If I buy a cell phone from another company can I activate it with another one like sprint ?

Question

My phone plan is with sprint but I want a verizon phone but I want to stay with sprint and if not a verizon phone a t-mobile or something are any of there phones able to be use with another company sumbody please tell me yes cuz sprint phones suck A** but I like my plan thanx

Answer 1

i know the Sprint plans are heap and all but the phone really SucK and they are still expensive but unfortunatley you cant :(
or atleast not that i now about it....
just keep your phone i mean a phone is a phone as long as it still works and you "have one" cause people will make fun of 'ugly ones' when they dont have one at all...just kep yours and waste the money on kool clothes or something like that

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It's all about the software. technically speaking sprint and verizon both use cdma phones which will work but are for obvious reasons not going to be allowed on the network. The software loaded in the phone is different. the prl (preferred roaming list) which says what towers you're to talk to is different and then there's the entire data thing which will never work. You will need to know the unlock code for your phone ( sprint has one... verizon I'm not sure... alltel does not) You can call to tech support, try and have them swap the esn (electronic serial no) and get that phone authorized. You then program the min (mobile Identification number) and MDN (Mobile directory number -- your phone number) into the phone and presto... if all is well then you will be able to make and recieve calls.

There are 3 reasons why carriers do not want you to use other phones:

1.) It is a revenue source for them to have you purchase phones

2.) The phones, software and all services need to be tested to ensure that they are not detrimental to the network. Putting any old phone on the network is like allowing anything with 4 wheels on the road. If it has a break down talking on the network, it creates a pile up which impacts all of their other customers as well if it takes down the tower.

3.) Technical support and sales staff require training to support the phones they sell. They cannot help you if that is not a phone they sold, even if you are using their service (same reason why dell can't help you with your compaq pc.)

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Verizon and Sprint uses CDMA network. Cingular, T-Mobile and Nextel operate however on GSM network which requires sim cards on the back of their cell phones.

You cannot use a Verizon phone on Sprint network or vice versa because they operate on different frequencies and their phones are locked specifically to their own network brand.

However if you were a Cingular, T-Mobile or Nextel customer and decided that you like a phone from another company then you can buy a "unlocked GSM phone". All you have to do is to purchase a unlocked GSM phone and put in your sim card from any of these companies and it will work.