yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Nexus 6  General] 2fastkuztoms:
I dont know if this the case, but i swapped my sprint n5 sim to other nexus 5 and after a minute a pop up appear with "Sim card locked" message, i have to activated on my sprint account to work.
[Nexus 6  General] jaykresge:
The Nexus 6 is a single SKU for North America. The IMEI database is for the entire product line. A Nexus 6 purchased at T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, Google Play, Best Buy, Amazon, Motorola (etc.) is interchangeable across carriers.
[Nexus 6  General] jj14:
In theory, yes. In practice however, Sprint/Verizon maintain a list of IMEIs that they will permit on their networks. Unless your device's IMEI is on that list, they will NOT active that device on their network. No exceptions.

N5 Devices purchased from the play store had their IMEIs added to Sprint's databases within a day or two of release. But N5 devices purchased from T-Mo had a much longer wait (I know of cases where Sprint told the customer - "No - can't activate unless you purchased a Sprint branded device or from Google Play")

T-Mo is happy to activate any N5 device purchased from anywhere (assuming it isn't reported stolen)

No reason to believe that will be any different with the N6
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
False. Based on IMEI number, the manufacturer and carriers know where you purchased them. The IMEI numbers for an N6 purchased from Play will be in a different subset than a device purchased from, say, AT&T. It's very easy for carriers to whitelist only a certain subset of a device's total stock, even though it's a single SKU.

You still can't go to a Sprint store and activate a Nexus 5 purchased at T-Mobile. You still can't go into a Verizon store and activate an N7 2013 LTE that you bought from T-Mobile.

The IMEIs can also tell you how much storage your device has. For about a week after launch, Sprint didn't have the IMEIs for 32 GB Nexus 5s that were purchased from Play, so they couldn't activate those either. A week or two after launch, they added them and it wasn't an issue.

You can bet your ass this will still be an issue with the Nexus 6. Not even Apple can get around this with iPhone and iPad.
[Nexus 6  General] derfnoslen:
Does it work the other way, if I buy a Nexus 6 from Sprint will I be able to activate it on T-Mobile or Cricket Wireless?
[Nexus 6  General] jaykresge:
You'll be fine. When moving to a GSM carrier, you just insert the sim and you're good to go (so long as the phone supports the carrier's bands).

When moving to a CDMA-based carrier with a CDMA-only device, the phone's ESN (not IMEI, OldBlue is confused) needs to be loaded into the carrier's database, otherwise it's blocked. If it's a sim-capable LTE device, you just plug in the sim and go (again, provided the device supports the carrier's bands).

IMEI doesn't need to be loaded for the carrier to be supported. Classic example - Nexus 7 LTE on Verizon. People were using them day one. Verizon would refuse to activate a new account with these devices, but they were powerless to stop users from taking their existing sim and throwing it into their tablet.

Same thing with the Nexus 6. If you already have an account, and a compatible sim, just throw it in and you're good to go.

Not trying to be disrespectful towards OldBlue, but he's simply mistaken in this case.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
Thanks for the correction, but I was also under the impression that in the LTE era, CDMA carriers use IMEIs in place of the ESN? I have never seen the ESN listed anywhere on any recent CDMA phone, and when you activate it, all they want is the MEID, which is the IMEI without the last digit. Am I missing something?
[Nexus 6  General] jaykresge:
You're not missing anything. ESN has become obsolete with today's LTE phones. Due to LTE and sim cards, Verizon can't stop you from using any compatible device. It's just that, prior to the Nexus 6, there was no singular device that could do Verizon's CDMA/LTE while maintaining compatibility with all other carriers (Nexus 6 = 1 model compatible with the big 4 US carriers, while the iPhone 6/6+ require two separate models).

So how does Verizon enforce their old rules in the new era? As mentioned earlier, they did this with the Nexus 7 LTE by refusing to activate it on a new line of service. The majority of people bringing them to Verizon were using them as a new line on an existing account, or opening a new account altogether. Verizon's reps were trained to simply refuse. But, if you already had a device with a compatible sim, you just swapped the sim to your N7, and voila, you had service. Verizon had no way to block this.

