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My Cellphone My Terms

Purchasing Unlocked Cell Phones in Canada

Posted on February 3rd, 2010Kye Husbands
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3 Things you need to consider before your purchase

With Bell and TELUS having upgraded their network technology to HSPA it now means the Big 3 cell phone carriers (Bell, Rogers, Telus) have compatible 3G networks.   For us – subscribers – we now have the ability to purchase unlocked phones and activate them on “any” of the carriers’ networks or take an existing compatible device and activate it with any carrier. So what’s the catch? Well, unless you are a tech wizard, this process can be very confusing.  The good news, however, is that the stage is set for Canada’s cell phone gray market (i.e. swapping/activating of cell phones between carriers) to increase, but before purchasing an unlocked phone or having one unlocked, you must do your homework first.  In addition to getting the technical details right other potential issues could be purchasing a stolen or fraudulently obtained device so if it’s too good to be true it probably is.

Navigating the unlocked cell phone market can be tricky for customers that aren’t tech savvy so let let’s break it down. The first thing you need to know is that all cellular devices sold by Bell, Rogers or Telus are locked to their network, hence the need to purchase an unlocked cellphone from some other source or have a compatible device unlocked in order to use it.  In Europe it is illegal for a carrier to lock phones to their network but in Canada that’s not the case, so before you purchase that new cell phone you need to be sure it will work on the cell phone provider’s network.

Step 1: Make sure the cell phone is compatible with the carrier’s network

So how do you know if your cell phone is compatible with the cell phone provider’s network?  In order to check compatibility you have to check your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment ID) number to determine if it will work on their network.  The IMEI number is a 15-18 digit number that uniquely identifies every device and is located on the back of your device. If you have a CDMA device it will not be compatible on the newer 3G networks but some unlocked CDMA devices can be activated between Bell and Telus and vice versa.  One quick litmus test is whether or not your cellphone uses a SIM card.  CDMA devices do not have a SIM but rather an ESN number on the back of the phone, whereas GSM/HSPA devices have the IMEI number.  If 3G is where you’re at and you have the IMEI number you can check the compatibility of your device with the carrier.  Most new smart phones will be compatible on Bell, Rogers or Telus’ new 3G network. At the time of writing Wind Mobile is operating in the Toronto and Calgary area. Wind Mobile runs an AWS (Advanced Wireless Spectrum) network. Without going into too much detail, Wind Mobile’s network runs on a 1700 MHZ frequency.  This is probably a good time to mention that the iPhone will not work on Wind Mobile’s network.  Given the infancy of Wind Mobile’s network I thought it would be useful to list a few options that are compatible on their network as of writing. There are the Nokia 900, Google Nexus (rumor has it Wind Mobile will carry this device first) and any T-mobile US unlocked 3G phone. 

NOTE: If you purchase a device before checking the IMEI number and it happens to be stolen the carrier it was stolen from will have that device flagged in their database. In the near future, however, there is a very likely possiblity that the Big3 may come together to compare notes. In otherwords, set up a Global database of IMEI numbers which would thwart movement between carriers, making your new – albeit stolen - device useless.  So in short, before you make your purchase get the IMEI number, call the carrier and check for compatibility or you might just waste $400+ dollars. 

Step 2: Purchase a SIM card from the carrier you plan on activating with

You can do this online with any of the providers or you can purchase from any of their retail locations. A SIM card allows you to connect your mobile device to the cell phone provider’s network. A SIM card will costs you anywhere from $10 – $50.  If you already have the device or have a friend with the same device you can have the carrier insert a test SIM card to check if the device will function as expected. This is the surest way to confirm compatibility but may not be practical in many instances.

Step 3: Find a cell phone plan and activate your device.

This is where the rubber may appear to come off the road. Why?  Well, because the major carriers will only offer promotional plan pricing – plans available for the phone on discount – if you are willing to activate your smart phone on a combo plan (i.e. voice and data plan) with a 3 year contract.  The way they justify it, is that you will get a discounted rate for committing to a term of 3 years – nothing shorter. A combo plan is a plan that has voice and data already, so if you are willing to sign a 3 year contract, despite the fact that you already own your unlocked cell phone, you will qualify for the promotional pricing. If you don’t agree and believe me, this is a point of contention, you will have to purchase a voice plan separately and the data plan separately which will costs you more money per month than the combo plan.

So there you have it, the savings for going with the promotional pricing just seem to contradict the very reason that you bought the unlocked phone outright. As a Canadian cell phone subscriber I feel like my hands are tied once again. My decision is easy, however, I will eat the extra $5 or $10 per month, forgo the promotional pricing and keep my freedom. That way if something better surfaces at any time, I am free to go. At the time of writing these are the cards we were dealt, but hopefully things will change – SOON. If you’re in the same position let me know what you decide and share your experience with all.

23 comments Industry News, The Cell Phone Blog , ,
  • Darryl

    Great blog! I know that finding the IMEI numberc an be an issue for many phones. Did you know that you can find your IMEI number by keying *#06# in your phone.

