Unlocking an S6 Edge - which phone to get?

[AC Question]

This is a bit convoluted, so stay with me.

My wife just broke the screen on her Galaxy S6 Edge. Luckily, she has a SquareTrade warranty and will be getting a replacement shipped out soon.

The phone she broke was an AT&T model that was being used on T-Mobile.

We were traveling abroad and AT&T refused to provide a SIM unlock code because the phone was on contract. So she paid the ETF, got the unlock code, and cancelled her AT&T service as soon as we got home. She ended up switching to T-Mobile's $30 WalMart plan, which she has only been on for 3 weeks now.

So here's the question: what model replacement should she get?

If she gets the T-Mobile variant, will she be able to use it with international SIM cards? Will T-Mobile be willing to provide the SIM unlock code?

If she gets the AT&T variant, will AT&T be willing to provide the code (since she's no longer a customer)?

Looks like the international version doesn't have band 12 (and probably wouldn't be available from SquareTrade anyway). Is that right?

Thanks for any insights or suggestions.

 

[srkmagnus]

Since it seems like you'll be getting it off contract there's no reason why the carrier will not unlock it. In terms of which model to get, you should choose the one that supports the network provider you will be using the most. It'll work on all GSM carriers, but as you noted, it doesn't support all LTE networks.