Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus - using overseas SIMs

[Nick Suda]

Hello,

My particular combination of variables appears to elude the knowledge bases of Verizon storefront representatives and mobile carriers here in Berlin, so I figured I would reach out to some Android nerds for help Thanks in advance.

My phone is a Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It's not rooted. (Not that I am necessarily opposed to it; I just haven't, and I don't want to risk losing my data.) I've had it for a couple years now, and it's great. It's nice to be on Verizon while still having the most unlocked phone you could have with them. (Although, they HATE selling this thing. You have no idea how much I had to argue with them at the time to give me a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and not an SIII.) Anyway, I'm getting off track.

I've never traveled (let alone lived, as I am doing now on a short-term basis) outside of the US. So all I know is non-rooted, Verizon-locked, safe and happy networks where the phones are heavily bound to the carriers.

I had mixed answers about whether or not a "SIM unlock" was necessary by virtue of calling Verizon and telling them to do it, but I was told by different Verizon locations three times that coming here to Germany, getting a prepaid SIM card and going would not be an issue whatsoever. I've heard specifically to use Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) in one or two cases, but still, shouldn't matter. I won't have an unlimited plan and I may just be using 3G instead of 4GLTE or whatever, but still everything could be the same; I should still be able to call and text and navigate around with Google Maps and check in to places on Yelp.

I just landed here this morning. Getting "back on the grid" was mission number two after getting the keys to my apartment. I went to Alexanderplatz, got impatient of looking around, and went to the first carrier I saw, which was Vodafone. I bought a plan which includes internet, talk and SMS and is a mini-SIM just like my Verizon SIM card (a strange phrase to say!). I plug in the PIN number associated with the Vodafone SIM, my phone comes up in German, but it just doesn't connect to the network.

I don't know anything about CDMA vs. GSM or APN or anything like that. The Vodafone storefront people tried the card on a phone they had lying around and it worked, so the leap is in just figuring out what setting I have to change on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus to get it to connect. Can anyone offer to me how to take the next step?

If the Vodafone one doesn't work I may go to T-Mobile specifically and/or just buy a stupid brick for three months while I'm here, even though that would suck cause no Maps and stuff but whatever.

Thanks!
-Nick

 

[Nick Suda]

Just an update, this article Verizon Makes Galaxy S III A Globe Traveling Smartphone - Forbes talks about Verizon Galaxy Nexuses with version numbers lower than i-525 not having GSM radios at all. I believe this applies to my phone... I'm trying to find something that lines up with that description, and under "Baseband version" i see "I515.10 V.FK01 / I515.FK02." I take it that means I have an "i-515." Dang. But maybe I'm wrong (I hope).

 

[patruns]

Verizon is a CDMA phone and most of Europe operates on GSM. It simply will not work and Verizon should have told you that before you left. There are a few "world phones" on Verizon that do also have a SIM slot and a GSM radio but that is not one of them. Sorry.

PS: I also found this comment in another forum that specifically explains it: Verizon is a CDMA network.. its doesnt use SIM cards for Voice/text services. 4G LTE on Verizon is still GSM... this is why Verizon 4G LTE phones have a sim card... its for 1 purpose ONLY... to give you 4G LTE speed on the 700 data band! Voice and text do not use the 700 band!

 

[Nick Suda]

My findings are lining up with yours. How dissapointing... Also, that is such a stupid and very typically Verizon-esque move, for the SIM card slot to only exist for that reason.

Ostensibly the 4G LTE functionality could be my channel of access to a European network that uses LTE, like T-Mobile... but as you observed the MHz bands of operation (700 vs. 800) appear to be different. Ughhhhh.

Sending some email to T-Mobile with this thread attached but it looks like I may just be buying a phone for while I'm here. Hopefully I can get an Android device linked to my same account without messing up my primary American phone when I return to it.