Windows Phone Options for U.S. Cellular

[coip]

My father is really interested in getting a Windows Phone as the rest of the family has Nokia Lumias (822 and 928). We're all on Verizon, but he's on U.S. Cellular (for work). There are no WP 8 phones available yet. Although the Samsung Ativ Odyssey is rumored to be coming soon, he'd prefer a Nokia Lumia or even the HTC offerings. Can any of those phones unlocked work on the U.S. Cellular network? How can I figure something like this out. I called them and asked and they said there network does not accept any unlocked phones, but that seems strange to me.

 

[Laura Knotek]

US Cellular is a CDMA carrier (like VZW and Sprint). Unlocking means the ability to use SIM cards on any GSM carrier. Unlocking would apply only to AT&T and T-Mobile (and regional GSM carriers or GSM MVNOs).

The CDMA carriers use databases of devices, and they will not activate any device that does not have their own branding. So you will not be able to use any device on US Cellular unless it is branded to US Cellular. VZW will also not activate Sprint devices, and Sprint will not activate VZW devices.

 

[jahirsino1]

US Cellular’s first Windows Phone 8 handset to be the Samsung SCH-R860U? ? Unwired View

 

[mrmdj31675]

Supposedly, this model mentioned is a USCC based version of the Samsung Ativ Oddyssey. If you were expecting the Ativ S on USCC, you'll have to wait or switch carriers (either by getting an unlocked version to use with most GSM carriers or wait for the Ativ S Neo to arrive on Sprint).

 

[coip]

Well, I doubt that U.S. Cellular will be getting any other Windows Phones this year, so I guess I'll push him towards the Samsung Ativ Odyssey. It would've been nice if they could've snagged a higher end model: a Nokia Lumia 92X variant, an HTC 8X variant, or the Samsung Ativ S variant.