Expert: DebiN - 8/7/2009

Question
QUESTION: I was wondering if I could use an unlocked motorola moto q with my ntelos service.  i currently have a blackberry 8703e and so i dont even have a sim card. trying to get a different phone on ebay without paying a million dollars!!! thanks for your help!!!

ANSWER: You cannot use a GSM phone with CDMA service, so you will not be able ot use the Motorola Q that you were looking at. You will need to get a phone from Ntelos. You don't have a SIM because they use CDMA service, so all those unlocked GSM phones will not work for you. I know you don't want to pay a lot, but you do need to get your phone from your carrier or at least one that was origianlly from your carrier. Thanks. DebiN

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Under the description of the phone, it said CDMA. Is it possible or just a mistake?

Answer
No, that's a good thing then. If it is the CDMA version of the Motorola Q, then if it were flashed to Ntelos and they sell this phone, then you could use it. If they don't or never have sold a Motorola Q, there is no image that it can be flashed to and therefore if you bought the phone expecting to have it flashed to Ntelos, you wouldn't be able to properly. It might work, but only for voice services. In the CDMA world, unlocked doesn't mean what it does in GSM. An unlocked GSM phone will work with any carrier's SIM, but not an unlocked CDMA phone. CDMA phones have to be flashed to a particular carrier. If I were you, I would not buy this device as the chances of it working for you are very slim. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN