Need help w/ s7 edge. Tmobile to Verizon?

[Jeff Smith21]

I live in NJ and recently switched from Verizon to Tmobile. I've noticed its not as good w/ phone quality. When I made the switch I purchased a S7 edge from Tmobile store. If I go back to VZ, can my s7 Edge be used on Verizon?

Thanks.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! No, the T-Mobile variant doesn't support CDMA, which is what Verizon still uses for most voice calls.

 

[underway99]

The other issue that you'll have with the TMO variant on Big Red is that your MMS and SMS service will be unreliable at best. Data should be good. Voice calls may be OK in the city or where you have good 4G/LTE coverage (you may get less than 4G/LTE service though), but where Verizon earns its money is in providing service where nobody else can or will. For now, that still takes the CDMA network. It's not possible to make the TMO phone work on CDMA because the TMO phone isn't built to support a CDMA connection. In the US, that means VZW, Sprint, US Cellular (I think they still support CDMA), and some MVNOs.

 

[B. Diddy]

@underway99 makes good points. The voice calls could work over 4G LTE (i.e., Verizon's Advanced Calling, which is their name for Voice over LTE). But I wonder if a non-Verizon phone has the correct firmware to access Verizon's Advanced Calling? I don't have any direct experience with that.

 

[mustang7757]

You can try flashing the s7 edge unlock firmware and see how it goes its suppose to work on all 4 carriers

 

[underway99]

The carrier lock may or may not be a problem. I don't know if the TMO variant of the S7 Edge is sold carrier unlocked like the Verizon model. I also don't know if the OP owns his phone outright and already has it unlocked (if applicable).

This is an engineering issue. The TMO model doesn't support the radio stack required to work properly on Verizon's network. It'll sort of work in many places, but not like it was designed.

 

[underway99]

@underway99 makes good points. The voice calls could work over 4G LTE (i.e., Verizon's Advanced Calling, which is their name for Voice over LTE). But I wonder if a non-Verizon phone has the correct firmware to access Verizon's Advanced Calling? I don't have any direct experience with that.

As I understand it, most non-Verizon phones do not have that capability, especially the older 4G/LTE devices and just about anything intended for sale outside North America. The newer devices that are sold carrier free here in the States will do it, but there aren't that many of those yet. IIRC, that short list would include the S7, Pixel, one of the Nexus devices, and possibly one of the more recent Motos (kind of hazy on that one). There are probably others.