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Belkin
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#1
My uncle had an LG cookie but lost it, then had it replaced from insurance, but has now found it again. He's given the old blocked one to me. The phone was on Orange but now the screen reads something like invalid sim or something. Presumably blocked. Would this phone work in Spain?
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plasticpetal
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Presumably you're thinking of using a Spanish sim card?? If this is what you mean then no, it won't work. Very few UK phones that you buy directly from the network will allow you to put in a foreign sim. In Spain there are loads of small shops where they will unblock your phone for a small fee so that you can use any sim anywhere in the world. You can find these shops in all the big cities. Hope this helps!
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RightSaidJames
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If it's been blocked in the UK on Orange, it won't work in the rest of Western Europe, because all the telecom companies have a shared list of blocked phones.
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RightSaidJames
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(Original post by plasticpetal)
Presumably you're thinking of using a Spanish sim card?? If this is what you mean then no, it won't work. Very few UK phones that you buy directly from the network will allow you to put in a foreign sim. In Spain there are loads of small shops where they will unblock your phone for a small fee so that you can use any sim anywhere in the world. You can find these shops in all the big cities. Hope this helps!
Presumably you're thinking of using a Spanish sim card?? If this is what you mean then no, it won't work. Very few UK phones that you buy directly from the network will allow you to put in a foreign sim. In Spain there are loads of small shops where they will unblock your phone for a small fee so that you can use any sim anywhere in the world. You can find these shops in all the big cities. Hope this helps!
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ChrisBan
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#5
(Original post by plasticpetal)
Presumably you're thinking of using a Spanish sim card?? If this is what you mean then no, it won't work. Very few UK phones that you buy directly from the network will allow you to put in a foreign sim. In Spain there are loads of small shops where they will unblock your phone for a small fee so that you can use any sim anywhere in the world. You can find these shops in all the big cities. Hope this helps!
Presumably you're thinking of using a Spanish sim card?? If this is what you mean then no, it won't work. Very few UK phones that you buy directly from the network will allow you to put in a foreign sim. In Spain there are loads of small shops where they will unblock your phone for a small fee so that you can use any sim anywhere in the world. You can find these shops in all the big cities. Hope this helps!
http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/pro...i_database.htm
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DarkWhite
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The IMEI number of the phone will be on a universal database, not just for Europe, but anywhere you try and use GSM technologies or hardware supporting GSM (everywhere, in simple terms).
The IMEI number is essentially a unique number specific to the phone, not the SIM card installed in the phone. You can try whatever you want with it, but unless you spoof/change the IMEI number (this is actually possible for many phones, I might add, abeit it's not easy to do yourself or cheap to get it done for you), when your phone communicates with a network mast, repeater etc, it will go, "Ooo look at my phone's IMEI number!" and the mast will say, "Go away. You can use me for emergency calls." Depending on your phone, you might not even be able to make emergency calls!
So nope, it won't work. I'm guessing you have another phone that you can use though...
The IMEI number is essentially a unique number specific to the phone, not the SIM card installed in the phone. You can try whatever you want with it, but unless you spoof/change the IMEI number (this is actually possible for many phones, I might add, abeit it's not easy to do yourself or cheap to get it done for you), when your phone communicates with a network mast, repeater etc, it will go, "Ooo look at my phone's IMEI number!" and the mast will say, "Go away. You can use me for emergency calls." Depending on your phone, you might not even be able to make emergency calls!
So nope, it won't work. I'm guessing you have another phone that you can use though...
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MaceyThe
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(Original post by DarkWhite)
The IMEI number of the phone will be on a universal database, not just for Europe, but anywhere you try and use GSM technologies or hardware supporting GSM (everywhere, in simple terms).
The IMEI number of the phone will be on a universal database, not just for Europe, but anywhere you try and use GSM technologies or hardware supporting GSM (everywhere, in simple terms).
Within the last year I've taken several blocked phones (one of which was an LG Shine,) from the UK to Europe, and sold them since they've worked fine there.
Loads of blocked phones end up in India, as they work fine over there. Or they did last time I checked.....
OP, take it and try it. Take your phone to a phone shop over there and they might have a sim that can work in it.
If not, flog it for parts. e.g. the screen alone fetches around £30 for LG's.
Edit: looks like even India is tightening up on this stuff, because of security, so perhaps it won't work!: http://cellphone.appmobilize.com/mob...-Work-In-India
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CurlyBen
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(Original post by DarkWhite)
The IMEI number of the phone will be on a universal database, not just for Europe, but anywhere you try and use GSM technologies or hardware supporting GSM (everywhere, in simple terms).
The IMEI number is essentially a unique number specific to the phone, not the SIM card installed in the phone. You can try whatever you want with it, but unless you spoof/change the IMEI number (this is actually possible for many phones, I might add, abeit it's not easy to do yourself or cheap to get it done for you), when your phone communicates with a network mast, repeater etc, it will go, "Ooo look at my phone's IMEI number!" and the mast will say, "Go away. You can use me for emergency calls." Depending on your phone, you might not even be able to make emergency calls!
So nope, it won't work. I'm guessing you have another phone that you can use though...
The IMEI number of the phone will be on a universal database, not just for Europe, but anywhere you try and use GSM technologies or hardware supporting GSM (everywhere, in simple terms).
