Blade from Switzerland - any problems unlocking the newer versions?

[Guest quilan]

Hello, noob here

I intend to buy a Blade in Switzerland as my first smartphone and I'm pretty new to all android/rooting/ROM thing (although technically inclined ).

As I understand unlocking a simlcok blade is pretty easy but reading the Modaco wiki it says that (some?) Swiss firmwares(*) do not allow unlocking...

My questions:

1. is unlocking possible with these newer versions at all (say, through a firmware update, custom ROM etc)?

2. how hard/complicated is it?

3. Should I prefer one shop over the other (Orange/Ok mobile)?

4. If someone knows: how's its availability right now in Switzerland?

I just don't want to find out back home that I've burned 160$ on a useless brick...

thanks everyone

(*) Does 'firmware' here refer to ROM? as I see the two terms sometime used interchangeably and sometimes not.

Edited September 11, 2011 by quilan

[Guest hedgepigdaniel]

Hello, noob here

I intend to buy a Blade in Switzerland as my first smartphone and I'm pretty new to all android/rooting/ROM thing (although technically inclined ).

As I understand unlocking a simlcok blade is pretty easy but reading the Modaco wiki it says that (some?) Swiss firmwares(*) do not allow unlocking...

My questions:

1. is unlocking possible with these newer versions at all (say, through a firmware update, custom ROM etc)?

2. how hard/complicated is it?

3. Should I prefer one shop over the other (Orange/Ok mobile)?

4. If someone knows: how's its availability right now in Switzerland?

I just don't want to find out back home that I've burned 160$ on a useless brick...

thanks everyone

(*) Does 'firmware' here refer to ROM? as I see the two terms sometime used interchangeably and sometimes not.

1. I haven't heard of any blades that cannot be unlocked. The only one that needs a slightly different method is the greek one.

2. Very easy, you can download an app from market that will give you an unlock code

*. personally I use firmware to refer to the lower level memory (not the ROM), including the bootloader and radio etc, but others use it to refer to the ROM.

[Guest swisstourist]

i have 2 OSF purchased at orange switzerland , on line.

took me 30 minutes to unlock and install gingerbread .

how to do it?.

1-unlock it.website to unlock is on modaco...everything is on madaco and free.

2-erase all file on the sd card when phone plug to ur laptop with USB cable.

3-write the 2-3 files on the sd card, clockwork,.. after rooting the phone.(everything is on modaco, just look)

4-restart the phone power+vol down to go to clockwork

5-in clockwork look for the zip file and install the 2.2 rom swedish spring or another rom.

6-then if u want , u can upade to 2.3.4 gsf with a file called "image", everything is on modaco, just search.

i tell you, will take maybe 3-4 hours first time just to understand...took me a while and some frustration because you need to erase all files of Orange on ur sd card or it doesnt install clockwork and u will waste your time to look around why it s not working....,

then 30 minutes with my second blade.got 2 phones for gift.if u have problem PM me.

Edited September 13, 2011 by swisstourist

[Guest yogayogi]

Bought in Switzerland in June. At that time, 2 choices existed:

- Orange shops PAYG for CHF 129 - BUT no shop within 60Km (Zurich, Luzern, Zug) had stock: you had to reserve and I waited over a month.

- KKiosk (OK mobile) PAYG for CHF 169 (including CHF60 credit); in stock at many outlets.

Given the £ is even weaker than usual, may be cheaper buying from the UK?

hope that helps.

And yes, unlocking was so easy: though if you intend to use the SF in CH you should check the legality (I've heard the Swiss may take breach of contract terms more seriously than the Brits?)

[Guest quilan]

Thanks a lot everyone for the excellent replies and help regarding unlocking (I've seen the posts a few days ago but couldn't log in for some reason).

Unfortunately, my "contact" couldn't get his hands on one during his stay in Switzerland so I'll have to try and get it from the UK...