Will an "unlocked" 950XL work on Verizon?

[MikeSo]

Went on a Verizon chat to bring up the lack of support for the new Windows phones. The reps exact words were "I do understand, but why settle for something less when you can get the amazing iphones or samsung phones." I LOL'd at that one. Pretty ridiculous.

They pretty much say the same thing even when they HAVE Windows Phones to sell.
Verizon doesn't care about Windows Phone. End of story.

 

[MikeSo]

Right, with no contract on verizon. you can bring a nexus phone or unlocked iphone to verizon and they will activate it for you. The problem with Lumia 950 and 950XL is that Microsoft does not include the necessary CDMA radio in the phone. MS either did this because (1) cost or (2) agreement with AT&T but either way, Verizon has no say whether MS can include the CDMA radio or not. Now verizon can refuse to activate the phone and because MS knew Verizon would refuse it, they did not include the CDMA radio to save cost. Still, it's the fact that MS chose not to include it rather than they could not technically do so.

It's up to Verizon. If you can bring our own Nexus and iPhone, that's because they are desirable phones for them to have on the network. They allow them. It's not like GSM where the carrier HAS to allow a phone (that's how the standard is). Verizon can still choose to deny Microsoft phones. Which I bet they would, since they really don't care, and that minuscule number of customers are treated more like a hassle than an asset.

 

[tgp]

It's up to Verizon. If you can bring our own Nexus and iPhone, that's because they are desirable phones for them to have on the network. They allow them. It's not like GSM where the carrier HAS to allow a phone (that's how the standard is). Verizon can still choose to deny Microsoft phones. Which I bet they would, since they really don't care, and that minuscule number of customers are treated more like a hassle than an asset.

No. It is not up to Verizon. It is up to Microsoft to include the CDMA radios for Verizon. The factory unlocked iPhones and Androids listed above that work on Verizon worked even before Verizon "allowed" them. Verizon wouldn't activate them, but if you had an active SIM card you could put it in and the devices would work. Eventually Verizon officially "allowed" them, and would activate them.

This has nothing to do with Verizon. It is all on Microsoft. Apple, Google, and Motorola did it. Microsoft could have done it as well. While it might technically be possible for Verizon to block a Microsoft phone, I don't think they would. In fact, I believe they are not allowed to block a compatible phone. I am not an attorney, so I may not be reading the restrictions correctly though.

 

[MikeSo]

Microsoft could have done it as well. While it might technically be possible for Verizon to block a Microsoft phone, I don't think they would. In fact, I believe they are not allowed to block a compatible phone.

Sure they are. Sprint and Verizon do it all the time. As far as I know there is no requirement at all that any carrier allows ANY phone. They can lock out any phone they want. The only thing they now legally have to do is keep customers from being locked IN to their network. The reason GSM phones are allowed on any network is because that's how the standard works. It's not a legal matter.

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, everything I've ever read says that Verizon and Sprint have 100% say in which phones they allow. The reason they allow unlocked iPhones and other popular phones is because it's an advantage to them. They could block them if they wanted.

Agreed though that in this specific case it's obviously a hardware limitation on the part of the phone. We don't know if Verizon would have allowed it or not, but since the phone doesn't have CDMA anyway (according to the released specs currently at least) it's a theoretical question. My guess is they wouldn't bother. Maybe they would.

EDIT: Here's more info, about the Nexus 6: http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/1...or-that-carrier-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

 

[to_be_announced]

They pretty much say the same thing even when they HAVE Windows Phones to sell.
Verizon doesn't care about Windows Phone. End of story.

Would it be safe to say Microsoft doesn't care about Verizon as well...........

 

[rpm1984]

No it does not list a cdma band on the 735 on MS website. Many have said this. Everyone is saying it won't work on Verizon because of the specs on MS website but that may be incomplete. Everyone needs to just calm down a little and wait and see.

 

[yaoye78]

I'm not quite sure why 950/950XL would have limited band support... according to Qualcomm, 808/810 has built-in support for:

Integrated X10 LTE, with Global Mode supporting LTE FDD, LTE TDD, WCDMA (DB-DC-HSDPA, DC-HSUPA), CDMA1x, EV-DO, TD-SCDMA and GSM/EDGE

Cat 9 speeds of up to 450 Mbps with support for up to 3x20 MHz carrier aggregation on LTE FDD and LTE TDD

Support for LTE Broadcast, LTE multimode dual SIM (DSDS and DSDA) and VoLTE with HD Voice and SRVCC

 

[MikeSo]

No it does not list a cdma band on the 735 on MS website. Many have said this. Everyone is saying it won't work on Verizon because of the specs on MS website but that may be incomplete. Everyone needs to just calm down a little and wait and see.

Yes it does. Read the specs:
Nokia Lumia 735 Specifications - Microsoft - Global

 

[illidanx]

Yes it does. Read the specs:
Nokia Lumia 735 Specifications - Microsoft - Global

Thanks for this link. The link that misses the CMDA radio in the Lumia 735 specs is this one Verizon - Microsoft Lumia 735 - Microsoft Store

Now it is clear that Lumia 735 has CDMA radio while Lumia 950/950XL does not.

