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Edited March 20, 2024
at 10:38 PM
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https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sams...Id=6530811
S23 for $299
S23+ for $399
S23 ultra for $549
IMO great price for S23U
The VZW S23 is $50 more. VZW one unlocks after 60 days even if you cancel the account. For ATT read below for instant unlock.
1. There are two timelines for the cancellation. If you cancel a line before 3 days it was active then the activation fee is waived. If you cancel it within 14 days from activation under buyers remorse then no bill is charged but activation fees need to be paid. The line activates on right when you place the order not the day you receive the phone on hand so you might have to pay the activation fee of $35.
2. You can get a new number in a best buy store or you can use a tello number and port to ATT to do this all online but you would have to make sure porting is successful by going to
https://www.att.com/portstatus/.
3. You can use SIM swap method method to unlock the device.
4. When you receive the phone activate it on ATT with the SIM provided. Make sure it shows up on myATT app/in the web so ATT knows and registers the IMEI in the network. Then put the SIM in another unlocked phone, reboot, make some calls and make sure this unlocked phone is now showing under the line in app/web portal.
5. Now go to ATT unlock portal
https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/ and then choose not an ATT customer and use the IMEI of s23 and submit an unlock request.
6.Confirm the unlock request email and receive the unlock code.
7. Only cancel the line after you have unlocked the phone.
Then after unlocking if you are feeling adventurous and want to flash the phone to an unlocked firmware to get rid of ATT bloat you can follow these steps. It's actually very easy to do with Odin.
1. There are many models of s23U but in US two models are imp. S918U is carrier locked version and S918U1 is the unlocked US version. The firmware for these versions are interchangeable so you can flash the ATT model with S918U1 firmware.
2. Download patched odin v3.14.1_3B_PatchedD.zip from
https://xdaforums.com/t/patched-o...1.3762572/ as regular odin does not allow flashing mismatched firmware.
3. Download the firmware from S918U1 XAA version from
https://samfrew.com/firmware/mode.../Desc/0/10 Extract as there will be multiple files.
4. Connect S23U to the windows PC. Make sure developer mode is turned on in the phone.
5 .Put s23u in download/recovery/odin mode. Power down. Press Volume up and down together and then press Volume up to go into recovery (a green screen would appear).
6. Start odin and then select different files for different categories and then start.
7, It should be now the US unlocked version.
Cancellation of the ATT account and bill thereafter
== Will ATT send me a bill after the account is cancelled?
Firstly, keep the ATT buyers remorse policy handy when you talk to them. See
https://www.att.com/wireless/return-policy/ click on "Consumer and Signature Customer Program Devices and Accessories" and here are the policy terms
"Service Cancellations within 14 Days. You may call us at 800-331-0500 to cancel wireless service. You are responsible for all applicable fees, prorated access charges, taxes, surcharges, or other charges through the termination date. AT&T will refund your activation fee, if any, if service is terminated within 3 days of activation. The charges for service used on the account before the service termination date may be applied against any down payment."
ATT will send you a bill with the full amount even after you cancel your account so you have to do couple of things to get rid of charges.
1. When you open the bill in myATT app/att website there will be something called "Don't recognize this fee" under the activation. You can click on it to get rid of a activation fee. This is an instant and automatic credit. Also this works even if you cancelled the account after 3 days.
2. Chat with CS to get rid of rest of the charges. Make sure to not fall for credit in the next bill/adjusted in the next bill, Be polite but persistent that you want charges to be credited now. Bring up the policy if you have to.
See
https://slickdeals.net/f/17327499-oneplus-nord-n30-5g-128gb-unlocked-chromatic-gray-cph2513-best-buy-0 recent interactions with ATT CS.
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Believe it or not, that type of gaming is tracked and no one will be able to fix that for you.
Ex-AT&T employee.
PS: If you don't care, that's fine. But If you do, then you should be aware of this and pick your deals carefully.
Also s24 have similar att offers through best buy for +$100 to $150
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Yes, I'm not sure how much I can trust her on this as the same person asked me to go to best buy to get it unlocked in the beginning of the conversation.
Will try to talk to a different agent to get it confirmed.