We're possibly going to see the same thing here with the Nexus 6. The majority of Verizon customers have a sim or micro sim, while the N6 uses a nano-sim. So bring them a phone purchased from another carrier and they might refuse (given how many locations sell this phone, this should get interesting to see if Verizon checks receipts). But if you can cut your sim down, or already have a nano sim, there is nothing preventing you from grabbing a Nexus 6 from another carrier and sticking your Verizon nano-sim inside. It will work.

As for IMEI numbers, each phone model has a set range of numbers. There's no way for Verizon to have some numbers and not all of them. Sometimes these numbers get crossed. A classic example was the white and black Samsung GT-i9100 (International Galaxy S II). The white model had an IMEI range that was shared by a US Blackberry Curve model. Due to this, putting an AT&T sim into these phones yielded different results. Use the black model, and AT&T thought it was a dumb phone. You got unlimited data (capped at 7.2mbps) for $10/mo under their old MediaNet plan. Yes, I abused the heck out of this. Put that same sim into the white model and it showed up as a BB Curve, and your only option was the (then) $30/unlimited data.

Your original post was an excellent post in terms of intent, but the point was miscommunicated. The N6 from any carrier will work on Verizon, so long as it's the North American model. A better warning would be to ensure that you get an active nano-sim from Verizon before presenting them the Nexus 6, just in case they refuse service to any model not purchased through them or approved sellers (Google Play, Moto, Best Buy, Amazon, I'm guessing).
[Nexus 6  General] neyenlives:
So the question is can one easily request a nano sim from Verizon even if none of the registered devices on the account use a nano sim? Obviously one could cut it down... but some people would just prefer to get the right sim.
[Nexus 6  General] productof82:
This is my question too. When I tried to walk into a Verizon store and request a nano sim with my info on it, I was told to come back once I had the device so that they could register it. I'm thinking of calling Verizon and see if I get someone that would send me one. Or, just buying a verizon nano sim of eBay and taking it to them. I will cut my micro sim down as a last resort.
[Nexus 6  General] TokedUp:
What about buying from Moto site? Will I be able to use it on VZW?
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
You should be able to, yes.
[Nexus 6  General] TokedUp:
Should? LOL
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
It all depends on whether Verizon has added the Nexus 6 to their database yet. If you have an already-activated SIM card, you'll have no problem. Pop it into your Nexus 6 and you'll be on your way. If you need to get a new SIM card for it, you won't be able to unless Verizon has the Nexus 6 in their database. So yes..."should!" haha
[Nexus 6  General] jaykresge:
I think you're still misunderstanding me.

It's already in their database. The IMEI is a series, and it's all or nothing. This isn't like the old ESN days where phones were entered by handset. The only thing that will stop a Nexus 6 from working on Verizon is a rep being trained to refuse people who say, "I purchased this Nexus 6 from AT&T/Sprint/T-Mobile/etc."

I've even personally seen a friend activate an iPhone 5 purchased from Verizon on Sprint. How did he do it? "Why yes, I did purchase this from Sprint. It's now my backup device."

TokedUp - To answer your question more directly.

Look at the phone in your hands. Ask yourself - "Is this a Nexus 6?" If yes, then it will work on Verizon. If no, then you'll need to look into that. It makes no difference if you purchase your phone from Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Motorola, Google Play, Best Buy, Amazon, Ebay, a mall kiosk, Walmart, Target, etc. If it's an actual Nexus 6 and not a knockoff, it will work on Verizon. Worst case scenario, you may have to get past their rep/sales person to obtain a nano sim in order to activate it. But once you place an active Verizon nano-sim into a Nexus 6, it will activate. I promise.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
Sorry, man. You're right about an active Verizon SIM, but in a more general sense, you're wrong.

If you walk into a Sprint store with a Nexus 5 that you bought at T-Mobile, Sprint will be unable to activate it. Even if you lie and tell the rep you bought it at Google Play or Sprint, they'll enter the MEID into the system and it will not let them proceed. There is some technical limitation somewhere that is not identifying the phone as a Google Nexus 5 in Sprint's system, thus not allowing the rep to complete activation. I experienced this first hand. I watched it happen.

IMEI numbers are assigned for an entire set of devices, yes. However, within that block of numbers, it is broken up into subsets for each retail channel that the phone is sold through. LG has a place where you can enter your Nexus 5's IMEI and it'll tell you whether your Nexus 5 was sold by Play, T-Mobile or Sprint.

