Factory Unlocked phone on Verizon

[Simon_y7]

re:

You can buy unlocked phones in the U.S. that support both CDMA and GSM and that's probably what they meant.

Since this is a Verizon forum, where in the US can one buy an unlocked phone fully functional on Verizon?

 

[mustang7757]

re:

Best buy

Since this is a Verizon forum, where in the US can one buy an unlocked phone fully functional on Verizon?

 

[Mike Dee]

re:

Since this is a Verizon forum, where in the US can one buy an unlocked phone fully functional on Verizon?

The only Android device that I know of that is fully supported with all carrier features on Verizon are Google Pixel phones. I'm not saying there aren't others, it's the only one I've tried. There is actually no difference between the unlocked version and the Verizon carrier version except that the Verizon carrier version has a locked bootloader. The Verizon version is temporarily carrier locked unless that's changed.

 

[Mike Dee]

re:

Best buy

Not all unlocked phones at Best Buy support all carrier features though.

 

[Simon_y7]

re:

For whatever this is worth, two Verizon reps said to me authoritatively that phones sold by them now are unlocked.

 

[mustang7757]

re:

Features no , bands yes

Not all unlocked phones at Best support all carrier features though.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

re:

Ooo ooo oooo pick me pick me (think Horseshack Welcome Back Kotter)

I’m not an IT guy but I’m a BB/BBMo enthusiast who’s been through all this with KEYone, the Key2 and the Key2 LE so I’ll step in.

Old CDMA devices had to be certified to operate with Sprint and VZW CDMA side networks. The newer LTE only devices (Key2 or Key2 LE) only need to be setup as CDMAless account or CDMAless phone with a new CDMAless SIM in the device. This is where it gets tricky. VZW used to certify devices for CDMA network access (KEYone CDMA version) so VZW reps will refuse to activate CDMAless LTEonly phones not purchased through VZW for various reasons. Trick is to have your line switched to CDMAless LTEonly and get new SIM card. Many people bought the Key2 LE or some other similar device and switched to Key2 which is not an officially supported device.

Results have varied.... if VZW checks the IMEI is your unofficial phone, it may lose access though it’s not supposed to. Hope this helps.

 

[Simon_y7]

re:

Could it be that this is what reps claimed in the last few days that CDMA was no longer relevant and only 4G LTE bands compatibility that mattered? I wish I had the right kind of phone to test this.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

re:

Could it be that this is what reps claimed in the last few days that CDMA was no longer relevant and only 4G LTE bands compatibility that mattered? I wish I had the right kind of phone to test this.

Just buy the phone you want from Amazon with return privileges...

 

[Simon_y7]

re:

Just buy the phone you want from Amazon with return privileges...

Haven't worked up the nerve yet...

 

[Chuck Finley69]

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Haven't worked up the nerve yet... ??????

All joking aside, it’s the only way for certain to know if the device will function well for you.

We can speculate forever, but it’s just speculation. Good luck !!!!!!!

 

[Almeuit]

CDMA shuts down at the end of this year (FYI).

 

[Almeuit]

re:

Could it be that this is what reps claimed in the last few days that CDMA was no longer relevant and only 4G LTE bands compatibility that mattered? I wish I had the right kind of phone to test this.

That's very correct. That's why OnePlus phones work on Verizon via LTE only since they have no CDMA. As I stated above CDMA shuts down at the end of this year so it isn't a huge thing to hang up on now a days.

 

[Simon_y7]

re:

So when one sees an unlocked phone for sale that says "GSM only" and the seller says that it won't work on Verizon, what would that mean on January 1 when CDMA shuts down? Would such phone still not work on Verizon?

 

[Almeuit]

re:

So when one sees an unlocked phone for sale that says "GSM only" and the seller says that it won't work on Verizon, what would that mean on January 1 when CDMA shuts down? Would such phone still not work on Verizon?

Huh?

 

[Simon_y7]

re:

Huh?

I'll try to be clearer With Verizon completely abandoning CDMA on 1/1, will all factory unlocked, international phones work on Verizon from that point on?

 

[Almeuit]

re:

I'll try to be clearer With Verizon completely abandoning CDMA on 1/1, will all factory unlocked, international phones work on Verizon from that point on?

They work now on Verizon.

 

[Simon_y7]

re:

They work now on Verizon.

This is the quandary, as sellers of such phones insist that they'd work on a GSM network only. Verizon tech support, insist that even now , i.e. before 1/1,, any such phone would work on Verizon as long as 4G LTE frequencies match. They say that Verizon activates phones, both unlocked and from all kinds of carriers, daily with no problem.

Whom to believe?

 

[Almeuit]

re:

This is the quandary, as sellers of such phones insist that they'd work on a GSM network only. Verizon tech support, insist that even now , i.e. before 1/1,, any such phone would work on Verizon as long as 4G LTE frequencies match. They say that Verizon activates phones, both unlocked and from all kinds of carriers, daily with no problem.

Whom to believe?

The sellers are wrong and obviously kind of dumb (to be blunt) since it isn't about GSM or CDMA anymore.. those only matter for the fall back to old legacy network. LTE is LTE.

As I said before.. people use the new OnePlus on Verizon without issue and it only has LTE no CDMA. That should be more then enough to prove what I'm saying.

 

[mustang7757]

re:

This is the quandary, as sellers of such phones insist that they'd work on a GSM network only. Verizon tech support, insist that even now , i.e. before 1/1,, any such phone would work on Verizon as long as 4G LTE frequencies match. They say that Verizon activates phones, both unlocked and from all kinds of carriers, daily with no problem.

Whom to believe?

You might find this article interesting
https://www.pcmag.com/news/300986/cdma-vs-gsm-whats-the-difference