[Focus General] morpheus.dreaming:
Success with Rogers Focus on Fido Network

I've been looking to get a Samsung Focus for some time.

Over a year ago, my trusty Sony Ericsson Z750i was starting to wear out - too much texting - and I wanted a new smart phone. I really really wanted a Windows Phone but the whole Windows Mobile platform had been pulled. There was no sign of Android coming to Canada any time soon, so I had to bite the bullet and get an iPhone. I was able to get a 3GS for $16 because of my Fido Dollars, so it wasn't THAT painful.

This past year I've used the iPhone a lot and come to realise what a useful tool a mobile application platform can be. I won't say that it has saved any lives, but it certainly eases those first world problems.

All my online life is held in Google, and the iPhone worked with that no problem at all. My only nagging issue was that it was an Apple product. No issue with Apple as such, it's just that everything else I have, and everything else I do, is Microsoft. I wanted an Windows Phone to integrate with my Zune 80Gb, and my Xbox, and my work laptop, and my home desktop.

When I saw that the WP7 phones were released in Canada, I all but cheered. When I realised one of them was the Samsung Focus, I was even happier. But then I saw that Fido, as usual, were not offering them on their network - however, Rogers were... and Rogers own Fido now... Hmmm. I held off getting one until I had done some research, and yesterday I did a search and found this thread. It gave me pause for thought - I could live with out MMS if the phone works.

On the way home I stopped at a Rogers kiosk and asked if they had a Focus, expecting the answer to be "No" because they were online only just a week or two ago. Instead, he tells me yes. He and I discuss my needs - I want to buy the phone outright, no pay-as-you-go contract, and if it doesn't work on Fido I return it within 14 days. He agrees, and tells me the price is $650. I show him the Best Buy Canada page that has the same phone for $599 and he says he'll either price match that or give me a good deal on a maintenance contract. Once price match later, I have a new phone.

I get home and turn the phone on, connecting it to my WiFi network and then connecting it to my PC. The Zune software wakes up and starts a Sync. After I have enough juice on the phone, I throw my Fido SIM in it and boot it up. It is able to see the network. I can get to voicemail, make calls, send text, and access data off the wifi network. I cannot send MMS. The rest of the night is spent playing with the phone.

I investigate unlocking the phone and email the fine folks over at Mobile In Canada. They tell me they can unlock the phone, so today I use their form to submit my IMEI. After about 70 minutes I receive an unlock code in the mail.

I tried three different ways to unlock the phone, and it worked on the third type:

1. Unlock via Diagnostic Codes

Boot with no SIM, go to the Call area, use the keypad to enter the following:

#7465625*638*[code provided]# or *#7465625*638*[code provided]#

2. Boot with Unknown SIM

Place a SIM from another provided in the phone and boot it up. A menu saying "Unlock" should appear. Select it and enter [code provided].

3. Unlock via Diagnostic Menu

Enter the Diagnostics Menu using ##634# and select the Locks Menu using *#7465625# then select Lock Status. If the Network Lock is Enabled, go back and select Network Lock, made sure "Disable" is selected, then enter the unlock code [code provided] in the NCK field. Select "Execute" and the Network Lock will be Disabled.

I have the Network Profile application from Samsung but it only has the Rogers profile available. I can wait until they update the profile to include Fido, unless any of you wonderful people know the diagnostic codes and processes to find where to put the MMS APN.