How long does it take to unlock mobile phone to accept all other providers SIM's

Andy From Sligo

Hi, been on to Tesco Mobile ireland chat today to get my Samsung A52 5G unlocked for all networks. All conditions have been met its all out of contract etc this is reply :

Your request Number is xxxxxxxx and you would receive it in 14-21 days, Usually it 3-5 working days. Since this is a Samsung device it would take this long

am surprised I thought I could get it unlocked today. - isnt it that I could take it into any of the mobile phone shops and get it unlocked to all networks on the spot? - why is it taking 3-5 working days for tesco to send me the code then?

pizzahead77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058389938/how-long-does-it-take-to-unlock-mobile-phone-to-accept-all-other-providers-sims

They have to request it from Samsung from what I understand

ScotsGoneIRE

it’s a older model so it should be a couple of days internal processing.

Newer models ie $150 top up for a new release would go to Samsung, or on a rare occasion the IMEI is. It showing in Tesco volume database.

It’s ridiculous you can port a lot easier than unlock and mostly all Telco Regulators including Comreg haven’t addressed this overlap, frankly a port request should automatically include a handset unlock code as not to burden a consumer from moving in my opinion.

ScotsGoneIRE

is not showing^ autocorrect eyeroll

Andy From Sligo

so I couldn't just go into town like on a Monday morning if I wanted to into a mobile phone shop and go "can you unlock this phone for me" and get it done on the spot? - no?

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123074586#Comment_123074586

Yeah it might be possible, depends if they have that model jailbreak.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123074594#Comment_123074594

ah right I was about to say that if a shop could unlock it on the spot then why will it take so long for Tesco Mobile to send out the unlock code - but there you go i suppose the shops dont go down the official route then if thats the case

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123074654#Comment_123074654

Because Tesco Mobile's support is a big engine. It takes time for the message get around to the different parts to find the right person who has the right information.

You go into a mobile specialist in town, you are talking to the guy with the right information right there. Assuming you are talking to the Organ Grinder, not one of the monkeys.

Andy From Sligo

a little bit later if i got it it might have been unlocked. - I bought it in Sept 2021 and I think by EU law after December 2021 all phones sold had to be sold unlocked/not locked to network is that right?

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123074698#Comment_123074698

you make it sound like a professional organisation lol

Purple Mountain

How does one check if their Samsung is unlocked already?

I honestly can't remember if I bought it in the provider's shop or in a Carphone Warehouse.

I'm tempted by the Sky Mobile offer. What network do they use or is it their own?

Does anyone have any experience of them?

pizzahead77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123074892#Comment_123074892

I thin the only way is to insert a sim from another network

I've seen this posted online but not sure of its validity

1. Open Settings
2. Tap ‘Connections’, ‘Network and internet’, or other similar label
3. Tap ‘Mobile network’, or similar
4. Tap ‘Choose network’ or ‘Automatically select network’. If your phone shows several available networks, it’s unlocked. If you can only select one, however, then it’s locked to that one.

I'm almost sure thgat any Samsung for the past coupel of years would be unlocked.

SKy use the Vodafone network - there's a long thread on them already -

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058367294/sky-mobile-coming-to-ireland

The €15 pm for life offer is supposed to end on Jan 31

ScotsGoneIRE

Yup even Comreg UK counterpart Ofcom don’t it post Brexit to align with consumer choice

ScotsGoneIRE

Quote failed ^ Andy.

Here’s the U.K. info post Brexit aligning with EU on the matter.

https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/29otckqx2h8okpx1a9hq8/news/ofcom-aligns-uks-locked-mobile-rules-with-eu-regulations

ScotsGoneIRE

Ofcom DONE it^

Arreggggh autocorrect.

Purple Mountain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123074927#Comment_123074927

After much googling there's a lot of bad feedback on Sky mobile.

