n00b question. Paypal donation if you can help!

[wintech]

1. Nokia charger compatibility

I noticed on the Nokia website that there is no additional information on the ACP-12U charger. I was wondering if it will charge a Nokia 3390 or a 8890 without damaging it.

I've tried a charge on each phone onces and it seems to be okay. Can anyone tell me the difference between the ACP-8U and the ACP-12U?

2. If I unlocked a phone from one provider and use it with another provider. Could the former provider "trace" my phone somehow and land me in legal troubles?

What happens if I two people were using the same phone from the same provider? (Switching back and forth.)

In essence, can service providers detect serial numbers and IMEIs.

Thanks.

[Thanh]

Hi there :)

I also don't know the specific difference between those chargers, but i can tell you that you may charge ANY Nokia with ANY Nokia charger.
The chargers from older models do charge newer phones with no problems as all Nokia's which i know use the same battery voltage (ok, the 6610/721 and the like got 0.1 volt more... screw it) and the same charger connection. You may encounter differences in charging times, but that's it.
One exception are the phones 5110 and 5130 which for some reason (i asked that in a thread but never got an answer) only charge with their specific chargers, but even those chargers will charge any other Nokia w/o any problem. You certainly won't damage anything.

Unlocking a phone, as long as you did not change it's IMEI, is not illegal by law. It may interfer with terms and coinditions from your service provider, but the max they can do is terminate your service, which is unlikely. They won't (can't) land you in legal trouble.

Your phone can be used by a billion people with a billion different SIM cards...... there is no restriction.

Yes, the provider is able to track your IMEI (which IS the serial number, btw...) because whenever your phone logs into the network, the IMEI will be sent so the network "knows" it is your phone. However, "tracking" an IMEI to "locate" a phone can (will) only be done on court order. You got to be a terrorist or big Mafia boss in order to trigger such a trace. Don't worry about it :)

I hope i was of help....
Kond regards
Thanh

[bobl]

You got to be a terrorist or big Mafia boss in order to trigger such a trace.

Oh dear...

/me starts to run

Comforting words Thanh

:)

Cheers

Bob

[wintech]

Thanks. Wow, the two phone "gurus" I know are from Bangkok heh.

Just one more question... where did you learn this? Is there a site which you read this up? (IMEIs, etc.?)

What are the advantages of changing an IMEI? I saw that there are a lot of sites that offer hardware for this.

Do they trace your last IMEI with the phone or do they have a history?

Thx.

Oh, and give me your PP account. =p

[Thanh]

Hi there :)
Well, i LIVE in Bangkok, but i'm from germany..... never the less, i learned all this stuff here in BKK mostly by reading this forum :) Before i only used the phones, but now i'm also messing around with them, fixing tc...... i have always been a electronic guy, in germany i was CB radio operator (which i can't be here 'coz the 11 meters band doesn't exist in thailand) and computer freak. well, now i am still computer freak (not a geek, though) and made that my profession, and to fill in (everybody needs a hobby, right?) i started tinkering with phones, which come right in the middle between a computer and a CB radio.
About this IMEI changing thing, first, in most countries this is ILLEGAL and mostly used to "re-animate" a stolen phone which has been blacklisted and barred via it's IMEI. Of course, there are legal uses, such as actually fixing a REALLY damaged or dead phone, such as after a flashing procedure, or after changing the main PCB. But as long as a phone is not, for what ever reason, blacklisted/barred, there is no need to ever change the IMEI as it does not bring any advantage.
The IMEI is to the phone what a license plate is to a car - changing it gives it a new identity. The providers/networks won't be able to keep a "history" of a phone, as it is identified only via it's IMEI.... changing IMEI makes it "another" phone, so the original sinmply gets lost.
Sadly in todays times crime rates are rising and more and more phones get robbed, specially here in Thailand where it is easy to sell them. Changing IMEI is a way for the buyer of that phone to escape the risk of being cought with a stolen phone, hence they do it here. But when your phone is ;legal, you never need to change it. Even unlocking/flashing does not require a new IMEI, after flashing you should always use the original IMEI which is printed on that sticker in the back of the phone, under it's battery.
BTW what do you mean with PP account? I don't have any such thing - what is that?
Kind regards....
your Thanh

[bobl]

@Thanh

wintech offered a donation if you helped him :)

PP = Paypal

If you have a paypal account he will pay you a small amount of money.

However, I don't think he was being serious :P

Cheers

Bob

[wintech]

So from what you're saying, flashing destroys the IMEI and you can just plug your own in?!

No wonder so many phones are lost. They should have it etched in the hardware.

It's funny how people say that changing the IMEI is illegal; however, there are no ways of enforcing it.

Thanks for all your answers!

[bobl]

All very true...

But that's the crazy world we live in mate :)

Flashing doesn't necessarilly destroy the IMEI, and you can change the IMEI without flashing...

But that's a minor point :)

Cheers

Bob