Hey folks of Tek Syndicate!
My current phone is on it's last breath of life and I want to get a new phone to replace it until the Nexus 5(2014 Edition) arrives, but I really want it to be on T-Mobile because my current provider is absolutely terrible(Virgin Mobile).
I'm not looking to spend anymore than ~$80 because I plan to replace it with this year, so I plan to purchase the LG Optimus F6 from MetroPCs and use it on T-Mobile.
My only concern is that I've read mixed reports that say phones from MetroPCs work on T-Mobile and others that say they don't. Does anyone here have any personal experience with using a MetroPCs phone to T-Mobile?
If not, what is the process of unlocking a phone from MetroPCs, more specifically the LG Optimus F6?
It's a bit complicated, but short answer is yes.
Well, outside of carrier unlocking, there is an issue with radios. Take the following with a grain of salt, as I'm recalling this off the top of my head from various articles a read a while back: T-Mobile did buy out Metro (probably for their 4G spectrum license), but Metro runs on an entirely different cell technology. As a result, Metro, which used to run on a CDMA network (like Sprint), while be transitioning to a GSM technology to make things more cost effective in the long run for T-Mobile. So, because of this transition, some Metro phones work with T-Mobile, others don't.
I'd double check the radio compatibility (look for AWS compatiblity), but I would imagine that the LG Optimus F6 would work fine considering the Metro version is GSM, and T-Mobile also offers it on their end. It's likely the phones are nearly identical (only software differences), if not very similar. So carrier unlocking should be the only obstacle, but I couldn't imagine that being too much trouble since you aren't in a contract.
One last thing to note is the F6 is $100 up front on Metro, you stated an $80 limit, and MIR's are a little bit of a gamble; I normally don't consider MIR (Mail-In Rebate) as a discount, as they normally take a long time to receive, generally a big hassle, and companies aren't obligated to fulfill them, so it's always a little bit of a gamble if you're banking on a post MIR price. I mean, more often than not you do get them, but they're still a hassle, and still take some time to process and mail back to you, and it may be a giftcard instead of a check.
I'm okay with spending an extra $20 upfront if need be, but how would I go about a carrier unlock?
I haven't done it before though, so I'm not 100% sure on the specifics of a carrier unlock, but if it is locked, simply ask Metro. It should be as simple as punching the code they give you.