Printable View
Hey everyone,
I got my Blackberry Tour few months back and finally decided to join the site. Lately, Ive been hearing a lot about "jailbreaking" and "unlocking" phones. Besides the fact that you can use different carriers on a jailbreak or unlocked phone, what are the other advantages and disadvantages of a jailbroken/unlocked tour phone?
Thanks in advance. :)
That’s pretty much it. It invalidates your warranty though.
You can't "jailbreak" a BlackBerry, that's a term relative to the iPhone. When you jailbreak an iPhone, it allows you to load applications from other places, rather than just thru the iTunes app store.
When you unlock a phone, it means that you can use other carrier's sim cards in your device. This is something that only works with GSM devices (or dual mode devices like your Tour). If you unlocked your Tour, it would mean that you could use another carriers (ATT, T-MO) sim card when you have it set in GSM mode. This is helpful if you travel overseas, and don't want to pay for an international plan thru your carrier. You can buy a sim card with service at your destination, and use that service on your device.
"Jailbreaking" is an iPhone term. BlackBerries don't need to be jailbroken; RIM allows you a great deal of control over the software you put on your device.
Unlocking means entering a code that removes the carrier restriction on your device, allowing you to use it on any carrier with a supported radio technology (GSM, CDMA).
To clarify some things: Unlocking doesn't void your warranty. Many carriers will do it for you, Sprint Tours even come out of the box unlocked. Also, you can't unlock a CDMA phone (Sprint, Verizon), just GSM phones, that use SIM cards can be unlocked. The Tour (and Storms too) has both a CDMA and a GSM radio in them, they are considered "World Phones" because of it. You can unlock the GSM side, but not the CDMA side. Unlocking gives you the ability to use any SIM card on any network (GSM networks)
Yes it does invalidate your warranty, unless it has been done by the actual carrier who provided it to you.
Maybe in the UK, but here in the US it doesn't void your warranty no matter how your phone gets unlocked.
I'm pretty sure the manufacturer’s Terms and Conditions would be the same over sea’s as it is in Europe. Which states any changes made to the device without the agreement of the manufacturer or carrier (who automatically have an agreement with the manufacturer to allow agreed adjustments) will invalidate the warranty.
Would RIM (the manufacturer) add a screen and way to input keystrokes (unlock code) into their phone if doing so would void the warranty?
Here's a little research I did:
TheRemoteUnlocker.com | FAQ
CellUnlock.net-Unlocking FAQWill unlocking my phone void my warranty?
No it will not. Contrary to people�s belief, unlocking a phone does not void the warranty on a phone.
http://forums.crackberry.com/f157/af...ml#post5039594Q: Is Unlocking my Phone legal? Does it void your warranty?
A: Yes it is100% legal to unlock your phone and No it does not void manufacturers warranties.
Since Nov. 22, 2006, Cell Phone Unlocking is Officially Legal! The Copyright Office issued new rules allowing people to circumvent technological protection measures on their cellphones in order to be able to switch carriers and use the phone on a different network.
lmcjipo's Blog: Unlocking GSM cellphone and Manufacturer's Warranty
Ok, i think your research should have been to read my posts again...
As the original user stated “jailbreaking” my initial response was in regards to the user having his phone unlocked by an unauthorised 3rd party. Although this term is mainly used for Apple products it’s also used in general for more high class mobile devices such as a Blackberry.
If you have adjustments made your device or device software which has not been carried out/created by the manufacturer or by a 3rd party approved by the manufacturer (i.e the network provider who supplied the device to you) then this invalidates your warranty.
Again, you can have your device unlocked by the network provider who supplied the device to you normally without any issues. However if you choose to pay a guy on a market stall who says he can unlock it for half the price... best of luck, because if anything does go wrong with it as a result of this you’ve got yourself an expensive paperweight.
Botching unlocking by a code cannot turn one's device into a paperweight. The worst thing that will happen is that the BlackBerry is "hard-locked" to one's carrier, which means that it must be taken to a shop to be unlocked with special software via a cable.
finfin, maybe you should read some of my research then...
Your warranty will be voided if other means to unlock are used, like opening the phone or changing/installing software.Why does using the subsidy unlock method not void the warranty? The reason for this is that the manufacturer placed this into the phone (and not some hacker) and the phone's native/default firmware was written to accept the subsidy unlock code
I'm not going to argue with you, because I don't really care. We just don't need a bunch of false information being spread around. I have done warranty exchanges many times on unlocked phones, (1 Bold 9000, 2 Storm 9550's, and 3 Tour's) each one was never a problem. All those phones I got the codes from "a guy in a market stall who says he can unlock it for half the price" (most I got for free though)
Believe whatever you want, but don't go spreading false information around.
Oh my, we are angry today. It’s not false information it’s a fact. Yes you can legally get your phone unlocked, yes you can get whomever you wish to do it but if you do get it done by someone who is not the manufacturer or approved by the manufacturer and that modification messes the phone up, RIM won’t fix your phone, if you can fix it, then great.
As to your own personal exchanges, this should really of been made aware if you did exchange with a phone(s) having been modified by an unauthorised 3rd party.
I’m not sure who the “we” in “We just don't need a bunch of false information being spread around.”... actually is, but you seem really aggressive to prove a pointless point.
If i explained what field I’d been working in for the last 7 years you’d be like, ahh, fair enough she’s knows what she’s talking about... but take my word for it... If you have a really nice Blackberry and you want to unlock it so you can take it round the world and use different sim’s in it, consider getting it done properly because if you don’t you do run the risk of having an expensive paperweight.. I used to make thousands phones into expensive paperweights every month because there are laws and rules and Terms and Conditions out there for a reason.
Angry guy... let it go...
^^^ and more false information being spread around the CB community (we)...
The way the unlockers on CB unlock a BlackBerry is in no way, shape, or form going to void your warranty, period. Every single phone that I exchanged through warranty the carrier knew that it was unlocked by a 3rd party unlocker, and they didn't care because unlocking doesn't void your warranty.
Maybe I was right to begin with, that the laws and conditions are different over there across the pond?
I don't care what field you work in, I guess you don't either if you won't even tell us (the CB community). For all I know you could be working at a fast food restaurant and be spilling cheeseburger grease on other people phones. You also might be that cs rep on the phone too that doesn't know it's own companies policies that we all get on occasion.
BTW. I don't take anyone's "word for it" on anything. I just go by facts...
Unlocking a BlackBerry unequivocally does NOT invalidate the warranty. You are 100% incorrect on this particular point.
This thread has become quite entertaining! Wheeeeee!
Just use it on other gsm networks. Can only jailbreak a iPhone.
Hey guys.. I appreciate the answers. Thanks for your time.