Verizon vs Samsung unlocked

[slingshot202]

Ok. I found this.

AT&T also does not allow WiFi calling on non-branded phones.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/samsung-s8-unlocked-phone-wifi-calling-t3622318

As for Visual Voice Mail. It is a paid service on Verizon so you have to have it as one of the options in your plan. I believe it costs $2.99/month. You also would need to install the Verizon's Visual Voice Mail app.

Video calling SHOULD work. It's built into the default phone dialer app on the device. As long as you have LTE connectivity you should be good on that.

I don't get voice mail notifications on my Verizon branded S8+. I will have to see why.

I haven't tried video calling on my S8 but I have used it on my S5 for work. On my personal phone I have to find a friend that doesn't have an iPhone. It's far and few between.

 

[Antonius66]

Well, from what I have read and been told, most of that stuff should be workable with alternatives. Google Voice can be setup with call forwarding to have the equivalent of Visual VM for free, Google Duo can be used for video calls (although I don't know if or how it would work with someone who does not have Duo and only stock video calling app on phone with VZ, etc). The biggest things honestly to me are VoLTE and HD Voice, and those apparently work so that is huge. The video and VM should be available with other apps, and I assume WiFi calling as well should work with something like Signal or another WiFi based/data calling app. I will find out when I get the phone.

 

[recDNA]

How about the newest VZW LTE bands? Do they work?

 

[Almeuit]

As for Visual Voice Mail. It is a paid service on Verizon so you have to have it as one of the options in your plan. I believe it costs $2.99/month. You also would need to install the Verizon's Visual Voice Mail app.

It is free for VZW -- Just FYI. That is the "Premium" VVM .. which includes voicemail to text. If you just do regular Voicemail it doesn't cost anything.

 

[anon(7901790)]

I have to find a friend that doesn't have an iPhone. It's far and few between.

Wouldn't it be easier to get new friends? J/K. Actually, Verizon Messenger allows you to do WiFi calling, video calling, and texting. It's free and it works on other Android devices that don't have an LTE capability. I used it while in Okinawa to make phone calls back here to the US. I had a WiFi hotspot set up in my hotel room that I used. It worked pretty well. About as well as Google Voice, which works really well too.

 

[anon(7901790)]

It is free for VZW -- Just FYI. That is the "Premium" VVM .. which includes voicemail to text. If you just do regular Voicemail it doesn't cost anything.

Thanks. I think you still need Verizon's Visual Voicemail app. Which is not pre-installed on the unbranded/unlocked version. I checked Google Play and the Visual Voicemail app is not there. Other VZW apps like Verizon Messages and VZ Navigator are available though.

I have a Verizon branded S8+ and managed to uninstall most of the Verizon bloat ware; Visual Voicemail being one of them. That may be the reason I'm not getting Voicemail alerts...interesting.

 

[Almeuit]

Thanks. I think you still need Verizon's Visual Voicemail app. Which is not pre-installed on the unbranded/unlocked version. I checked Google Play and the Visual Voicemail app is not there. Other VZW apps like Verizon Messages and VZ Navigator are available though.

I have a Verizon branded S8+ and managed to uninstall most of the Verizon bloat ware; Visual Voicemail being one of them. That may be the reason I'm not getting Voicemail alerts...interesting.

Oh yeah you'd need the app still I believe. I was just clarifying the cost.

On a side note.. do people use their navigator? I just find that to be a huge tip off lol.

 

[BrownChickenBrownCow]

I read somewhere, XDA I think, that the unlocked S8 won't connect to Verizon's 3G CDMA network. Anyone have any experience with this? If it's true, that's a complete deal breaker.

 

[anon(7901790)]

I read somewhere, XDA I think, that the unlocked S8 won't connect to Verizon's 3G CDMA network. Anyone have any experience with this? If it's true, that's a complete deal breaker.

No that's not true, it will connect. All unlocked means is that it has the CDMA keys needed to connect to any CDMA network. I've also read that even certain non-CDMA enabled phones have connected successfully to Verizon's network (I'll see if I can find that article). Verizon has been slowly and quietly dismantling its CDMA network. It plans on completing the shutdown; 2G by 2020, 3G by 2021.

Verizon will shut down 2G and 3G CDMA networks by 2021

Update: Here is an article about a Verizon LTE only phone. Although this is not the article I read, it shows that you can use a non-CDMA enabled phone. The downside is that if you are in one of those areas that are not covered by LTE or has poor LTE signal, your phone wouldn't work.

http://www.droid-life.com/2017/06/15/verizon-just-started-selling-lte-lg-flip-phone/

Here is the article I read.

