1. armada1a's Avatar
    Hi guys, i hope some one can help me.
    Does anyone know how to unlock this from a verion network? I tried to enter the MEPD menu, but after some tries it wont even show anymore?? is there another menu where i can access it. better yet, has anyone come across some software to maybe unlock the SIM? Any feed back would be great! ")
    05-31-07 04:43 PM
  2. soloudinhere's Avatar
    you cannot unlock a phone from Verizon or Sprint's networks. These operate on CDMA technology which does not rely on sim cards and thus the hardware itself is directly locked to the carrier. Nor, even if it was possible to free the carrier lock, would there be a place to put a sim card.

    The MEPD menu is I'm sure locked down as entering a code doesn't do anything anyway.
    05-31-07 05:49 PM
  3. anon(153966)'s Avatar
    soloudinhere is right!
    05-31-07 06:56 PM
  4. Sniperet's Avatar
    you cannot unlock a phone from Verizon or Sprint's networks. These operate on CDMA technology which does not rely on sim cards and thus the hardware itself is directly locked to the carrier. Nor, even if it was possible to free the carrier lock, would there be a place to put a sim card.

    The MEPD menu is I'm sure locked down as entering a code doesn't do anything anyway.
    Since the 8830 is both CDMA and GSM with a SIM card it should be possible to unlock the phone for GSM networks. There is a SIM card socket and most of the phones are shipping with a Verizon branded Vodacom SIM card. It won't do any good in the US but unlocking it should allow use of local SIM cards overseas.
    Last edited by Sniperet; 05-31-07 at 08:02 PM.
    05-31-07 07:30 PM
  5. Don.q's Avatar
    It would be interesting to find out if one of the berry unlocking services could do this. Especially since VZW is known for keeping a tight grip on their phones configurations.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    06-01-07 04:52 AM
  6. kasperapd's Avatar
    I would think that since there is a GSM component that there should be a way to unlock it.
    06-01-07 12:01 PM
  7. Ventor's Avatar
    The GSM side can be unlocked... I have a couple of colleagues toying with the process right now!!

    If anything progresses I will post back to this thread.
    06-01-07 03:42 PM
  8. slinky#CB's Avatar
    I have seen several sites beginning to unlock the GSM portion of the Verizon Blackberry 8830. Unfortunately they are charging from $75-95. Verizon would rather have you pay these unknown third parties to get what you should have stock rather than just give you an unlocked phone.

    As someone who works in this industry, I can assure you that Verizon is absolutely the worst operator of all with regard to enjoying your phone for anything other than talking. They will lock, strip, remove, disable any access you can that your phone is built for so that you will be forced to use their services at a high premium. I am trying to get my work to give me special permission to use another service for my new Blackberry.

    As of right now there is no plan for Verizon to unlock their phone and I hope Sprint sticks it to Verizon something awful when they release their version of this phone... unlocked. After almost 10 years with Verizon, I'll be moving everything I can off of their services.

    Can you hear me now?
    06-06-07 02:04 PM
  9. Idaho Outlaw's Avatar
    I am waiting for the July release of the 8830 from Sprint. Unlocked GSM, yeah baby! I am not a CrackBerry user yet, and am having a hard time waiting.
    06-07-07 05:35 PM
  10. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    Any updates to this yet?
    06-16-07 03:00 PM
  11. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    With the help of verizon I did unlock the 8830 thing this morning. It took some fighting though because I wrote an e-mail to verizon explaining how pissed I was about them saying that the unlock codes were unavailable when sprint's 8830 is unlocked. Last night they e-mailed me back and were very nice. they gave the form to fill out and had me fax it in and from that point it was a waiting game. Today about 10:45am they called me back (and global support is not usually open on weekends) and gave me the code and walked me through the process of unlocking the phone. Just an FYI, the MEPD code does not work, you have to enter MEP2 to bring up the dialog to enter the code. So now my 8830 is unlocked. If anyone doubts it I will post pics if you like. I hope this helps some of you but if you are told the codes are unavailable... its a big fat lie!?!

    Also, note that they only give the code if you paid outright for the phone (full retail). If you did the upgrade and got the discount I dont think they will give you the code without charging a fee or something.
    Last edited by anon(153966); 07-07-07 at 11:56 AM. Reason: ...language
    07-07-07 10:43 AM
  12. anon(153966)'s Avatar
    Brilliant, glad you got it. Photos would be nice for those non-believers out there...
    07-07-07 11:57 AM
  13. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    Brilliant, glad you got it. Photos would be nice for those non-believers out there...
    Ask and ye' shall receive...

    The pics are a little blurry cause its hard as **** to focus on the screen of the 8830

    The first pic here is my phone and my friends T-mo sim card..