Andy From Sligo

whenever anyone is thinking of switching mobile providers its always pretty good to check out the coverage map at your home address and where you will be using your mobile the most (say at work or a different address) and how good at least 3G/4G & 5G signal is, I know its an outside values but you should get an idea even if you were inside the house or work and had to move towards the window to get a good mobile signal. You don't want to change mobile phone network provider only to find out the signal is crap in your area or sketchy.

https://coveragemap.comreg.ie/

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123075176#Comment_123075176

it’s a American conglomerate. It goes with the territory

Andy From Sligo

Thank you everyone for your answers. - I got an email today from Tesco Mobile , they had checked the IMEI and the phone is already unlocked (which leads me to think that the phone couldnt have even been locked to Tesco mobile in the first place then!) they just told me to try another provider SIM into the phone to check. I might get a €10 prepay one from eir mobile then to check it out next time I am in town from their shop - I know theres no data or sms included in that but its just to try out and see if the phone is indeed unlocked (unless someone knows a better way or better SIM deal to see if phone is indeed unlocked) - I think I see up in norn ireland you can pick up a SIM for free at the till of like these pound shops and just top it up if you want to make calls , anything similar down here in the ROI or do you have to buy SIM's ?

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123076747#Comment_123076747

€10 for nothing to Eir, no wonder Tesco seen you coming.

I think (when I arrived years ago Ire) I bought my Three prepay for a euro or less - at some random small convenience grocery shop chain, infact it might have been a petrol station. I choose data over anything so Tree it was.

Many local convenience stores, supermarkets, petrol stations sell them, just ask if you can’t see them. Your local shop probably does and you’ve never noticed lol.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123077204#Comment_123077204

well ….. 3,000 Irish minutes that's what they give you on the €10 SIM only. - No data or texts. I will see how eir signal is physically in my area if its OK then I will most probably go for the €20 a month package.

Strangely enough in this day and age I dont know why providers are charging for Data and SMS messages anyway because I thought i read somewhere it costs them no more to supply Data and SMS along with the cellular signal - I suppose its their way of making extra money.

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123077506#Comment_123077506

I’d never advise to test a network solely on voice in a smartphone, esp a VoLTE provisioned provider as mobile tech is going everything over IP (like Fibre & digital landlines) and switched circuit 2/3G lapses into obscurity.

Texts, calls & data all have interconnection fees at business level, calls are probably the most expensive but they all cost & data volumes cost, more so since ASA stripped unlimited as limited away from telcos, compound that with EU Directives and prices will go up over time, “for life” will be that, until you change plan or for that matter any change where they can ram new T&C down your throat, for example they could do that for 5G Stand Alone access which requires a new full 5G sim whereas Non Stand Alone 5G handshakes over 4G first.

swings and roundabouts for consumers.

Defo try a data inclusive bundle/plan sim, Voda or Eir or its GoMo division.

Also consider does your Tesco Mobile provided Samsung phone support all networks bands before choosing a network.

Vodafone prepaid ‘chat extra’ gives €10 credit a month for 12 months at €20 10GB (EU roaming), 4G+(LTE) 10000 Anytime minutes and texts to any network, try it for 2 weeks and if it suits coverage the 12m sim Sky €15 on Voda unlimited data is available until 30th Jan, worth considering.

Or perhaps the Chat Extra $20/28 days 10GB 10000 units/€10 credit suits your use and continue that, same price as Eir but double the minutes and some data.

If Tesco had good coverage Three would have better with VoLTE prepaid €25

Three Connect Complete

€25

• Data (ROI)All You Can Eat
• Data (EU)32 GB
• MinutesUnlimited
• Texts3000
• International minutes100
• Three+ rewardsDive into a world of rewards*

*Rewards https://plus.three.ie/home

Maybe worth the €5 more a month over Eire and you already know the worst Three coverage with Tesco, also I like the Three prepaid addons include international availability ontop of 100 minutes in the plan which is better than Billpay 24m €24.99 plan which gives 200 mins/texts & unlimited data.