This is my entire point. The CDMA carriers have a way of white listing only the devices that they sell and devices sold by Play. And it's being done.

Everything I just said also applies to a Nexus 7 2013. If you bought one from T-Mobile, a Verizon rep will not be able to give you a SIM because the system will fail when they input your IMEI. If you have one purchased from Verizon or Play, it's not an issue.

I don't think I'm misunderstanding anything. This is not an issue of placing an active SIM card in the device. This is an issue of establishing new service. Plus, the active SIM trick will only work on Verizon. I'm 99% sure that won't work with Sprint or US Cellular.
[Nexus 6  General] msal:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/1...or-that-carrier-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

Looks like you were spot on.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
Full disclosure: I wrote that article. Artem and I discussed writing it a while ago, but he wanted to make sure we had enough evidence before publishing. Now that we have documented cases of it happening, it was time to write it up.
[Nexus 6  General] msal:
Wow, didn't know that.

Thanks for informing the forum about this issue beforehand. I'm sure you saved many people the trouble of finding this out the hard way.
[Nexus 6  General] seezar:
I really hope Sprint adds the devices sold by moto. I have an unactivated nexus 6 because of this issue. I really need to move to a carrier that it doesn't matter where I purchase my phone. I'm losing patience with these games. Especially since the carriers are moving away from subsidies. This is the next step.
[Nexus 6  General] Atticustrd:
Same here, I didn't see or hear about ordering from Motorola wouldn't work on sprint, until today. Even the rep who sent me a nano SIM didn't say a thing when I told them the device was purchased through Motorola. Might just get a pre paid T-Mobile line to use the Nexus 6 if I like it I'll pay the ETF on my sprint line.
[Nexus 6  General] oldpreowner:
I didn't know about this until I read your article this morning. Do you think that Sprint will add the phones bought from Motorola to there database?
[Nexus 6  General] biggiestuff:
Just to confirm, if I have a Verizon sim, I should be able to use any versions if the nexus 6 correct? Google play or carrier?
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
It's definitely not out of the question. We'll see what happens.
[Nexus 6  General] hsj1906:
Yes. Absolutely, provided you have a Verizon nano SIM, you can use Nex6 from GPS, Moto, or VZW.

I'm using the Nex6 on VZW that I bought from the Motorola sight.
[Nexus 6  General] biggiestuff:
What about T-Mobile nexus? I saw the video I of a T-Mobile review unit that worked. I just need to cut down my micro Sim from Verizon.
[Nexus 6  General] biggtdp:
I purchased my nexus 6 from Motorola but could not take it to Verizon for activation. The imei was not in their system so they could not activate. The rep told me it wasn't provisioned for Verizon and I needed to go back to Motorola. I simply went home and trimmed the sim from my Note 3 into a nano sim. Its been working without any issues. Can make and receive calls as well as use data. Only issue if you call it one is that the my Verizon site does not recognize the device.
[Nexus 6  General] johnp357:
what did you use to cut the card? was it easy?
[Nexus 6  General] biggtdp:
A sharp pair of scissors. Its not hard at all there are several videos on you tube. Just make sure you don't cut the metal part of the sim.
[Nexus 6  General] jaykresge:
Some clarification needed, as I was wrong in a prior point (will bold this part), and Oldblue is still incorrect on many things.

There are three numbers associated with a phone - ESN (attached to the CDMA radio, does not apply to non-CDMA devices), IMEI, and MEID. No carrier currently has the capability to whitelist/blacklist by IMEI/MEID. Despite their best efforts, Verizon could not stop Nexus 7 LTE owners from activating on their network on day one simply because it had no CDMA radio nor associated ESN. So Verizon intervened by training their sales reps to not offer sims for this device for a period of time. Customers continued to find ways around by activating on another device, then moving the sim over. There was no way for Verizon to block it.