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2017/06/htc-u11-can-used-verizon-even-without-cdma-support.html

 

[anon(7901790)]

On a side note.. do people use their navigator? I just find that to be a huge tip off lol.

I haven't used it since 2013. I think most people have stopped using it ever since Verizon got its pee pee smacked by the FCC for locking the GPS receiver. That was sometime in 2012/2013 I think.

 

[Almeuit]

I haven't used it since 2013. I think most people have stopped using it ever since Verizon got its pee pee smacked by the FCC for locking the GPS receiver. That was sometime in 2012/2013 I think.

That's good. I use Google Maps. Free..and works well.

 

[BrownChickenBrownCow]

So is there any actual drawbacks from using the unlocked version on Verizon? It seems like to WiFi calling and the video chat that is part of the dialer are the two big ones I can think of. I don't use wifi calling though, so no big deal.

 

[anon(7901790)]

So is there any actual drawbacks from using the unlocked version on Verizon? It seems like to WiFi calling and the video chat that is part of the dialer are the two big ones I can think of. I don't use wifi calling though, so no big deal.

I believe even those two would work if you use Verizon Messages app. I've used the Verizon Messages app to make WiFi and video calls while in Okinawa. Both from my phone and from my WiFi only Tab S2.

The app is free and it actually works pretty very well.

 

[BrownChickenBrownCow]

I use their messaging app now, since it was the default when I got my phone. I like using it. Whenever I touch the call button, it goes to the normal dialer, so I never even thought that it would be separate.

The more I dug into the using the unlocked version, the less I was interested in it. Now, I'm starting to learn that you probably don't really miss much. Now if only I can convince my wife to get on board...

 

[victoryrules8]

i have the unlocked us S8 on Verizon and it's great. I don't miss the bloat and you get our Samsung software as opposed to Verizon tweaked software. visual vm no biggie I have a good voice account and forwarded my messages there. I don't have wifi calling and video calling but oh well I guess. gotta take the very few negatives with all the positives.to each their own. best way to judge is to go pick one up and try it for yourself. how will you know by just talking about it just go get one and try it if you don't like it you can always return it. it's really not a big deal.

 

[BrownChickenBrownCow]

i have the unlocked us S8 on Verizon and it's great. I don't miss the bloat and you get our Samsung software as opposed to Verizon tweaked software. visual vm no biggie I have a good voice account and forwarded my messages there. I don't have wifi calling and video calling but oh well I guess. gotta take the very few negatives with all the positives.to each their own. best way to judge is to go pick one up and try it for yourself. how will you know by just talking about it just go get one and try it if you don't like it you can always return it. it's really not a big deal.

That's what I'm leaning towards. I just need to convince my wife! If I don't like it, I figure I can just put it up on eBay. I'll probably even make a profit! I might even pick up a couple cheap phones to get the $200 trade-in while leaving my current phone as a backup. The only things I'm not thrilled about with this current promotion is that you can only get one trade-in per order and only black is available. I was leaning towards the silver since I always buy black phones.

 

[BrownChickenBrownCow]

No that's not true, it will connect. All unlocked means is that it has the CDMA keys needed to connect to any CDMA network. I've also read that even certain non-CDMA enabled phones have connected successfully to Verizon's network (I'll see if I can find that article). Verizon has been slowly and quietly dismantling its CDMA network. It plans on completing the shutdown; 2G by 2020, 3G by 2021.

Verizon will shut down 2G and 3G CDMA networks by 2021

Update: Here is an article about a Verizon LTE only phone. Although this is not the article I read, it shows that you can use a non-CDMA enabled phone. The downside is that if you are in one of those areas that are not covered by LTE or has poor LTE signal, your phone wouldn't work.

http://www.droid-life.com/2017/06/15/verizon-just-started-selling-lte-lg-flip-phone/

Here is the article I read.

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2017/06/htc-u11-can-used-verizon-even-without-cdma-support.html

Only having LTE coverage could be a problem with me. My town is somewhat isolated and surrounded by farm land, while my work is in a giant steel and concrete building. Home usually has 4G coverage, but the country roads are a crapshoot. Work just eats the signal in some areas and lately I've been having connection issues, although I'm think it might be more of my aging Turbo 2's fault rather than the giant addition that is currently going up.

 

[msp1518]

Yes, I need 3g in numerous parts of North Carolina. It's a crap shoot out there and ONLY Verizon gives me the coverage I need. It's not even close with the other carriers. That's why i have opted for the Verizon version of the S8.

 

[sangs]

If you like a crippled phone, go for it. Myself, I'll take a couple of "bloatware" apps (which are easily disabled) if it means I have a fully functional phone. I don't shell out that much money to get something that only works partially with my service provider.