Which model to Galaxy note 5 to purchase? 920C, G or used A

[AC Question]

My carrier, Consumer Cellular, uses the AT&T network. CC does not offer Samsung phones so I will need to purchased an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 5 phone from a third party vendor. I do not see much difference between the n920G and the n920C models except for a couple of LTE bands which does not appear to be in issue in the US. Is there any reason to pick one of these models over the other for domestic US use? Or i could pick up a used A model which would be cheaper. Unless there is good reason to do this, I would prefer a new phone. Thanks for any experiences or insights.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! From what I can tell, any of those will work fine on Consumer Cellular, in terms of network bands. I compared the specs on B&H Photo for both:

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C 32GB Smartphone N920C-32GB-BLK
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920G 32GB SM-N920G-32GB-BLACK B&H

You're right, they are essentially identical, except for a few LTE bands that are not important to Consumer Cellular.

 

[raylock]

An Amazon dealer suggested one other possible difference, the Samsung warranty. Samsung does not honor the manufacturers warranty for these products in the US. The dealer suggested, however, that the warranty for the G model, which is locked to the North and South America region will be honored by Samsung Latin which has a service center in south Florida. Even if that is true, it sounds like getting service would be an ordeal. Some retailers like B&H Photo provide a one year warranty on their own in lieu of Samsung's manufacturers warranty. I am coming to the conclusion that I should just pick up which ever model is cheapest.

 

[B. Diddy]

Oh yeah, I didn't think about the warranty issue--good point! I wonder if you could get 3rd party insurance, like SquareTrade.

 

[raylock]

Yes, You can get Square Trade insurance when you purchase a phone through Amazon or from retailers such as B&H Photo. I have never had a problem with a phone that I purchased so I am reluctant to add $75 or $80 to the purchase price. I could probably buy a phone with the money I have saved by not buying insurance in the past