Carrier phone or unlocked

[Bbtz84]

What do you prefer and why.. I'm on the fence. I've always got a carrier phone but I'm thinking about getting unlocked for the first time

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

They both have advantages. You will need to research what carrier your using as some features are blocked on unlocked phone. Just a couple I know on Verizon is the call and text on other devices and the video calling. I think one of the carriers block WiFi calling, I don't know but I'm sure you will get plenty of pros and cons and a lot prefer unlocked.

If it's bloatware you're trying to get rid of, you can easily delete the apps you don't use in a few minutes. Let's face it, Samsung unlocked phone have bloatware also. If it's on the phone and you don't use or want it, it's bloatware.

If you are on Verizon and want a feature like the call and text on other devices feature which Verizon blocks then getting unlocked make sense. If the carrier phone has everything you like then it doesn't matter. It comes down to finding out what you gain and what you lose going unlocked on your particular carrier. I would Google that and you should tell us the carrier you use as some on here can tell you what you gain or lose going unlocked.

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[uvarules]

They both have advantages. You will need to research what carrier your using as some features are blocked on unlocked phone. Just a couple I know on Verizon is the call and text on other devices and the video calling. I think one of the carriers block WiFi calling, I don't know but I'm sure you will get plenty of pros and cons and a lot prefer unlocked.

If it's bloatware you're trying to get rid of, you can easily delete the apps you don't use in a few minutes. Let's face it, Samsung unlocked phone have bloatware also. If it's on the phone and you don't use or want it, it's bloatware.

If you are on Verizon and want a feature want the call and text on other devices feature which Verizon blocks then getting unlocked make sense. If the carrier phone has everything you like then it doesn't matter. It comes down to finding out what you gain and what you lose going unlocked on your particular carrier. I would Google that and you should tell us the carrier you use as some on here can tell you what you gain or lose going unlocked.

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This is one of the best explanations I've read in a while. I've bounced between both over the last 10 years and really come to find not much difference unless someone is popping in a different carrier sim card each month in their unlocked device which obviously most aren't.

I think most of us are pretty much wed to our carrier of choice by now ...

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[Serkle K]

As uvarules mentioned, most of us are just fine with the carriers we are on. I've been with AT&T, ever since the merger with Cellular One/Cingular. I've only ever switch my carrier once, and that was back when AT&T was seperate from Cellular One, about a year or 2 before the merger.

I say all that to say, I used to want an unlocked device but the loss of features at the time kept me on a carrier device. But the only reason I went with unlocked this time is because the 1TB was only available as an unlocked device, and I can now get the 2 main features I need (wi-fi calling, and Mobile Hotspot) on an unlocked device. Unless that changes with AT&T on this device, I have no other choice, because I currently have more than 512GB of stuff saved between my device and memory card on my N20U.

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[T48]

I was thinking of going unlocked this time as I do not want to pay for a device over 3 years. I am also guilty of staying with AT&T too long (15 years) & the monthly bill has gotten crazy expensive for a dated plan as a thank you for sticking around.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

I was thinking of going unlocked this time as I do not want to pay for a device over 3 years. I am also guilty of staying with AT&T too long (15 years) & the monthly bill has gotten crazy expensive for a dated plan as a thank you for sticking around.

With $1,000 trade in credit the S23U is something like $5.55 a month. If you're not going anywhere it's your best deal. One less Starbucks a month.

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[mustang7757]

I think get the best deal u can and you can flash to unlock firmware or carrier version anytime

 

[AspenQn]

My last two phones have been unlocked but we were on Verizon until a few months ago and have now switched to TMo. Both of us would really like to upgrade to the S23 Ultra from our Note 20 Ultras but I am sort of reluctant to go back to a carrier phone while my husband doesn't care. That TMo promotion is hard to pass up given fact our phones have received their final OS updates - my husband wants to go ahead with a carrier phone for himself - but I keep going back and forth. Basically a $199 purchase by going with carrier phone vs. $600-$700 for unlocked because of the low $350 trade in on Samsung.