You might want to call best buy and clear it out with them. They will forward you to ATT if needed. It's recommended that you have a clean port before doing SIM swap but it should not depend on it. I dont have any evidence to say it does except some people who were not able to unlock the device using SIM swap also had a problem with porting but they might not be related.
Will try to talk to a different agent to get it confirmed.
So I have been reading ATT reddit a bit and found out that as of late 2022 there was a policy change in ATT which makes an ATT phone lock to the first account it was activated with so one cant really associate the phone with another account afterwards. I think there are two things that can be tried but their policy is to wait for 60 days so you might have to wait for two months. 1. Talk to a rep at a store and request them to unlock. 2. File an FCC complaint (which worked for many in the z fold 3 deal when ATT changed unlock policy while the deal is going on). The reps are not really willing to talk if you don't have a current account with ATT so doing an FCC complaint will be the way to go but for that you have to wait for 2 months to satisfy the policy terms.
Using the phone on an ATT MVNO/prepaid will still work and also on another ATT account. I meant for purposes of unlocking when the system looks up the phone it will always get the original account it was activated with. So like if you request an unlock for the phone now you are most likely to get an error that "service was cancelled on the account within 14 days"
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Phone not cnnecting to att network
Port out status saying in progress
Att saying port out completed
Besbuy saying talk to att
Att saying talk to best buy
Now I have a bricked phone...
such a waste of time and bad deal for me .
I ported GV number to ATT. Sim was not working right off the bat because somehow old at&t wireless plan was set for my account. Talked to a customer rep to switch my plan to currently offered plan, and I was able to make calls/send texts but not receive anything, due to porting 'still in progress'. Got in touch with phone activation center and they were able to fully activate my account, which completed the porting process.
Then I proceeded with the sim swap, made a few long phone calls until my other phone was shown on the account. Continued to unlock process, using a made-up name, different email, and my other phone number. Got the unlock code within a few minutes. Put in my non-at&t sim in the galaxy 23, unlock code prompt popped up, then it was done.
Called to cancel, and cs rep confirmed that I won't be charged activation fee because it was within 3 days, only prorated usage fee which will be a dollar or two. Thank you OP.
I ported GV number to ATT. Sim was not working right off the bat because somehow old at&t wireless plan was set for my account. Talked to a customer rep to switch my plan to currently offered plan, and I was able to make calls/send texts but not receive anything, due to porting 'still in progress'. Got in touch with phone activation center and they were able to fully activate my account, which completed the porting process.
Then I proceeded with the sim swap, made a few long phone calls until my other phone was shown on the account. Continued to unlock process, using a made-up name, different email, and my other phone number. Got the unlock code within a few minutes. Put in my non-at&t sim in the galaxy 23, unlock code prompt popped up, then it was done.
Called to cancel, and cs rep confirmed that I won't be charged activation fee because it was within 3 days, only prorated usage fee which will be a dollar or two. Thank you OP.
Regarding the bill, you will perhaps get one still but you can get the charges voided as mentioned in the wiki. Glad that unlock worked, I was thinking if ATT plugged the whole. I'll update the instructions next time for ATT deal to make sure porting is successful before attempting the SIM swap. I wonder if that's what made it not work for others here.
Yeah, I hope so too if you are keeping the phone. Unlike VZW, ATT does not do the unlock automatically so you have to request unlock through portal. If that does not work, FCC complaints seem to be better as they are escaped to the corporate.
Phone not cnnecting to att network
Port out status saying in progress
Att saying port out completed
Besbuy saying talk to att
Att saying talk to best buy
Now I have a bricked phone...
such a waste of time and bad deal for me .
I got my issues resolved by going to att store and getting a new sim card.
Because of faulty sim .. my phone was not able to connect.
Then I followed instructions to register my other phone on att.
Then got my unlock code by using imei.
Still need to cancel my att service .
Because of faulty sim .. my phone was not able to connect.
Then I followed instructions to register my other phone on att.
Then got my unlock code by using imei.
Still need to cancel my att service .
Glad it worked out for you!
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Can you highlight the order of the process? Is this still working? Looking to purchase today or tomorrow. Currently with VZ. Can I do this swap and move to VZ and then back to AT&T later with BYOD?