 

[rpm1984]

That is bizarre how did you get to that page? I am on a desktop and that is a mobile site. Are you on mobile? This may be where the confusion is. When I go to the store and look at the 735 on my desktop I get a different list in the tech specs.

 

[NaniinaN]

Dsah

 

[illidanx]

That is bizarre how did you get to that page? I am on a desktop and that is a mobile site. Are you on mobile? This may be where the confusion is. When I go to the store and look at the 735 on my desktop I get a different list in the tech specs.

I get to the page with the missing specs by searching verizon phone on google or by starting from this page Windows Phone For AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, & Verizon - Microsoft Store and click on Shop verizon phones.

 

[Arsynic]

If Verizon does this, I'll pay my ETF and leave, or Get ATT to pay it

AT&T is doing a promotion where you get $300 to switch your line over from another carrier. Really tempted to go that route for the XL when its available. If Verizon wanted to support this phone they would have it already.

It's quite obvious that Verizon believes that Android is their baby and they tolerate iPhone. But they have no love for Windows 10.

 

[MikeSo]

'

With No agreement with Verizon ? It would of been nice if Microsoft talked to Verizon to make this happen in an unlocked model like this but, Of course VSW didn't care (Was bettiing more VZW than Microsoft but, what do I know ?)

Verizon would have to agree to whitelist the phones they would allow on their network. It seems entirely reasonable from previous MS/VZW history to suspect that Verizon refused to ever (with phones, ever basically seems to mean within the next year or two) whitelist the 950XL and Microsoft then decided to skip the hardware necessary. If it's only for one carrier that refuses to allow your phone, then why bother.

 

[anon(5383410)]

No. It is not up to Verizon. It is up to Microsoft to include the CDMA radios for Verizon. The factory unlocked iPhones and Androids listed above that work on Verizon worked even before Verizon "allowed" them. Verizon wouldn't activate them, but if you had an active SIM card you could put it in and the devices would work. Eventually Verizon officially "allowed" them, and would activate them.

This has nothing to do with Verizon. It is all on Microsoft. Apple, Google, and Motorola did it. Microsoft could have done it as well. While it might technically be possible for Verizon to block a Microsoft phone, I don't think they would. In fact, I believe they are not allowed to block a compatible phone. I am not an attorney, so I may not be reading the restrictions correctly though.

This is what bothers me about it. I don't see how including the hardware necessary to work on Verizon is a cost issue on a $650 phone. How much more could it really cost weighed against how much it already cost to manufacture and how much they're selling them for? The cost argument could be made for low and mid range phones but not on a high-end device. That excuse just isn't cutting it. I'm on the outside looking in like the rest of you but it seems like there's some other issue with Verizon and MS and they're just not playing nice with each other.

 

[jlzimmerman]

Went on a Verizon chat to bring up the lack of support for the new Windows phones. The reps exact words were "I do understand, but why settle for something less when you can get the amazing iphones or Samsung phones." I LOL'd at that one. Pretty ridiculous.

And this very thing happens when you go into a store and ask about a WP. W10M is likely to collect dust and die in carrier stores for this very reason. I don't believe MS wanted to scale back carrier availability considering 90% of sales in the US happen inside carrier stores. MS was forced to because A] other carriers don't care (especially Verizon if they can't control the updates and bloatware) and B] selling them in stores was futile because salespeople are very biased towards iPhone and galaxies.

The market is too saturated and the carriers have too much control in the US for WP/W10M to be given a fair shake. It's too saturated and feelings for one's preferred phone platform is too entrenched for WP/W10M to grow. Maybe MS should all but abandon the US market, and maybe that's their objective. Focus on Europe and developing nations. Projections show that the Indian, Chinese, and African smartphone market will dwarf the US market by 2030. Maybe MS is smart enough to focus on these long-term goals now.

 

[Johnny Tremaine]

Now it is clear that Lumia 735 has CDMA radio while Lumia 950/950XL does not.

That's exactly what I said, but people keep going on about if Verizon will allow the device on their network, and what chipset vs. that chipset's abilities according to Qualcomm.

It's a hardware limitation; Microsoft didn't include the Verizon compatible CDMA radio in the 950 devices.

The end.

 

[JaySeeDoubleYou]

Why does the link on the US site (the one which specifies Verizon even) NOT list the CDMA bands on the spec sheet while the global version of the site, (which does NOT specify Verizon) list the CDMA bands IF THESE CDMA BANDS ARE THE ONES REQUIRED FOR VERIZON ACCESS?

 

[dksf42]

We don't officially know that the "hardware is not there" as the 735 "does have the required chipset" - any hardware guys out there that can confirm, "could the hardware be there and just not firmware enabled"?

 

[illidanx]

Why does the link on the US site (the one which specifies Verizon even) NOT list the CDMA bands on the spec sheet while the global version of the site, (which does NOT specify Verizon) list the CDMA bands IF THESE CDMA BANDS ARE THE ONES REQUIRED FOR VERIZON ACCESS?

Probably someone at MS forgot to.