IMEI/MEID databases are per model, not per carrier. All carriers already have the entire IMEI/MEID database, but not the associated ESN. Sprint CARE, for example, will let you activate a non-Sprint phone by calling in and providing the IMEI/MEID. They will then associate this number (already in their database) with the ESN (if not in their database) and activate. Sprint has a good track record of loading ESNs though, as I've previously activated an iPhone 5 from Verizon without any need for their help. It just worked. But in the off chance that they haven't yet loaded the ESN (typical around product launches), you can follow these instructions - https://www.reddit.com/r/Sprint/comments/2mpr7s/update_regarding_the_nexus_6_from_motorola_on/

Will Verizon do the same? Unknown. Unlike the Nexus 7 LTE, the Nexus 6 does use CDMA, and as such, can be blacklisted based on ESN. This doesn't prevent you from using it as an LTE device, but I'm ignorant at this time as to what the limitations would be. So it's very likely that I was wrong about the N6 being activated on Verizon on day one if bought from another carrier, but not for the reasons that were outlined by OB (he's confusing ESN/IMEI/MEID).

EDIT: Seems I was correct. People are reporting phones bought elsewhere working on Verizon. Your article was a false alarm.

Again, great information, but drastically distorted. I'm hoping that you admit your shortcomings and make the needed corrections to further benefit the community. I'd hate to think that you're just stirring the pot for the sake of generating clicks for your blog, but we'll see.

---------- Post added at 06:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 PM ----------

Man, I wish someone had seen this coming...
[Nexus 6  General] tbhausen:
FWIW, I'm using a blue 64 GB N6 purchased from Motorola on VZW with the nano SIM from my OG Moto X. The device shows up as "NON-VZW DEVICE" in the My Verizon Mobile app. I've had no problems whatsoever.

EDIT: to clarify, VZW won't allow me to run Indycar 14 and similar apps that require a Verizon-authorized device. Some may consider that a "bonus feature", though. I do use some of these apps, and may sell or return my Motorola-purchased device in preference to a Play Store device so I may have this option in the future.

This also brings up the issue of handset insurance. Guess I'll be dropping that and seeking separate coverage if I do keep this handset.
[Nexus 6  General] jaykresge:
You won't be able to get Verizon's insurance through Asurion. You can, however, get protection elsewhere. For example, Squaretrade will cover your phone for either $5/mo for 24 months, or $99 outright. It's a 2 year plan ($75 deductible per incident).

Additionally, look at the guide to benefits for the credit card you used to buy the phone. See if it has extended warranty. I use my AMEX for this specifically. I bought an Epson printer 18 months ago for $250 ($273 w/tax). It had a 12 month warranty, which my AMEX doubles to 24 months. It died after 18 months. I called Epson for a repair, they said no dice. I called AMEX, and they walked me through the online form which took about 3 minutes. 48 hours later I had a credit on my card for $273.xx. Basically, I'm now going to use my AMEX for any electronics purchase due to the doubled warranty (up to additional 12 months) on all purchases.
[Nexus 6  General] tbhausen:
Looks like Moto Care will be offered for the Nexus 6, so there's a potential benefit for those who get theirs from Motorola directly.

Does anyone know if a N6 purchased from the Play Store will look any different to VZW vs. one from Motorola? Will a Play Store N6 show up as "NON-VZW DEVICE" and not allow installation of apps like Indycar 14?
[Nexus 6  General] dualityim:
I think you are also missing a lot of information. The first crucial piece of information you seem to be missing is that on modern CDMA devices, the ESN is just a hash of the MEID. The MEID on a modern device, in turn, is just the IMEI with the last digit removed. So, if you know the IMEI, you can just compute the MEID and the ESN. From what I understand, when you want to activate a device on Sprint by adding its ESN, you actually give them the device's MEID.
[Nexus 6  General] GHOSTIVVI:
What if we bought it from T-Mobile, would it work on AT&T?
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
Of course. GSM carriers aren't relevant to this discussion.
[Nexus 6  General] selayan:
I think both Motorola and Google play nexus 6 devices will show as non Verizon device. Verizon has no info on the nexus 6.
[Nexus 6  General] coldconfession13:
If I bought a nexus 6 from att or T-Mobile could I pop my Verizon Sim and it should work.
[Nexus 6  General] selayan:
With a pre activated SIM card yes.
[Nexus 6  General] oldpreowner:
Looks like Sprint users that bought their phone from Motorola are being able to activate them now. According to the users you will need a nano SIM from Sprint international support. Pop it in the phone and they were able to activate from Sprint's website.
[Nexus 6  General] selayan:
Verizon needs to add the moto and Google play devices to their system. The reps go to give u nano SIM, but can't complete the check out because the imei isn't in their system.
[Nexus 6  General] jay_em113:
This should be added to the 1st post to prevent more misinformation and paranoia being spread throughout the community. While oldblue910 may have had the right intentions, giving information as though it were fact when he was just taking an educated guess has now caused everyone to question where they are buying the device.

