Vodaphone 802se Reloaded
So I finally was able to get my hands on a Vodaphone 802se from Japan. I somehow won an auction on eBay for this phone, what luck! After I got the phone I had to go through the whole unlocking process. This is something I have never done before, and to make it even harder, you have to do this on a Windows machine (no Mac capability yet).
You also need a couple things previous to unlocking your phone (phone unlocking mileage may vary, as this process was done for my Vodaphone 802se or Sony Ericsson v800 in EU):
a) An unlock cable (this is not the same thing as a data or sync cable), you can buy the proper one on eBay, just do a search for your phone model name and 'unlock cable', they are about $10 - $30 depending on which cable you get. I got the COM cable, which is basically a PC serial cable, there are USB cables as well.
b) An unlocking account (and some unlock credits). I did some research and found that the SETool solution was the best. They have very well documented site and instruction process, and since they specialize in Sony Ericsson phones, I thought I would give them a shot.
After downloading the SETool application from their site, I needed to create an unlocking account with one of their online resellers. I chose a reseller in the UK as he was online at the time (they are all on IM for instant tech support). Once an account is activated, you will get an email from the reseller with your login/password, URLs to download the SETool application (if you have not already), and an IP address to their remote unlocking server.
At this point get your phone and the unlock cable ready connect to your Windows machine.
a) Make sure that the phone has a fully charged battery, and that you remove any memory cards or SIMs (if they were in the phone).
b) Connect the unlock cable to your Windows machine. Then connect your phone to the unlock cable (the phone should be off before you do this).
c) Launch the SETool application, and follow the instructions in the PDF manual for unlocking, flashing, or resurrecting your phone. If you unlocking your phone, there is an UNLOCK button. If you flashing your phone, you will have to select which files you want to download to your phone (the various firmware, system files and language kits are available for download from the SETool site).
It takes about 5-10 mins to unlock a phone, and about 30 mins to flash a phone. It is an interactive process, so you will need to follow the onscreen instructions. SO, be prepared to sit around for awhile and press the power button on your phone a few times, when prompted.
Once you have unlocked your phone, you should remove the battery for about 30 seconds, this power cycles the phone, then put the battery and SIM card back in the phone and turn it on. It will take a few seconds extra due to the phone initializing itself and searching for your network. You should see your network provider banner appear and voila, you now have an unlocked phone (Sony Ericsson that is)!
View: SETool Website
View: SETool Manual acrobat reader required
Buy: Unlock Cable from eBay
Buy: Sony Ericsson v800 $599.00 @ zShop