  • Paul Cordingley

    Great information. I’m currently stuck in limbo as my 3 year contract has expired with Rogers. I still have my Motorola V360, but I want to move to a smartphone. I’ve been considering the iphone (I run a small printing company, but near retirement, but my son tells me to wait for the Nexus. (I would have conidered the Blackberry if they had a model with a slide-out qwerty keyboard, the current keyboards are too small for my arthritic thumbs.)
    Do you have any idea if & when Wind Mobile will carry this phone?
    Thanks for any help you can share with me.
    Paul

  • Linda

    Thanks Darryl for that trick because I just found my old iPhone and now I can check if it is compatible with my new plan at Bell. I just did it and it worked!

  • http://myterms.com Iain

    Kye, a great post. My family are currently finishing four three year contracts with Rogers. I am fed up of being ripped off and would like to buy unlocked iphones or Blackberrys so that when I/we travel abroad we can use local providers. The problem is that I can not find a Canadian provider that will give me a monthly arrangement for phone and data. They are all pushing the promotional pricing. Advice on service providers would be appreciated. What about virgin? When you activate an unlocked phone with a provider in Canada does that lock your phone to that provider? Thanks.

  • Kye

    Hi Iain,
    Thanks for reading the blog. To answer your question when you activate an unlocked phone with any of the carriers they cannot lock it to their network. They will however, lock you into a 3 year contract if you take the promotional pricing as I mentioned in the blog. As a heads up, one of our customers shared this with us, but we are yet to test it. Apparently, if you purchase a device from any of the carriers and you have been with them for more than three months you can call in, tell them you are traveling to Europe and need to purchase SIM cards while abroad to manage your costs and they will unlock your device for you. If anyone tries this and it works please let us all know.

  • diane

    I have found a new blackberry (supposedly unlocked) to purchase that is very reasonably priced. I don’t have any need for a data plan – however – I have read that I can access the internet via wifi at no cost. I’m not in the least bit teckie – so I wonder if you know the answer to this? Many thanks.

  • admin

    Hi Diane,
    Thank you for your comment/question.
    You didn’t say what type of BlackBerry you are purchasing so that will be key.
    Some BlackBerry’s have Wifi capability where as others don’t.
    if you have checked and it does, like let’s say the Bold 9700, then you can get a plan without data and use Wifi where available.
    Just so you know, Blackberry devices in general don’t use as much data as other smartphones so a 500MB plan will likely be more than enough for you to check your email and browse the internet.
    Let me know if this helps. You can always send an email to us directly through support@mycellmyterms.com
    Cheers,

    Kye

  • Larry

    Kye,

    I’ve completed my prison term with Rogers and am now running month to month with my Blackberry Pearl. If I go out and buy an unlocked Blackberry Bold or Storm as a replacement,can I just swap the Sim card out of the old and into the new, or do I need to go visit my friendly Rogers rep?

    Larry

  • admin

    Hi Larry,
    Sorry for the delay in responding here.
    If you purchase an unlocked Bold 9700 you are good to go and once you get your new plan they will provide you with a SIM card.
    Keep us posted.
    Kye

  • James Carter

    Hi i was wondering if i could let say buy a cell phone …let just say the milestone under a three year contract under a promotional price ….could i some how unlock that device and use it in South Asia ( Pakistan to be exact) buy using a local SIM card from Pakistan …will there be any functions of the phone that i would not be able to use …where do i get a phone unlocked? Will telus be able to do that or i can have it done elsewhere and How much $$ to unlock the safest way cost aprox. …Thanks very insight full blog

  • Meg

    Hi ! (First, sorry for my bad english, i’m francophone)
    Now that my contract is finish with bell, I want to change my cell phone. They dont have great choice so at first i thought to maybe change with telus and get one of those android phones like htc hero. But, that cell phone is old and telus didnt get from HTC the upgrade for the android 2.1
    So, i decided to maybe buy a cell phone on internet like the htc hd2 (or another one) but i don’t really know how it will work after. I check his compatibility and theres a version of HSPA 850MHZ compatible with bell or telus But that cell phone come from another carrier and its unlocked. So do i have to change the ROM or something in the phone?

  • Tyler

    Hi, I would like to know plain and simple if I can purchase a phone (ie HTC legend, iPhone etc) from telus or another similar provider HSPA, CDMA and use it on the bell network as they do not use Sim cards, I’m so confused by this as I’ve been told you can and by some you can’t. What’s the truth, I wish I knew. Thanks.

  • admin

    Hi Tyler,
    Whatever phone you purchase must firstly be compatible with the carriers network and unlocked in order to work. BELL and TELUS have an online form where you can check compatibility by entering your IMEI number there. TELUS, BELL and Rogers lock phones to their network and they will not sell you an unlocked phone outright.
    Every phone works on a frequency and GSM is the international standard, so an unlocked GSM phone will work on Roger’s network and may work on TELUS’ and BELL’s new HSPA network. Before you purchase any unlocked device, you can confirm with the carrier you hope to get service with by using the same online compatibility form and entering the IMEI number.
    CDMA phones do not have an IMEI number but rather a ESN number and will not work on Roger’s network or Bell and Telus’ new HSPA network.

