PRS-950 PRS-950 SIM card switch report

[mapex]

I bought the Sony Reader PRS-950 and am using it in Europe. It has a mobile network feature to access the Sony ebook store, but only when connected via US mobile networks. The SIM card slot of the PRS-950 can be opened/accessed easily. The contained SIM card is yellow and says "Oberthur". I replaced this SIM with the European SIM card of my mobile phone.

With my SIM card (with a SIM lock code), the reader says "The Reader cannot connect to a mobile network because it is locked by a PIN or PUK code. Please contact Sony Customer Service".

With my SIM card (without a SIM lock code), the reader says "Cannot connect to a network. Please check the following: 1) The Reader is within a network service area. 2) Confirm that you are using the SIM card provided with your Reader."

I would like to access the internet with browser, and access reader store over mobile network, using my non-US SIM card. Any ideas? Could a future version of PRS+ implement such functionality?

[kartu]

mapex,

side effects of it, such as allowing users to browse internet with Sony's SIM card stop me from even looking into this issue.

Custom firmware that adds features is one thing (heh, even this might be illegal in some countries), custom firmware that allows to browse internet at Sony's cost is completely different.

[simulacrum]

Could there be a way to allow you to use other SIM cards but retain the limitation of only using 3G to browse the Sony store? This would give overseas owners of the 950 to have the same functionality as US residents, without allowing US residents to abuse their Sony SIMs.

Also I wouldn't be surprised if the Sony SIMs weren't locked to only accessing the Sony store by the data provider. Otherwise surely someone could figure out a way of using the SIM in a different 3G device to access the internet.

[scstraus]

I too have the same problem. Doesn't anyone want to find a way to sim unlock this device? How hard can it be? It's just a stupid limitation.

[elcreative]

I can't comment on the ease of doing this but if it is so easy then you should obviously be capable of doing it yourself.

This is more to do with stealing from the service providers... Sony have an agreement with US mobile service providers, they don't with non-US... this a primary reason why the PRS950 is NOT available outside the US except as a "grey" import (unsupported) and everyone who buys one should know this, it's not rocket science... Sony do not sell or support the 950 outside the US, if you've got one then that's your choice but don't expect anyone to casually work out a way to perform illegal acts which would result in Sony getting billed for accesses... see Kartu's comment above...

Originally Posted by scstraus

I too have the same problem. Doesn't anyone want to find a way to sim unlock this device? How hard can it be? It's just a stupid limitation.

[Leyor]

Fiddling with the firmware is not going to make the e-reader magically sign service contracts with european mobile service providers and allow it access to their networks.
If that was possible people could just get any sim card for their phone and use it for free on any network they wanted.

What WOULD be nice though, is if we could use our own sim cards in it to provide 3g access, that's something that should be technically feasible given we can get the reader to accept it.

[simulacrum]

Originally Posted by elcreative

This is more to do with stealing from the service providers... Sony have an agreement with US mobile service providers, they don't with non-US... this a primary reason why the PRS950 is NOT available outside the US except as a "grey" import (unsupported) and everyone who buys one should know this, it's not rocket science...

Nor is it rocket science that an entity which has no agreement with a service provider cannot be charged by that service provider. And conversely a person can't obtain a service from a service provider unless s/he signs an agreement and purchases a SIM from that provider... How would allowing the use of other SIM cards overseas in this device facilitate "stealing from the service providers"?

Sony do not sell or support the 950 outside the US, if you've got one then that's your choice but don't expect anyone to casually work out a way to perform illegal acts which would result in Sony getting billed for accesses... see Kartu's comment above...

I'm having trouble understanding how allowing the use of other SIMs would cause "Sony [to be]... billed for accesses". Or indeed how we are asking someone to perform illegal acts.

The only potential for abuse would be if: a)the limit on the usage of the 3G connection occurred only in the device itself rather than at the service providers' end; AND b) whoever implemented the hack also removed this limitation.

If the limitation exists only on the device, the system is very open to abuse regardless of any hack since someone could remove the SIM and plug it into their mobile phone, or 3G modem and use the internet as much as they wanted to at Sony's expense*. I highly doubt that this is the case. And if it were, no one here would suggest a mod that would remove this limitation. Allowing the use of third party SIMs would simply allow overseas owners to have the same functionality as US owners. It wouldn't facilitate anyone "stealing from the service providers" or "billing Sony for access".

If, as I suspect, the limitation is at the service providers' end, then there is no potential for abuse through firmware modding. In which case opening the firmware to allow other SIMs as well as removing the restriction on 3G browsing would add functionality for all users without doing anything illegal, since connection through the Sony SIM would be limited regardless of the hack.

*In fact trying to use the SIM in another device to access something other than the Sony store would be a good way to test whether the limitation was in the device itself or in the settings for the account associated with the SIM at the service providers' end.

[Skirmish]

I can confirm that in Australia the Sony provided SIM give no access via unlocked USB modem.