Unlocking Phone on Telus - Can any SIM be used?

[basil]

If I pay Telus to unlock my phone, will it accept any SIM card or is it still locked to only specific carriers (partners of Telus)? 

[xl · Accepted solution]

Not partners of Telus.... but carriers that support your phone's frequencies.

• don't expect it to work with CDMA networks.
• discount carriers use something called AWS.... not all phones support this new frequency.
• are you using your phone for data?  There is something like 3 or more LTE variations around the world.  Apple got into a lawsuit when they discovered their 4G promotions did not work on devices in Australia.  They had to change the packaging to "cellular".
• is this a BB7 phone?  swapping SIM will give you internet, but emails may require the Telus BIS servers.  You not get your emails without the Telus SIM.
• finally there is coverage.... Telus has far fewer deadzones where I live, work and shop.  I don't care how cheap other cellular providers are if they require me to be outside in an urban centre to get reception.  If I run into car problems in an suburban neighborhood, the phone is useless.  Sure there may be limited coverage with "roaming".  I hate roaming charges leaving Canada.  You want me to pay roaming charges at home?

[xl · Accepted solution]

And what SIM would like to install on it?

Keep in mind the iPhone 5 requires a "nano" SIM that not all carriers will make available.

[S3love]

If its unlocked by Telus it should work on ANY network.

[xl · Accepted solution]

Not partners of Telus.... but carriers that support your phone's frequencies.

• don't expect it to work with CDMA networks.
• discount carriers use something called AWS.... not all phones support this new frequency.
• are you using your phone for data?  There is something like 3 or more LTE variations around the world.  Apple got into a lawsuit when they discovered their 4G promotions did not work on devices in Australia.  They had to change the packaging to "cellular".
• is this a BB7 phone?  swapping SIM will give you internet, but emails may require the Telus BIS servers.  You not get your emails without the Telus SIM.
• finally there is coverage.... Telus has far fewer deadzones where I live, work and shop.  I don't care how cheap other cellular providers are if they require me to be outside in an urban centre to get reception.  If I run into car problems in an suburban neighborhood, the phone is useless.  Sure there may be limited coverage with "roaming".  I hate roaming charges leaving Canada.  You want me to pay roaming charges at home?

[basil]

So any limitations after the unlock should be solely on phone's capabilities based on supported bands/frequencies, correct?

[xl]

Yep....

To clarify, what phone do you have and what are your plans?

I replace my SIM with Roam Mobility for my travels going South.

[basil]

Lets say an iPhone 5 for instance.

[xl · Accepted solution]

And what SIM would like to install on it?

Keep in mind the iPhone 5 requires a "nano" SIM that not all carriers will make available.

[basil · Accepted solution]

Lets say a T-Mobile SIM.

[ET]

Hi, it will then be available to be used with any SIM card from any provider as long as the SIM has the same size.

[xl]

So it appears you are going to the States..... T Mobile should be fine.  I see they do sell iPhone's on their website.

I recommend visiting a store and ask if they will activate and test the SIM card for you.  Some retailers will sell you the card and then say you need to activate it at home with a computer.  Avoid these retailers. One issue is your iPhone 5 uses a Nano SIM.  If they sell you a regular SIM, you need to go looking for a SIM cutter or paying $5 for someone to cut the SIM card for you.

In my travels, "Best Buy Mobile" was great in Bellingham.  They cut the SIM for me, activated it, and then tested it before I walked out the store.  Best Buy Las Vegas told me to activate the SIM card at the hotel and I was frustrated by the experience as the card did not work properly with my phone.  It did not help that the store was no where near the strip hotels.

With regards to TMobile.

• good general coverage
• get ATT if you plan to be going to Alaska, as TMobile coverage is poor
• I assume these are "prepaid" SIM cards.  Do your research.  I found some US SIM cards do NOT allow you call back to Canada.  You need to get $5 phone card to make calls out of the US.

[xl]

Do research Roam Mobility as an option for the lower 48, while you are still in Canada.

• Roam Mobility is a Canadian provider (Vancouver) that runs on the same TMobile network  http://www.roammobility.com/
• Roam Mobility DOES allow you to call back to Canada
• Roam Mobility charges by the DAY, not by the MINUTE.  So you can spend hours chatting with friends and loved ones while you in the States.  http://www.roammobility.com/plans
• Roam Mobility is offered at border crossings, airports and many Canadian retailers.  Because you have an iPhone5, I recommend visiting a retailer that can CUT the SIM to fit a Nano card slot
• do you live in Vancouver?  Foreign Electronics is a full service provider that can sell Roam Mobility and cut Nano sims for you.
  http://www.foreignelectronics.ca/
  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=55c29fc4-0638-4790-83bd-4023fced4df4

[USGirl]

Okay....so to clarify....I have an IPhone 5....I want to activate it on the straight talk network with the new bring your own phone program....would that work? The kit provides sims for at&t and T-Mobile devices....

[NFtoBC]

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@USGirl wrote:
Okay....so to clarify....I have an IPhone 5....I want to activate it on the straight talk network with the new bring your own phone program....would that work? The kit provides sims for at&t and T-Mobile devices....

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AT&T is a Telus roaming partner, so there should be zero compatibility issues using that network and SIM. 

I'm unsure about T-Mobile.