How to Activate the Nexus 5 on Sprint
This has been a tricky subject for Sprint owners that have purchased a Nexus 5 from the Google Play Store. Below are instructions to successfully active the Nexus 5 on Sprint.
First of all, the Play Store Nexus 5 does not include a Sim Card. To activate the device on Sprint’s network you need to have a Sim Card. You have a few options on this front. You will need to either pick up a sim card from a Sprint Store near you. Keep in mind that there is a slim chance a Sprint Store will have one until November 8th (when the Nexus 5 officially gets released by Sprint). I believe the UPC for the sim needed is 760492013536 part # SIMGLW206R.
You may also order one online through Sprint’s international chat. You can pay for 1 day shipping, or wait 3-5 days for free shipping. The Sim card itself should be free whether picked up at a Sprint store or ordered online.
Now your other option is to use an LTE sim card from another Sprint device. This is the option that I chose. You still will need to talk to a Sprint representative to get this activation done successfully. I used Sprint’s Chat service, however you most likely can call a technical support representative. Again, you must have a Nexus 5 IMEI number ready to go along with what device’s Sim you are planning to use in the Nexus 5. To my knowledge, the first 14 digits of the IMEI number is what the representative needs to use which serves as the HEX number to activate on Sprint. Hopefully the Sprint representative is knowledgable enough to handle this task. Luckily, I spoke to a fairly knowledgable one and got my Nexus 5 activated on Sprint (see image below).
Through some research some people may also find the dial code *#*#675#*#* useful to get into MDN and MSID settings.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you have a 16GB Nexus 5, these instructions should work. However, if you have a 32GB Nexus 5 you may just have to wait. The 32B Nexus 5 may not be in the activation system at Sprint currently. Good luck!
About the Author
Tim Schofield Tim Schofield is the owner of QbKing77.com and the YouTube channel QbKing77. He has a love for all things tech and Android!
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