confusion about activating phones on sprint network

neildavid · #1 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:34 PM

i recently purchased a used apache to use with Sprint PCS. unfortunately the phone i bought was sold with a bad ESN. the only sprint apache available happened to be the one i purchased. there is a qwest and a verizon available. i've seen a lot of conflicting answers floating around about this and i figured that this was the best place to actually get a reliable one. if i unlock either the verizon or the qwest phones, will sprint actually let me ativate it?

**PDAPhoneJunkie** · #2 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:42 PM

It's not really "Unlocking" it. The CDMA system is much different than the GSM. You don't just "unlock" and then use it on another carrier. The only way you can force a bad ESN onto Sprint is by cloning the ESN of a phone that is still good, but problems can come there too. Or if you know someone on the inside who doesn't mind getting fired they might be able to add an ESN from the Verizon or Qwest phone.

Also, if you bought the phone on eBay and it didn't say there was a bad ESN, file a claim against the guy.

neildavid · #3 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:48 PM

ok. the esn of that phone wasn't bad. my mistake for saying that. it is "in use by another account and needs to be released before it could be activated".

pio_masaki · #4 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:52 PM

I know that line. It's a Qwest phone ESN that you're trying to activate. Sprint will NOT activate a qwest esn since they own a certain portion of esns on the network, they will not do anything about it. If the guy sold you the phone as a sprint phone or that it will activate on sprint, talk to him about it, I'd say send back your phone and get your money back.

Other option, wait until Qwest finishes moving over to verizon and hope they release the esns they "own".

Last option (illegal) as mentioned before, clone an exisiting sprint (clean and clear esn) phone's esn into the apache, I did this once for giggles and it worked fine. As far as I know this option isn't to be discussed here in terms of how to do it. If you want information on this, google it or talk to me off the forums.

The verizon phone won't be allowed on sprint at all, unless you do the clone to it, either way, both phones won't work on sprint without some tinkering.

**JAVIERBOND007** · #5 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neildavid

ok. the esn of that phone wasn't bad. my mistake for saying that. it is "in use by another account and needs to be released before it could be activated".

Where did you purchase the phone?

neildavid · #6 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:55 PM

i purchased the phone from zendoo. its on its way back right now.

pio_masaki · #7 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:58 PM

So did they specifically say it is usable on sprint?

neildavid · #8 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 05:04 PM

they said it would work fine on sprint. it was also listed under the sprint section of there phones. but it came to me with a big Qwest logo on the front of it. they gave me the option of returning it or exchanging it. i would prefer to just exchange it, but if its not possible to activate one from another carrier than i'll just get my money back and look elsewhere. i also really appreciate the swift responses by all of you.

**PDAPhoneJunkie** · #9 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 06:25 PM

I would just keep it and Clone... The Apache is a great Machine...

pio_masaki · #10 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 07:31 PM

I hope the seller understands that just because a qwest phone uses sprint's network and sprint has the esn in their system, doesn't mean you can use it on sprint instead of qwest. IMO get another 6700 or clone the one you have, but thats just my (and apparently PDA's) opinion. Cloning isn't as hard as some think on these phones.