprint either.

"Unlocking" a phone is irrelevant to CDMA carriers, like Sprint. Unlocking is most useful for GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile, as unlocking your phone allows you to use it on any GSM network.

Hopefully this answers a question you are about to ask as a new thread.

We activate non sprint phones on the sprint network on a daily basis...

[treotosh]

this thread is really not that true anymore, like the person above me said some places do active sprint phones.

but it was a helpful thread thou, don't get me wrong

[Mobile Mike]

It's up to the Mods to decide what to do with this thread.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

It's up to the Mods to decide what to do with this thread.

Originally Posted by treotosh

this thread is really not that true anymore, like the person above me said some places do active sprint phones.

but it was a helpful thread thou, don't get me wrong

There is no reason to close this thread at this time.

-Jay