- Thread starter Koreano
- Start date
Is Claro phone unlocked?
My last two phones I purchased from the us were tmobile and Verizon . Both were smartphones and both needed to be unlocked. I tried to use a tmobile chip on a claro phone once. It did not work. If you don't live here full time please don't make comments on subjects you have no knowledge of.
you can unlock any phone that has a sim card. i bought a cheap target phone that had a new smaller sim card that needed a week to unlock and it was done
To use a cell phone here, one should verify the frequencies that the phone is compatible with, the frequencies used by the carrier of your choice in the DR and unlock the phone at home or when you get here if you didn't purchase it already unlocked. Pretty much all phones provided by carriers to customers on these phone & service plans are locked to a particular carrier.
I don't know anything about a Walmart phone but wouldn't be surprised if it is locked to the Chinese Intelligence Service.
I don't know anything about a Walmart phone but wouldn't be surprised if it is locked to the Chinese Intelligence Service.
Compatibility has nothing to to do with the carrier the phone i.g. Tmobile, Verizon, Claro is branded with.
It depends on the type, and frequencies (bands) a particular phone's make and model has. Additionally, if the phone if branded, it must be "carrier unlocked", a service that major US carriers do for free (provide unlock code) if you are a customer and meet certain easy conditions.
Nexus 5 is a Google phone (manufactured by LG for Google). All Google phones are "carrier free" (unlocked) and it so happens that the US market's North America (D820) model has the frequencies that most Dominican carriers use. There are some Nexus 5 models that would not work fully there (Rest of World (D821) model).
Steps to determine if any phone will work in a particular country or countries:
1) Does my phone model have the prerequisite bands (frequencies) needed for the particular overseas carrier.
2) Is my phone "carrier unlocked" or can I get it unlocked?
3) Does my phone use a SIM?
If you can answer yes to the above your phone will work.
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Not with a claro chip if your phone has Verizon ,AT&T, or tmobile. I fogot six months a year here makes you an expert. Lol
Easy way is to insert non Claro or Orange SIM- i.g. get your hands on a SIM card from another carrier, switch off your phone, pop out the current SIM and put in the different one. Once you?ve turned your phone back on, simply attempt to make a phone call.
Alternatively you can check if your phone is unlocked by looking up the IMEI. Once you?ve got it you can enter it into an IMEI Checker and see whether it?s tied to a carrier or not. http://iphoneimei.info/
YMMV
Don't need to live in DR to be an expert... just need to stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
[video=youtube;SYw5eToTS5Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYw5eToTS5Y[/video]
It's certainly long enough to know whether his phone works or not. Perhaps your level of knowledge is lacking.
I am glad the claro dealer charged you only 500 pesos. It could have been worst. By S4 note if you mean it was a galaxy S4 from Verizon, that phone comes out factory unlocked. all you had to do was to change the settings from CDMA to global or GSM. easy 500 pesos. If you still have the phone go to network settings you can put it back to CDMA of course you wont get signals; but you can back to the dealer I am sure he will unlock it again for another 500
I tried that on a friends suggestions. It didn't take. So I gave it to one the girls in my bar. When I came back from playing golf it was working. Worth the 500 pesos. Thanks mabe he was as savy as you!!!!
OK, I have no idea.... but here goes.
If I buy a phone or a tablet, be it in a claro/orange/dominican/swiss/france.......it comes unlocked.
If i get a phone at a discount with a service provider, it comes blocked on the provider's network.
French/swiss phones can be unblocked only at the term of your contract with the provider.
Here in the dr, most phones can be unblocked for a couple of hundred pesos...... in most small claro/orange street shops.
Example : I bought a samsung tablet with SIM slot for 100 X, it came unblocked.
I got the exact same tablet with a swiss provider for 30 X, under a 24 month service contract ( like 4h comunication and 5 Go a month for 10 X )......and was only able to get it unblocked at the term of the contract.
If I buy a phone or a tablet, be it in a claro/orange/dominican/swiss/france.......it comes unlocked.
If i get a phone at a discount with a service provider, it comes blocked on the provider's network.
French/swiss phones can be unblocked only at the term of your contract with the provider.
Here in the dr, most phones can be unblocked for a couple of hundred pesos...... in most small claro/orange street shops.
Example : I bought a samsung tablet with SIM slot for 100 X, it came unblocked.
I got the exact same tablet with a swiss provider for 30 X, under a 24 month service contract ( like 4h comunication and 5 Go a month for 10 X )......and was only able to get it unblocked at the term of the contract.
Malko, most service providers will provide you an "unlock code" at the end of your service contract. That is to say after you have paid off the cost of the phone.
You may unlock a cell yourself at anytime even before the end of the contract. I haven't had much luck using the online unlocking code providers but have had success with retailers here in the DR.
You may unlock a cell yourself at anytime even before the end of the contract. I haven't had much luck using the online unlocking code providers but have had success with retailers here in the DR.
there are some ebay "sellers" who cater to the lazy and/or technologically challenged. you pay them some money and they find the unlock code. phone that are financed generally cannot be unlocked, in those cases you get your money back. it's a great time saver.