https://www.three.ie/legal/terms/three-prepay-add-ons.html

ScotsGoneIRE

^https://www.three.ie/pdfs/legal/prepay-price-guide-p-jan-2025.pdf

100 mins international included but you can buy a €5 100 mins booster as needed, includes EU/UK/USA/New Zealand/Australia etc.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123077945#Comment_123077945

thanks for that extensive information some good advice there. its a shame i have been put off tesco mobile now because we were without signal of tesco mobile and 48 and three in the area (and they all share the three mast in the area) that was bad enough because we were without a mobile signal for days whilst Vodafone and Eir had signal when I went into the mobile network settings on the phone … and then off again for days recently I think thats the last straw . i think its time for a change , so going on the comreg signal checker where we live the eir signal looks good and if they offer VoLTE and VoWifi that will be even better (if they do) I will soon know anyway the SIM should come either tomorrow or next day - i will pop it in phone and see what happens ….. and also intrigued to see if the VoLTE and VoWifi magically appear in the menus.

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123078244#Comment_123078244

Yup that’s why I always have dual sim in motion, Three prepaid & Vodafone €20 unlimited in a (5G Mifi), or as is just now roaming I have used a borrowed o2 sim & Sky Ire as back up both using o2, moved to a EE MVNO 50GB £8 and the Sky Ire for roaming back up.

Will probably use GoMo Eir myself as my main and Sky as my back up on return. Or Sky main & GoMo or Three/48 as back up.

I’m undecided but experienced with Voda/Three and was rarely without a signal on one, where the 5G Mifi provides VoWifi in the odd black spot on Three. It’s all down to personal experience on device/network bands & coverage need really.

Remember being U.K. based after Australia when Orange & T-Mobile merged and roaming was great until they started to close many Orange base stations down then it was hell, even more hell getting out a 24m Orange contract they couldn’t provide service & the T-M replacement service was kak, although the £10 T-Mobile contract I had for Unlimited 3G was used as broadband and as it was stationery was excellent, mobile not so, the legal team eventually let me out the Orange contract but the nonsense they were repeatedly telling me about contract law was beyond comical, legal craic indeed, the type they must have been snorting.

I would say for you have a backup redundancy 4/5G solution tied to your broadband on Vodafone of Three kept going down and you are going Eir mobile (both broadband & network can go down locally) you can get basic 4G LTE routers for €50 and just pop down to the shop and get a Voda sim and top up €20 if it ever occurs, or do a permanent redundancy with Sky £15 or Voda own Clear Mobile MVNO from €12.99 (if you port) or €14.99.

Having a redundancy LTE or 5G Fixed Wireless Access modem/router available even if it’s a local shop visit for a Vodafone sim & €20 unlimited data prepay is essential when you tie both main mobile driver & broadband to same company, so you have data facility to connect Eir VoWiFi to the network, as you found out recently with Three issues.

Also if it happens you can have a standby Mifi you can take outdoors for ability to take calls till you have actual network coverage again.

PS) How’s the father’s airport these days?

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123078490#Comment_123078490

thank you , a lot of that went over my head - I will just try the eir mobile sim for now and see how I get on …. obviously if they didnt do a good job on the three mast and it goes off for days in the next winds and I am with eir and the signal is still there I will be rubbing my hands with glee .

Fathers airport? - knock you mean? - if so , they are still charging €10 departure fee…. but they are installing a shelter at the moment so it will be covered when walking out to the planes - progress!
… departure fee most probably go up to €15 now

CollyFlower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123076747#Comment_123076747

Order a free Sim from 48 and you can test it out, you'll get 1gb free data.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123078709#Comment_123078709

Ive decided on eir mobile at the moment , €10 basic sim just to try it out, should get it in post tomorrow or next day - 48 uses the local three mast/signal here and it was out of order for days in December and just recently no mobile signal again for days - cant be dealing with that any more .

ScotsGoneIRE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123078663#Comment_123078663

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123078663#Comment_123078663

They really should name the airport back to him.

Well that’s a better departure tax the Northern Ireland & Scotland got from southern Brexit. I prefer walking to the plane, after being stuck in an airport for a few hours a few deep breaths of fresh air is paramount before breathing in kerosene engulfed ‘oxygen’.

Ah don’t worry about it, most the mobile technical things I talk of go over people’s head, your the majority not a minority hahah ;)