If my Cingular 650 gets unlocked can I change firmware?

**nelson1** · 04/12/2005, 10:21 AM

I have a locked 650 that I bought at full price from Cingular.
If I am successful in getting it unlocked by Cingular can I then install the latest firmware from P1?
Would doing that give me DUN and also get rid of the Cingular 'extra' programs and branding.
Thanks,
--Nelson

**nelson1** · 04/15/2005, 11:56 AM

ttt

**jetkins** · 04/15/2005, 12:04 PM

As I understand it, you cannot use the Unlocked GSM firmware on a Cingular GSM phone. I believe the upgrade utility checks the existing versions before it will allow you to upload the flash. Of course, it's entirely possible that some hacker will find a way around that in the future.

**nelson1** · 04/15/2005, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by jetkins

As I understand it, you cannot use the Unlocked GSM firmware on a Cingular GSM phone. I believe the upgrade utility checks the existing versions before it will allow you to upload the flash. Of course, it's entirely possible that some hacker will find a way around that in the future.

Thanks jetkins

**patwoods** · 04/15/2005, 02:10 PM

I installed the 1.15 firmware mentioned elsewhere (search for palm.zip in the forums) just fine on top of an unlocked Cingular 650 which I use on T-Mobile.

**jetkins** · 04/15/2005, 06:16 PM

Hmm, I stand corrected. Apart from enabling DUN and losing XpressMail, what other advantages did you perceive?

**taylorh** · 04/20/2005, 03:13 AM

Originally Posted by nelson1

I have a locked 650 that I bought at full price from Cingular.
If I am successful in getting it unlocked by Cingular can I then install the latest firmware from P1?
Would doing that give me DUN and also get rid of the Cingular 'extra' programs and branding.
Thanks,
--Nelson

If you got the subsidy unlock code from Cingular to unlock your phone, then it'll remain permanently unlocked even if you upgrade the firmware.
The subsidy lock is not stored in the firmware.
Now if you're using a firmware hack that makes the Treo think it's unlocked, then doing the upgrade will fix that hack and make it locked again.

So you can feel free to use the Cingular Treo 650 update without worrying about it being re-locked.

**galambo#WN** · 04/20/2005, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by taylorh

Now if you're using a firmware hack that makes the Treo think it's unlocked, then doing the upgrade will fix that hack and make it locked again.

which lead to the question is there i hack out there to unlock the treo 650?

(wirless provider rogers who wants to charge 250.00 to unlock the ohoine)

**dpyers** · 04/20/2005, 12:02 PM

I used this info to unlock my treo cingular gsm - http://www.meogee.com/viewtopic.php?t=542

Got a box saying in was now unlocked, but can't confirm that what the box says is true.

**blacknoi** · 04/20/2005, 12:44 PM

Doing that trick for the heck of it on my already factory unlocked Treo 600,
"Type in the following on the dial pad
*#*#89155271#
then click Dial"

I got the "unlock" confirmation on my Treo... I knew mine was already unlocked, but this is interesting.

Anyone with the means care to try unlocking their locked Treo 650 in this fashion and reporting back the results??

**rcgroup** · 04/20/2005, 02:05 PM

OK i have news for you, i had a cingular branded phone i got nunlocked later(thru cingular) and used with tmobile which was on 1.04CNG firmware...
today i was brave and put the 1.15 ROW on top of the 1.04 CNG version and it took ok no issues. after completing update and the upgrade complete reset; the phone went into a reset loop for 4 times and then i pulled the SD card out and let it reset one more time and i was ok after that.. show 1.15ROW in phone info and has been ok. is still unlocked and using it with tmobile.

been over 2 hrs seems ok no more ugly resets that i had on the 1.04 (when getting to various menu options from blazer , phone menu etc....)

**nelson1** · 04/20/2005, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by rcgroup

OK i have news for you, i had a cingular branded phone i got nunlocked later(thru cingular) and used with tmobile which was on 1.04CNG firmware...
today i was brave and put the 1.15 ROW on top of the 1.04 CNG version and it took ok no issues. after completing update and the upgrade complete reset; the phone went into a reset loop for 4 times and then i pulled the SD card out and let it reset one more time and i was ok after that.. show 1.15ROW in phone info and has been ok. is still unlocked and using it with tmobile.

been over 2 hrs seems ok no more ugly resets that i had on the 1.04 (when getting to various menu options from blazer , phone menu etc....)

Fantastic...here is the question:
Do you now have DUN and do you have more memory free because the 'Cingular programs' are gone?

**khaytsus** · 04/20/2005, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by dpyers

I used this info to unlock my treo cingular gsm - http://www.meogee.com/viewtopic.php?t=542

Got a box saying in was now unlocked, but can't confirm that what the box says is true.

Absolute misinformation, this has been covered here over and over.

This does NOT unlock the subsidy lock on the phone, it unlocks the SIM I believe if it gets locked.

**The Bishop** · 04/20/2005, 06:07 PM

I too have an unlocked Cingular Treo650 and want to flash mine up to 1.15 as well... hardware wise, I'm thinking they're the same? If so, I couldn't see how it would not work ... ?

**taylorh** · 04/20/2005, 07:08 PM

On my Treo 600, I had a Cingular version. I used the ROW (PalmOne branded) firmware updater on the Treo and flashed to the ROW firmware. I was even able to flash the CNG (Cingular) firmware updater back and return it to Cingular firmware. I actualy had to do the latter to restore it back to being "Cingular" so I could send my 600 in for RMA. I didn't want to leave ROW firmware on there.

The Treo 650 GSM is no different. You should be able to use any GSM (don't try this with a CDMA phone) carrier's firmware updater to change the firmware of the Treo. So you should be able to make your 650 Cingular a PalmOne, or vis vera. Even TMobiles when/if they ever release an update for that in the future.
The catch is that you may need a program called "TokenWriter." This changes the 3 letter carrier identifier in the phone that the firmware updater looks for, basically the last 3 letters you see on the 'Phone Info" screen under 'software' in the phone app.
For the complete info on this see:
http://mytreo.net/treo600faq/Treo600FaqHome
Look under "Firmware Tokenwriter" and "Firmware Troubleshooting."
I understand there might be a new tokenwriter for the 650, different than the one for the 600. So weather or not the 600's will work on the 650, I don't know, but I'm not brave enough to try it.

If you install the ROW firmware on a Cingular unit, I'm fairly confident it SHOULD enable bluetooth DUN. It will NOT unclock the phone though. That has to be done through the subsidy unlock code, or through a firmware hack if/when anyone comes up with one which to the best of my knowledge has not been done yet.

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