    Kye

  • Revera

    Kye,

    A lot of REALLY EXCELLENT information. Thank you.

    I am a very LIGHT cell phone user and am tired of paying the BIG fees with the BIG THREE. I want to move over to Virgin Prepaid, but am being told that my old Krzr K1 is too old and incompatible, yet, I am dubious. Can you offer any information about this?

    I am not looking for 3G and when I pull up the info on my phone I get EMEI number but also a CDMA/EVDO note. I am wondering, like cars/autos, do I have a hybrid? Meaning a ‘crossover’, when the models were changing?

    I want to switch from Telus Mobility ‘Plan’ to Virgin Mobile Prepaid. I have been told I cannot do it by a company that offers unlocking services. They are telling me the phone is too old. The phone in question is a MotoKrzr K1, and I actually still like it, so feel no reason to change.

  • admin

    Hi Revera,

    Thank you for your comment.
    This is not an area that I am very familiar with. (i.e. the physical unlocking of devices)
    However, i have made a call to one of our colleagues and they will let me know either way.
    Can anyone else shed any light here?

    Kye

  • chopstks

    Just wanted to share my experience. I am a big fan of UNLOCKED GSM phone since 2004. Never wanted to go back to locked phones especially Canada’s carriers are really a big rip-off and there is no freedom of communication and choice as in Asia or Europe. My unlocked phones are always manufacturer-unlocked meaning they have never been locked by carriers and straight from the manufacturer. I always buy them on the internet (local stores do carry them if you know where) and have them shipped to my door. Beware of the custom fees, shipping fees and brokerage fees but it’s worth it. With unlock phones, I can actually save up a lot of money, no contracts and swap SIM cards whenever necessary. Bear in mind that only Rogers and Fido provided SIM card in Toronto, Canada. However, with unlocked GSM phone, I can travel to places in Europe, Asia, Mexico etc and buy a cheap local SIM card. That saves huge money on international and local calls. Plus you have absolute communication freedom. Isn’t what phones are built for? My recent addition was a Windows Mobile manufacturer-unlocked touchscreen GSM smartphone (my preference over iPhone). Just popped in my $10 SIM card and buy prepaid vouchers and I am good to go. For internet connection, I use MS ActiveSync at home or office and Wifi while travelling, no data plan needed at all since I won’t be emailing on the tiny keyboard. I also subscribe to Skype so that I can make cheap international calls whenever I have free Wifi connections at overseas hotels. (Last time I checked, Skype for Windows has been withdrawn but you can still use it if you have the old application). When I need news feed, I subscribe to Tweeters so that they can send text messages to me for free.

  • Will Kuhlkamp

    Are the cell phones Petro Canada sells in conjunction with their plan locked or not?
    I think I understand the concept of owning a unlocked phone which I then can use with different Sim Cards when I travel between Canada and the USA. But where do I get a Sim Card for the services like Speak Out or Petro Mobility here in Canada without buying their phone? Or do I have to buy one of their phones with a plan and then get the phone unlocked?

  • Anne

    Great advice, thanks Kye. I read the other posts and some have advised to buy an unlocked phone from the web. I tried this last August with PURE MOBILE and never received the phone, did receive the charge on my VISA. I have been trying ever since to get the money back. My advice DO NOT USE PURE MOBILE. Does anyone have another suggestion for where to buy unlocked phones? I am in Mississauga.
    Thanks!

  • Wazo

    Hello Kye, just wanted to say thanks for the info, very very helpful. All the best!

  • Heidiandwoody

    I just purchased the i phone 3G S and their carrier is Rogers. My old cell and data plan are with Bell. How do I unlock it to use with Bell? So far it seems I have to jailbreak to unlock it but I’d rather not jailbreak it.

  • billybongjohnny

    so I get where your coming from with this blog its truly appreciated as well however in accordance to your blogs step 1, i know my imei # how do i check between carriers and or service providers how do i check the compatibility of my imei # with any of the 3 major service providers in Canada? you never mentioned that portion of the step1???

  • Rosielynn11

    i wish i had found this before buying. bought a telus pay as you go phone, realized they hve shitty service, and now im out 80 buck for the phone. i guess there is no way to do something to switch to like rogers and keep my own phone?

  • Passthesunchips

    I want to buy a Blackberry Bold 9900, this phone is available through Telus (my provider) and Bell. My friend is selling hers, and she is with Bell. I already have a Blackberry (pearl) and a SIM card. I know I would have to unlock the phone to set it up with Telus, and according to everyone I’ve talked to (cellular sales tech at Future Shop, tech at The Phone Experts) it is easy to purchase an unlock code from ebay. I looked on ebay and the ones that show up are from the states. I’m just wondering if you could walk me through the process? Or tell me if it won’t work? I don’t want to spend $400 on a fancy paperweight. Any help is appreciated.