The IMEI number is essentially a unique number specific to the phone, not the SIM card installed in the phone. You can try whatever you want with it, but unless you spoof/change the IMEI number (this is actually possible for many phones, I might add, abeit it's not easy to do yourself or cheap to get it done for you), when your phone communicates with a network mast, repeater etc, it will go, "Ooo look at my phone's IMEI number!" and the mast will say, "Go away. You can use me for emergency calls." Depending on your phone, you might not even be able to make emergency calls!
So nope, it won't work. I'm guessing you have another phone that you can use though...
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DarkWhite
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(Original post by MaceyThe)
Since when???? Universal?! I know they were talking about making it Europe wide block, has it happened then?
Within the last year I've taken several blocked phones (one of which was an LG Shine,) from the UK to Europe, and sold them since they've worked fine there.
Loads of blocked phones end up in India, as they work fine over there. Or they did last time I checked.....
OP, take it and try it. Take your phone to a phone shop over there and they might have a sim that can work in it.
If not, flog it for parts. e.g. the screen alone fetches around £30 for LG's.
Edit: looks like even India is tightening up on this stuff, because of security, so perhaps it won't work!: http://cellphone.appmobilize.com/mob...-Work-In-India
Since when???? Universal?! I know they were talking about making it Europe wide block, has it happened then?
Within the last year I've taken several blocked phones (one of which was an LG Shine,) from the UK to Europe, and sold them since they've worked fine there.
Loads of blocked phones end up in India, as they work fine over there. Or they did last time I checked.....
OP, take it and try it. Take your phone to a phone shop over there and they might have a sim that can work in it.
If not, flog it for parts. e.g. the screen alone fetches around £30 for LG's.
Edit: looks like even India is tightening up on this stuff, because of security, so perhaps it won't work!: http://cellphone.appmobilize.com/mob...-Work-In-India
See http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/pro...i_database.htm ; I think it was posted above me somewhere. About halfway down the page you should find information on how the blacklisting feature of the database system works. If you've found that blacklisted phones work abroad, then chances are, the EIR in that area hasn't been updating the local blacklist, and perhaps not sending its local blacklist to the IMEI database.
But yes, if you don't want the phone, sell the rest of it for parts. The only bit people won't want is the memory chip with the IMEI number of the phone hard-coded into it, as it's possibly a PROM chip, meaning you can't reprogram it to change the number. These things are always worked around, mind. Keypads and screens usually sell well
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DarkWhite
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#10
(Original post by CurlyBen)
I'm pretty sure it's illegal to do so though.
I'm pretty sure it's illegal to do so though.
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CurlyBen
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#11
(Original post by DarkWhite)
Hmm pretty sure? Under which laws? As far as I'm aware, changing the IMEI number probably isn't illegal in itself (after all, you bought the phone). Attempting to connect to a mobile network after doing so, I couldn't tell you, but uhh hey-ho
Hmm pretty sure? Under which laws? As far as I'm aware, changing the IMEI number probably isn't illegal in itself (after all, you bought the phone). Attempting to connect to a mobile network after doing so, I couldn't tell you, but uhh hey-ho
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Nothos
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(Original post by DarkWhite)
Hmm pretty sure? Under which laws? As far as I'm aware, changing the IMEI number probably isn't illegal in itself (after all, you bought the phone). Attempting to connect to a mobile network after doing so, I couldn't tell you, but uhh hey-ho
Hmm pretty sure? Under which laws? As far as I'm aware, changing the IMEI number probably isn't illegal in itself (after all, you bought the phone). Attempting to connect to a mobile network after doing so, I couldn't tell you, but uhh hey-ho
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Kabirul007
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#13
I have taken 3 iPhones to my 2nd home Bangladesh all 3 iPhones worked but with thAt phone I could not receive any calls from uk but I can and did call uk using that blacklisted iPhone 3
That was in February 2013
That was in February 2013
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Surgeon by 2025
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#14
Hi!
It seems to me that your phone will only operate with products from a specific broadband provider. I'm assuming that the only plausible way to get around this issue and get your phone working asap would be to buy an Orange SIM card at your nearest phone store (preferably before leaving for Spain as you cannot exactly tell how things will pan out once you're there and what technical issues might arise along the way—experience talking right here, so take my word for it). It's wiser to be cautious and careful than hasty, even more so when heading abroad. Alternatively, you may also want to get your phone "unlocked" so that it can be used with any SIM card. I hope this helps, somehow!
Best wishes, pal.
It seems to me that your phone will only operate with products from a specific broadband provider. I'm assuming that the only plausible way to get around this issue and get your phone working asap would be to buy an Orange SIM card at your nearest phone store (preferably before leaving for Spain as you cannot exactly tell how things will pan out once you're there and what technical issues might arise along the way—experience talking right here, so take my word for it). It's wiser to be cautious and careful than hasty, even more so when heading abroad. Alternatively, you may also want to get your phone "unlocked" so that it can be used with any SIM card. I hope this helps, somehow!
Best wishes, pal.
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Surgeon by 2025
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StriderHort
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#16
(Original post by Digitalt0r)
How many times have you tried this? Just wondering, seems like you’ve got good intel on this!
How many times have you tried this? Just wondering, seems like you’ve got good intel on this!
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