Just because the system does not recognize your device/ESN does not prevent it from working on CDMA....

I'm pretty sure it's all about your SIM being activated and the phone having the necessary CDMA/LTE bands. CDMA carriers only allowing phones on their whitelist would force people to buy from only their authorized retailers. I think this was the case a long time ago but not anymore. As a consumer, I have the option to buy from wherever I want if I pay full retail price. There are not any carrier-specific models for the N6, and thus, the US variant should work on any carrier. Again, I'm not saying it will be recognized in the carrier's system, but it will work given a pre-activated SIM that is nano size.

I've purchased phones from eBay before, and I have a fully working N6 (purchased from Moto) using Verizon that is NOT recognized in their system, so this thread should be edited or closed to further confuse people through the spreading of misinformation as though it were fact.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
I'll update the first post with relevant info later tonight.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
Do you have a link? If so, I'd like to see it so I can update the Android Police article on this as well.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
I've updated the first post with information on Verizion and Sprint, their policies toward the Nexus 6, and how to get up and running on both carriers. :good:
[Nexus 6  General] jay_em113:
Based on post #16 in that thread, the OP had an existing line, but he was trying to activate a new nano SIM. This would fall into the criteria as stated before about new SIMs and trying to activate them through the N6 first. I believe kellex (droid-life.com) pointed this out as a possibility in post #14 & #17 but most everyone just overreacted and assumed the worst.

Thank you for your commitment to edit the original post and article with updated information.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
Which thread are we talking about?
[Nexus 6  General] oldpreowner:
https://forums.motorola.com/posts/7952cadcad

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2943701
[Nexus 6  General] jay_em113:
Sorry, I thought you were referencing the thread here talking about Nexus 6 on Sprint failing to activate http://xdaforums.com/nexus-6/general/unable-to-activate-motorola-purchased-t2943701/page3

I have yet to see someone say that they cannot get service from Sprint on their N6 when swapping a nano SIM from a previous phone into the N6. All of the talk is in regards to new SIMs. Furthermore, I've seen no one with Sprint attempt the method of activating new SIMs that you mentioned works only for Verizon. I've read through that whole thread above, and I see a lot of contradictory information from Sprint, Moto, and users. Until proven otherwise, there is no reason to believe that the methods to activate on Verizon will not work on Sprint as well. Here's an article from droid-life on monday that spells out user's options http://www.droid-life.com/2014/11/1...ivate-your-new-nexus-6-here-are-your-options/ Note: There is nothing there that has any carrier-specific instructions....it's more about your situation.

Edit: You should edit your first post to talk about existing activated nano SIM or new nano SIM instead of using the term line of service. You can have an existing line of service but need a new nano SIM, and the steps you outlined apply to that scenario.
[Nexus 6  General] oldblue910:
The first post has been updated to reflect Sprint allowing Motorola devices.

And if you try to swap out your existing ACTIVATED Sprint nano SIM into a Nexus 6, it will not work. Sprint has to manually pair the SIM and IMEI. One of the commenters on the AP article tried to do that by taking the nano SIM out of his activated Moto X and putting it into his Nexus 6. No dice. I'll try it myself when my Nexus 6 (purchased from AT&T) gets here on Friday. I have an iPhone 6 Plus on Sprint so I can take the nano SIM out of that, put it in the Nexus 6 and see what happens.

Until I find a verified case of it working, I'm going to believe the people who say it doesn't work. I'll report my results on Friday when I can test it for myself.
[Nexus 6  General] oldpreowner:
When you activate you will have to pair the SIM card with the nexus 6 as you said. You can do this by going to Sprint.com/activate, after you enter the meid number it will ask you for the uicc number which is the sim.

I will be looking forward to see if it works out!

Thanks