Looking to switch to VZW...Buy unlocked or what?

[thalador]

Hi folks,

I currently have an android phone on T-Mobile and the service is not good at all, I am South of Boston, and it's ok. I vacation a lot in NH and it is almost non existent there. So, I am heading on vacation this Saturday and want to go with Verizon, but their choice of Windows phones is blah. My thoughts were this

Buy an unlocked phone on Swappa or some other site. Thinking the Lumia Icon. The camera is something I need to be good. My question is, would you buy an Icon if you were in my shoes? If not, what would you buy? I want something that will run Win10 when it comes out and it has to have a great camera

Lastly - I know how the service with VZW is, I have heard ATT is almost as good. Thoughts? I am not married to Verizon

Thanks all

 

[xrs22]

Verizon phones come unlocked already so blaaam! That's done. If you wanna stay on tmo and want a Verizon phone then you gotta do all that tricky stuff to use a different for your carrier.

 

[tgp]

Only a couple factory unlocked phones will work on Verizon. Unless you're getting a Nexus 6 or an iPhone 6/6+, it won't work. However, as xrs22 said, Verizon LTE phones are SIM unlocked, including the Icon.

With the Icon, you're good on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile in the US, and pretty much any GSM carrier worldwide. The caveat is that you may not get LTE on other carriers besides Verizon, but calling and HSPA/HSPA+ data should work fine.

My recommendation is to get the Icon, buy a month's service on Verizon, and give it a shot. If it doesn't work for you, switch to AT&T and try that. No new phone will be needed; only a new SIM card.

 

[RumoredNow]

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[thalador]

Thanks for the replies. I had thought, and maybe this is just me being naive, but the reason to buy an unlocked phone was to get none of the carriers bloatware and could get updates from MS, for example. Am I wrong in thinking that?

 

[tgp]

Thanks for the replies. I had thought, and maybe this is just me being naive, but the reason to buy an unlocked phone was to get none of the carriers bloatware and could get updates from MS, for example. Am I wrong in thinking that?

No, you're not wrong in thinking that; you are absolutely correct. However, as I mentioned above, Verizon is more limited due to their use of CDMA technology for voice.

The only factory unlocked phones that work on Verizon currently are the Nexus 6, the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6+. The upcoming Moto X Style Pure Edition will work on Verizon as well. There are no factory unlocked Windows Phones that work on Verizon.

 

[thalador]

Based on that I am thinking maybe Verizon is not the right choice. I know the Icon is VZ only (correct?) so if I went with ATT I would have more options for phones I assume?

 

[RumoredNow]

You would have more options with a GSM Factory Unlocked phone in terms of moving from carrier to carrier, no carrier bloat and speedier updates more directly from Microsoft.

 

[thalador]

So based on that, let's say I go with AT&T, what phone would folks recommend keeping in mind that Win10 upgradability and a great camera are musts. Does the Icon work on AT&T? What

 

[RumoredNow]

First... You may not want AT&T, just AT&T's towers.

How important is Internet Sharing? If you don't use it an mvno running off of AT&T towers will likely save you money you can put toward a phone... Ditto max LTE speed. If 8mbps is fast enough, again, an mvno may be the way to go.

Honestly, I may be in danger of sounding like SPAM as much as I recommend these guys. Trust me, I have no stake in it and make no profit. I just have been very happy with the service and selection they offer at very competitive prices. Check out the Factory Unlocked phones at B&H Photo. Smartphones | B&H Photo Video

You could get a 930, but it won't get LTE in the US. It has the wrong bands. An Icon has complete compatibility problems off Vzw anyway and they make it impossible to alter your MMS settings with the new Vzw firmware at any rate. A Factory Unlocked 930 is likely to see Win 10 Mo fairly quickly in the upgrade schedule. And it has that 20MP camera.

The 1520.3 (or 1520 RM-938) is out of stock for most retailers and not easy to find BNIB anymore. You could search and find soem nice examples. Just amke sure it is the RM-938 for complete US GSM compatibility with H+ and LTE.

One of those two phones (930 or 1520) will give you the most bang for your buck.

The 830 is quite the picture taker as well. Maybe not the 2GB RAM and Upscale SoC of the above mentions, but still a fine phone. AVOID the RM-983 or AT&T branded model at all costs. AT&T pulled a fast one and gimped this phone. It never got full Denim so the camera isn't up to snuff and there are a couple other issues (check the 830 forum). The Factory Unlocked RM-985 variant of the 830 is the one you want. 100% compatible with AT&T's towers and up to date with the OS and Firmware.

The 640 XL in the Factory Unlocked RM-1065 is also a good bet. A great phone if you travel. It has 13 LTE bands for support virtually anywhere in the world...


You should probably decide what carrier you are going to first and then pick the phone.

 

[anon(5383410)]

If your switching to Verizon, ask your job for a raise