[genki]

I want to buy a cellphone and there are two versions of the same phone I want- one from hong kong (factory unlocked), and one from Japan (which is unlocked by crackers to be used outside of Japan). Will there be a big difference between the two? I heard that sometimes phones unlocked by crackers will have some functions that you can't use, or there'll be issues with the system shutting down/rebooting often.. is this true? Is it just a minor problem? Usually, which functions will be disabled if it's unlocked by crackers?

Anyone know, or have experience with any of this?
Thanks in advance!

[DaRkViEt73]

I want to buy a cellphone and there are two versions of the same phone I want- one from hong kong (factory unlocked), and one from Japan (which is unlocked by crackers to be used outside of Japan). Will there be a big difference between the two? I heard that sometimes phones unlocked by crackers will have some functions that you can't use, or there'll be issues with the system shutting down/rebooting often.. is this true? Is it just a minor problem? Usually, which functions will be disabled if it's unlocked by crackers?

Anyone know, or have experience with any of this?
Thanks in advance!

It depends on the phone and what the unlockers did to the phone. If all they did was unlock it then it's no different than if the phone company unlocked it. The difference in FUNCTIONS has to do with the software that's loaded and that varies between the different phone providers that the phone was originally intended for.

Assuming all the unlockers did was unlock the phone, then one of the differences you can expect would be the different default language installed (chinese for HK and japanese for japan or they could of changed everything into english). The default games, ringtones and wallpapers will also be different as well as any company logos that show up everytime you turn the phone on... etc...

What I would do is buy whichever is the cheaper one for you. Afterwards if you want to customise your phone I'd do research on your phone, get ahold of whatever programs are needed for your particular model, and buy a data cable (unless it already comes with one) for that model phone so you can connect the phone to your computer. By doing all that, you can customise your phone the way you want it. Examples are replacing the language installed into your native language (assuming a language pack is available in your language), loading ringtones, games and applications, getting rid of the stupid company logos, and unlocking any hidden functions. You can also update the firmware for the phone in order to fix any bugs in the phone, improved reception, faster menus, fixing any reboot/startup problems... etc... depending on the phone model.

I use a Motorola V505 myself, and it's fully customised into what I call the "S.E.S" phone. All SES custom mp3 ringtones so it plays different SES song for each and every person in my phonebook (fortunately SES has alot of great songs ), wallpaper, screensavers and video clips are SES. The small LCD on the outside of the phone lights up with "Sea.Eugene.Shoo" when I flip the phone open. Hell, I even modded the phone so I can activate the camera and take stealth pictures if I wanted to WITHOUT having to open the phone. All menus can be accessed on the small outer 1 line LCD.

And all this is on an "old" phone. The newer phones available now can do some pretty crazy things too. Most phones can be modded, you just need to research it.

[kcinimod]

factory unlocked is usually more stable and trust worthy, because when you get it unlocked by someone there may be problems with firmware getting messed up etc.

[chicken fly lice]

im guessing you want to get the sharp v903

[erure]

im guessing you want to get the sharp v903

ya seriously that's what i think too. i know that there's factory unlocked and beta unlocked for sharp v903 and the factory unlocked is better because you can do all the things that the phone is made to do [i.e. internet, mms, etc] while beta unlocked phones have some limitations built in because they weren't perfectly unlocked.

[DaRkViEt73]

factory unlocked is usually more stable and trust worthy, because when you get it unlocked by someone there may be problems with firmware getting messed up etc.

Actually, yeah you're right. Sorry Genki, it was a late night post for me .

For new phones, it's safer to go with factory unlock. Third party unlocks would only be just as good as factory unlocks generally after the phone's been on the market for awhile and they've had time to figure out how to unlock it "properly" sometimes even in cases where a phone is largely based on previous model's software and hardware. That's why it's important for you to read up on the phone you want. A good place to go would be www.howardforums.com. They'll give you valuable feedback on whatever phone you're interested in and what can/can't be done to the phones at this present time.

[genki]

Thanks for the great long post, Darkviet! Yeah, I've decided to stick with factory unlocked phones (like from HK or european phones), rather than the Japanese version. Although it would be nice to be able to type Japanese on my phone as well, I'd rather make sure that the firmware doesn't mess up.
And holy crap, a different SES ringtone for every person in your phonebook? Impressive!

im guessing you want to get the sharp v903

^ LOL, close! I want to get the 902! Don't have the money for the 903 right now, so I think I'd be plenty satisfied with going one model down.

Thanks for the great replies everyone! I've already researched a lot on the phone I want, and will continue to do so - can find lots of valuable info on the net

[chicken fly lice]

why not get the k750i/w800i instead, more compatible programs for it, and easy as hell to use

[shinchrono]

don't forget, when you get a third-party unlocked phone, you will need to go through the hassle of setting up all of the data communication settings yourself, based on your service provider. granted, its not too difficult, but it is something to take into consideration. also, certain services you may want (like the pre-installed AIM, arguably the only phoneAIM worth using, etc.) won't work, but third-party software can usually take care of this. its just a lot more trouble, but if you're dealing with a phone that isn't available in the US i say its worth it ^^;

[kcinimod]

i do believe the sharp phones that are from hk, do have japanese language setting.