Thinkpads Forum

Verizon charges $79 and Sprint is only $59, there is a way to unlock the card ?, thanks

Verizon charges $59/month for two year contract.

dfumento wrote:Verizon charges $59/month for two year contract.

Are you sure, they say $59 with a Voice Plan ?????

$59/month is what I pay for two year contract with the voice plan. Verizon has the best voice anyway, just get a good headset like the Moto RAZR V3c. Just make life simple with Thinkpad X60(s) w/EVDO.

Otherwise, if you want to stay with Sprint, just get one of their pcmcia cards. I had that with the Thinkpad X41 Tablet I had, but I much prefer the built-in. So convenient.

dfumento wrote:$59/month is what I pay for two year contract with the voice plan. Verizon has the best voice anyway, just get a good headset like the Moto RAZR V3c. Just make life simple with Thinkpad X60(s) w/EVDO.

Otherwise, if you want to stay with Sprint, just get one of their pcmcia cards. I had that with the Thinkpad X41 Tablet I had, but I much prefer the built-in. So convenient.

I have a Voice Plan with Cingular, and the X60 comes with EVDO integrated, so I want to use Verizon, but $80 is to much !!!

They must have HSDPA models for Cingular (and GSM) users.

I pay $27 a month after tax for unlimited data EVDO with Sprint, and their coverage is far better than Verizon, so I have a Sprint PC Card hanging out of my X60s. I sure wish I could have an internal solution

jgsx wrote:I pay $27 a month after tax for unlimited data EVDO with Sprint, and their coverage is far better than Verizon, so I have a Sprint PC Card hanging out of my X60s. I sure wish I could have an internal solution

Are you sure?, I have not been able to find a plan UNLIMITED that cheap, Sprint currently has $59.99 for unlimited + TAX, maybe you have some speacial deal ?

brosen wrote:

jgsx wrote:I pay $27 a month after tax for unlimited data EVDO with Sprint, and their coverage is far better than Verizon, so I have a Sprint PC Card hanging out of my X60s. I sure wish I could have an internal solution

Are you sure?, I have not been able to find a plan UNLIMITED that cheap, Sprint currently has $59.99 for unlimited + TAX, maybe you have some speacial deal ?

Yeah I'm sure. They have a SERO data plan that is unlimited fir 49.99, then I have several discounts on top of that taking it down to 27 after tax.

Plan aside, out of pure curiosity, I'd love to know if the card can be unlocked too.

"Unlocking" the card will do nothing to permit activation on Sprint, since no device whose ESN in not already in Sprint's database can be activated on Sprint. The only devices whose ESNs appear in the Sprint database are Sprint-branded devices.

EOMtp wrote:"Unlocking" the card will do nothing to permit activation on Sprint, since no device whose ESN in not already in Sprint's database can be activated on Sprint. The only devices whose ESNs appear in the Sprint database are Sprint-branded devices.

I won't specifically state first hand, that I know Sprint has activated non-branded ESNs, but I do know that the refusal to do so, is usually a policy decision with carriers.

This is why you sometimes hear of people getting a branded handset activated on a competing carrier. Certain dealers have certain relationships with carrier reps, and can get ESNs activated regardless of policy.

Regardless, I'd still like to know if it can be unlocked in the first place.

Thinkpad760XD wrote:I won't specifically state first hand, that I know Sprint has activated non-branded ESNs, but I do know that the refusal to do so, is usually a policy decision with carriers.

Of course it is a policy decision ... but in the case of Sprint, the policy has been implemented in their activation software, along with an explicit decision not to provide any mechanism or means for an override.

Well, [censored].

I'm still curious about whether the card could be unlocked, though. Sprint, or no.

Thinkpad760XD wrote:Well, [censored].

I'm still curious about whether the card could be unlocked, though. Sprint, or no.

I still don't understand what you're trying to 'unlock'
The card is not locked. It is a NOT a GSM device. It is up to the CDMA carrier (Verizon/Sprint) if they want to activate the device, the device itself doesn't prevent it. Neither will activate an ESN that is not in their database.

jgsx wrote:

Thinkpad760XD wrote:Well, [censored].

I'm still curious about whether the card could be unlocked, though. Sprint, or no.

I still don't understand what you're trying to 'unlock'
The card is not locked. It is a NOT a GSM device. It is up to the CDMA carrier (Verizon/Sprint) if they want to activate the device, the device itself doesn't prevent it. Neither will activate an ESN that is not in their database.

They aren't the only carriers that have EVDO coverage, but I do understand what you are saying. I'm don't intend to attempt this, I simply wonder if it's possible. I'm merely curious about the hardware, and its limitations.

So, theoretically, if one were to somehow change the carrier, flashing the card's firmware with model-specific firmware from the other carrier would be the method of making it compatible?

It's not the firmware. It is the ESN. If you could somehow change the ESN to the ESN of a good Sprint EVDO card, you would be able to use it with Sprint. I have never heard of anyone doing that before though.

Ah, ok. So, aside from the physical label sticker, and branded software (assumably), there's no other difference?

I've heard of ESN changers for handsets, although those apps are usually meant for repair techs alone (during refurbs too). I've not heard of an app for doing it on a EVDO card, but I assume it exists.

I doubt it. You're thinking about ones for GSM phones. I had a program that could change the serial # of my Samsung D500, but it didn't matter, because the subscription on the GSM phone was tied to the SIM card.

I really doubt that there is a known method of changing the ESN. The developers prob know how, but the part that holds it is prob not flashable.

I'm in the same boat. I want EVDO Rev A Internal Card for my X60 AND have it be Sprint, so I can sign up with my friend for 15$/month....yes be jealous me and my friend =p

javellan wrote:I'm in the same boat. I want EVDO Rev A Internal Card for my X60 AND have it be Sprint, so I can sign up with my friend for 15$/month....yes be jealous me and my friend =p

How are you getting it for $15/mo? I'm paying 27 after tax, and that is by far the lowest of anything that I've heard of on any sprint boards

There's a Sprint Rev A EVDO card built into the Sony VAIO TX N10 laptop. I wonder if it is the same form factor as the Verizon card in X60s, and if it could be swapped . . .

jgsx wrote:I doubt it. You're thinking about ones for GSM phones.

No, I wasn't. I was thinking of an app that changed an ESN on a CDMA phone. (Well, several. They're usually model or series specific)

jgsx wrote:I really doubt that there is a known method of changing the ESN. The developers prob know how, but the part that holds it is prob not flashable.

If CDMA phones can be flashed, then I'd bet there's an in-house app for this too.