Using My Phone to Try Different Carriers

[Father Tech]

My two year commitment is now over, so I own my smartphone and am free to do with it as I please. Currently I have Verizon.

I have this experiment I would like to try, and I would like to ask the community's opinion if this a good idea:

I'll bring my phone to, say, T-Mobile and buy one of their pre-paid plans. In effect, this gives me 30 days to try out T-Mo to see how I like it. Most important is to find out if I get a good signal in all the places I normally use my phone. Then, the month after that I'll do the same with AT&T. Maybe the next month I'll try some other carrier. Basically, I'm using my phone to 'audition' different carriers, then I'll decide who I like best. It's the wireless version of The Pepsi Challenge.

Of course, I have to first determine whether my phone will even work on a different carrier's network. But that aside, is this a good way to test different carriers?

 

[VDub2174]

In theory, that's a good idea.

The thing is that you'd have to unlock your phone to be able to work with all carriers. If you currently have VZW, you won't be able to use T-Mobile or AT&T because they require SIM cards and VZW is CDMA

 

[Ryandroid86]

My two year commitment is now over, so I own my smartphone and am free to do with it as I please. Currently I have Verizon.

I have this experiment I would like to try, and I would like to ask the community's opinion if this a good idea:

I'll bring my phone to, say, T-Mobile and buy one of their pre-paid plans. In effect, this gives me 30 days to try out T-Mo to see how I like it. Most important is to find out if I get a good signal in all the places I normally use my phone. Then, the month after that I'll do the same with AT&T. Maybe the next month I'll try some other carrier. Basically, I'm using my phone to 'audition' different carriers, then I'll decide who I like best. It's the wireless version of The Pepsi Challenge.

Of course, I have to first determine whether my phone will even work on a different carrier's network. But that aside, is this a good way to test different carriers?

This is a tough situation
First. No your Verizon phone will not connect to T-mobile or AT&T, or any other GSM network. Verizion is a CDMA network.
I like your idea, You could go get a used cheap smartphone for a (GSM) network and use it for both Tmo and ATT.
but here is another problem....
ATT has better LTE coverage that Tmo (for the most part, but not all) and if you dont have a LTE enabled device, youll never know that.
And any LTE device at the moment will be expensive.
SO... it sounds like a very expensive route

 

[Father Tech]

So...in theory, it's a good idea. But practically speaking, it doesn't work. Sounds like some marriages I know.

 

[power5]

Get a firefox phone. $80 and you can play on all the GSM networks. But they are 3G phones only.

 

[gone down south]

What phone do you have now?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Father Tech]

I have the HTC Droid Incredible 2.

 

[Ry]

In theory, that's a good idea.

The thing is that you'd have to unlock your phone to be able to work with all carriers. If you currently have VZW, you won't be able to use T-Mobile or AT&T because they require SIM cards and VZW is CDMA

CDMA doesn't matter. Some of Verizon 3G phones are "world phones". There may be a hard block on access to US GSM networks though.

With their LTE devices, it's even less of an issue. If I recall correctly, the Verizon versions of the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S can all be used on AT&T and T-Mobile. Same with some recent Android devices. Android Central has even written about them.

How to use the Verizon Droid DNA on AT&T (or any other GSM network) | Android Central
Verizon's LG G2 is unlocked for AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA+ | Android Central

 

[benhmadison]

As stated you would have to have a device capable of doing the experiment. BTW don't let the carrier bully you into thinking you don't own your own device. It is yours the second you walk out of the store