    Next is sim going into phone...


    next is sim actually in the phone...


    next is the phone asking for the SIM passcode. My friend keeps a pw on her sim card...
    07-07-07 03:37 PM
  14. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    the next one is the main screen, notice that its not saying its an invalid sim card.


    Finally here is the phone actually displaying the sim information because it has accepted it as a valid card. If this did not like the sim it would just say invalid sim...
    07-07-07 03:37 PM
  15. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    Here is an added bonus for those who think I faked the whole thing. This is a link to my video on YouTube.
    Last edited by anon(153966); 07-08-07 at 07:48 PM. Reason: ...link added!
    07-07-07 03:47 PM
  16. tmoney's Avatar
    Can you please give us a detailed argument you made to Verizon...I imagine alot of people will be trying to do this as well as myself. What kind of forms did you have to fill out? Also....what was the email address you sent your complaint letter to?
    07-07-07 08:59 PM
  17. bell1996's Avatar
    Newbie question:

    What is the advantage of "unlocking" the 8830 phone? what does it give/provide you?
    07-07-07 09:38 PM
  18. bell1996's Avatar
    I just found this link: Unlock Your Blackberry 8830 Cell Phone from Verizon

    They're charging $89.99 to unlock the Verizon 8830.
    07-07-07 09:48 PM
  19. tmoney's Avatar
    Unlocking it allows you to use a SIM card other than the Verizon one so you don't have to pay ridiculous rates when you're overseas....also....that website sucks. I tried to email the guy and got no reply. You can't even go through the checkout out like all the other phones listed on his site.
    07-08-07 08:09 AM
  20. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    Can you please give us a detailed argument you made to Verizon...I imagine alot of people will be trying to do this as well as myself. What kind of forms did you have to fill out? Also....what was the email address you sent your complaint letter to?
    The argument I made basically hit on 3 points...

    1.) I felt as if I was lied to because the codes were available but VZW reps kept saying that they were not and I also informed them that if I didnt get my code I was simply going to cancel my service if thats the way they do business.

    2.) If the codes were not available to unlock the phone, how and why is sprint's version of the phone unlocked.

    3.) I also mentioned that sprint was using the unlocked phone as a selling point.

    The email in general was very nice but got my point across very clearly and specified that I wanted a quick responce and resolution otherwise I was dropping the service. Oh and the form I filled out was basically a waiver from verizon stating that you are unlocking the phone at your own risk yada yada yada. If you want I can post the form but its already all over the net. I think someone else here in the group posed the form as well. As for the e-mail address, I just went to the "contact us" section of the website and sent an e-mail through their page. Just list the topic as customer service feedback and the sub topic as other. I will make its way to the right people. It only took them about 3 - 4 hours to get back to me.


    Newbie question:

    What is the advantage of "unlocking" the 8830 phone? what does it give/provide you?
    When you go overseas you can use a local sim card so you can get the local rates. Example, when I go over to europe I use a local sim for making calls. My calls from italy to the states are about 49 cents a minute and local calls inside italy are 10 cents. Any calls you make at the verizon rate is 1.29 no matter where you call.


    I just found this link:
    (web address) Your Blackberry 8830 Cell Phone from Verizon

    They're charging $89.99 to unlock the Verizon 8830.
    Some people have cited that site as a fraud. I called them before and they said they do not offer that service anymore because they cant get the codes. Save your money and just have VZW unlock it for free.
    Last edited by BlondeBoyL; 07-08-07 at 08:35 AM.
    07-08-07 08:21 AM
  21. tmoney's Avatar
    So you talked to Global Customer Support?
    07-08-07 07:13 PM
  22. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    So you talked to Global Customer Support?
    Yepprers, atleast I believe that they were the ones I spoke to that finally gave up my code.
    07-09-07 05:29 AM
  23. tmoney's Avatar
    I think I'm going to have a hard time getting it unlocked....and I work for them.
    07-09-07 05:46 AM
  24. BlondeBoyL's Avatar
    I think I'm going to have a hard time getting it unlocked....and I work for them.
    Why is that? The codes are available and you work for them so if anything I figured it would be easier if nothing else.
    07-09-07 08:32 AM
  25. garyt01's Avatar
    I just called Global Support and requested that they help me unlock the 8830. I have a German phone from our German office and carry it with the 8830. When I explained this as well as the fact that I had only a week left on my 30day evaluation and was aware that the Sprint phone was unlocked they called over to Blackberry to try to see if they could get an unlock code. The rep came back on the line and stated that the codes WERE NOT available and probably would NEVER be available. He was very sorry and knew that he would probably loose a customer because of this.
    I then called Sprint and COULD NOT speak with anyone who knows the 8830 and plans. They transferred me after I requested to speak with someone who knows the Blackberry several times and I was connected to a line that required a Sprint phone number, after not being able to provide a number I was disconnected. So, I guess it is either good service and a locked phone or terrible service and an unlocked phone.
    07-09-07 09:58 AM
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