Happy with TMo and don't anticipate switching again anytime soon so am I better off going back to a carrier branded phone? My only real question is ability to use a physical SIM or eSIM from another country during an international trip this summer.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[KupKrazy]

I have had ATT for decades and I've always gotten ATT branded phones (except for my iPhones, but that's another story) because that was my carrier and I didn't care that it had bloatware, etc. However, when ATT decided to screw up RCS and make it non-universal with the S22 series, I vowed to never get an ATT branded phone again and it affected me and my communications with my friends and opted to go Unlocked (after folks confirmed to me that all I'd lose was ATT video calling which I never used once) for my ZF4. I haven't looked back. I still have my Wifi calling. The button for video calls where the ATT Video call button was is now a Google Meets button. Hot spot works. Everything works and if I want some of the ATT apps - they can be downloaded from the Google Play store. So we get software updates last. Doesn't bother me in the least.

 

[nuangel2]

My last two phones have been unlocked but we were on Verizon until a few months ago and have now switched to TMo. Both of us would really like to upgrade to the S23 Ultra from our Note 20 Ultras but I am sort of reluctant to go back to a carrier phone while my husband doesn't care. That TMo promotion is hard to pass up given fact our phones have received their final OS updates - my husband wants to go ahead with a carrier phone for himself - but I keep going back and forth. Basically a $199 purchase by going with carrier phone vs. $600-$700 for unlocked because of the low $350 trade in on Samsung.

Happy with TMo and don't anticipate switching again anytime soon so am I better off going back to a carrier branded phone? My only real question is ability to use a physical SIM or eSIM from another country during an international trip this summer.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I have unlocked on T mobile and traveled was able to change sim ok

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[Rose4uKY]

Off topic but we're going from Verizon s22U to the S23U can we just take the sim out of the 22U and put it in and not have to pay activation?

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

Off topic but we're going from Verizon s22U to the S23U can we just take the sim out of the 22U and put it in and not have to pay activation?

No. Verizon will charge you up front for the activation fees. Thought you were going with Samsung unlocked

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[Cuda13]

No. Verizon will charge you up front for the activation fees. Thought you were going with Samsung unlocked

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I picked up an unlocked S22U for my wife last summer on Amazon and put her sim from the LG V30 in it and didn't have any issues other than confirming it on my account on the Verizon website but was never charged an activation fee.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

I picked up an unlocked S22U for my wife last summer on Amazon and put her sim from the LG V30 in it and didn't have any issues other than confirming it on my account on the Verizon website but was never charged an activation fee.

Good luck getting it they Verizon without the activation charge

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[rvbfan]

I take it it's not like Canada where if you activate online the fee is waived?

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[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

I take it it's not like Canada where if you activate online the fee is waived?

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Verizon has run specials if you use the app to purchase phone the activation fee was waived, but not this time around. Verizon has gotten strict on those activation fees. The only way I've been able to get around it is buying unlocked and using my current SIM card.

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[Cuda13]

I take it it's not like Canada where if you activate online the fee is waived?

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I wasn't charged a fee for doing it myself

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

I wasn't charged a fee for doing it myself

I know Verizon usually charges the fee up front with the taxes. I'm not saying you can't get around it, but this is how it usually happens. It used to be charged to your bill but to many people called and claimed they were never told about it, so they charge it up front with the taxes so you can't say that anymore.

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[Rose4uKY]

No. Verizon will charge you up front for the activation fees. Thought you were going with Samsung unlocked

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Yes we are getting unlocked that's why I asked if we can take the SIM out if our 22U which is Verizon phone and put it in unlocked without getting charged. I just remember back in the day somebody used to have a bring your own device and you didn't get charged when we had our S10 plus unlocked I think it was Sprint maybe.

 

[Rose4uKY]

Verizon has run specials if you use the app to purchase phone the activation fee was waived, but not this time around. Verizon has gotten strict on those activation fees. The only way I've been able to get around it is buying unlocked and using my current SIM card.

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And that's what I'm wanting to do we're getting unlocked and use my current Sim except it's not in an unlocked already it's in a Verizon phone. I know nothing about it.