Can I Use My Gsm Phone on Verizon

Verizon is making large changes to how customers buy devices for its network. And that could mean more opportunities and choices for how consumers acquire smartphones in the future.

Earlier this month, Verizon eliminated contracts and the subsidies for smartphones that went with those contracts. And this calendar week, the company said it will make it easier for customers to bring unlocked devices -- a term used to describe devices that do not have software blocking them from utilise on other carriers -- to the Verizon network. These changes could eventually lead to more than choices at a wider range of price points for consumers. But figuring out which devices work on which wireless networks isn't always easy.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain how the manufacture is changing and give some advice on what specifications customers should exist looking for.

Dear Maggie,

I currently have Verizon Wireless service with a non-smartphone. My 2-year contract has long since expired. I am because a Samsung Galaxy or an Apple iPhone. I'thousand willing to pay total price for it, but I'd similar to get a good deal if I could. I'thousand thinking of ownership the telephone on the open market instead of from Verizon. Maybe I could get a better deal that manner? I would also like the telephone that I buy to exist able to be used on other carriers, should I have a falling out with Verizon.

Is this possible to do? When shopping for the telephone, how tin can I tell from the phone's specs what carriers it will piece of work with?

Give thanks you,

Jim

Dear Jim,

Shopping around for an unlocked smartphone that can be used on multiple wireless operators' networks is a smart idea. For one, it allows you to go the best price you can detect on a device. And information technology likewise gives you the option to switch to some other operator if yous're not satisfied with your service.

Verizon has eliminated contracts and the subsidies for smartphones that went with those contracts.
Verizon Wireless

But pop phones like a new Apple iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ likely won't be any cheaper unlocked than they would be from your carrier. Withal, there are plenty of budget-friendly smartphones on the market, such as new devices from Motorola and from a slew of Chinese manufacturers that will offer you some big savings. These phones come unlocked out of the box, and you lot can become neat deals on them over more than expensive models, like the iPhone or Galaxy smartphones.

Verizon has traditionally made it difficult to use an unlocked phone bought from a company other than Verizon. This is in stark contrast to operators like AT&T and T-Mobile, which accept made it easy to bring unlocked devices to their networks for years. Only things are changing at Verizon, according to Albert Aydin, a spokesman for Verizon. The visitor is making an endeavour to make it much easier to utilize some unlocked phones, such equally the iPhone half dozen, iPhone half-dozen Plus, and Nexus half dozen on its network, even if it'due south a version of the device that wasn't made specifically for Verizon. Customers can visit Verizon'south website and check the ID, such as the IMEI number, on their device to meet if it will work unlocked on the carrier's network.

The company's move to make it easier to use non-Verizon devices on its network comes as the event of a couple of important trends in the wireless industry. First, demand for unlocked devices is growing. And later years of pressuring lawmakers to practise something to force operators to remove the software preventing them from being used on competitors' networks, wireless operators struck an understanding with the Federal Communications Commission earlier this year to abide by a lawmaking of comport for unlocking devices. Equally role of this code, carriers have promised to allow customers to unlock devices that they've already purchased in full.

The other major trend is that the wireless industry is moving away from contract service plans that offering subscribers a low-cost device in substitution for signing a ii-yr contract. Now, operators are starting to require subscribers to pay for new devices in full or in monthly installments with no contract or obligation to continue service. T-Mobile got rid of its contract plans more than two years ago. Earlier this month, Verizon announced the same movement. AT&T and Dart give customers the choice to forgo contracts, simply they take not eliminated them yet.

Nether the old contract plans, customers would typically pay $200 for a new smartphone. Merely the device costs much more than that, usually at least three times more than the subsidized toll. Who paid the residuum? The carrier, which and then figured the price of this subsidy into the monthly service charge. Simply customers never actually knew how much of their monthly bill went to paying for their service and how much went to paying off their phone. What'south more than, once a contract concluded, customers still paid the same amount each month -- fifty-fifty long after the device the carrier had subsidized was paid off.

That'due south all changing, and it'south good news for consumers, especially savvy shoppers similar yourself. At present, the cost of your service will exist separate from the cost of your device. You can still buy a new phone from your carrier, but yous'll either pay total price for it upfront or you'll finance it.

The other choice, equally you accept suggested, is that you tin can bring your own device. This means you can use a phone that you already own, purchase a used or refurbished smartphone, or shop effectually for a less expensive device from a lesser-known manufacturer.

This nautical chart shows the LTE frequency bands that the four major US carriers support.
Marguerite Reardon/CNET

Both of these trends are likely why Verizon is changing its policy and finally embracing unlocked phones on its network. But there is a catch. Not every device volition work on every carrier'due south network. This is peculiarly truthful for Verizon and Dart, which have based their traditional voice and data networks on technologies that are not deployed globally. To brand certain the smartphone you buy will work with your carrier, yous must look at the device specifications to ensure information technology supports the radio frequencies and network engineering science that is compatible with your carrier.

Checking specs

Network engineering

US wireless operators don't employ the aforementioned fundamental wireless applied science to deliver voice services. For instance, Verizon and Sprint rely on a network technology known equally CDMA for their voice services. AT&T and T-Mobile use a dissimilar technology for voice known as GSM. This is a problem because devices made for AT&T and T-Mobile or European markets, which too employ GSM, won't include radio technology for CDMA. And that means it won't permit you to brand calls or get text messages on Verizon's or Sprint's network.

LTE radio frequencies

The wireless globe is rapidly moving to the next generation of network technology known as 4G LTE. Right at present LTE is the engineering used to provide broadband-like Net speeds to wireless customers. Fifty-fifty though all major wireless carriers throughout the earth, including the four major carriers in the US, are using the same 4G technology to deliver loftier-speed Net access to smartphones, they don't all use the same radio frequencies. This ways that the device you cull needs to include radios that tin tune into the frequencies that your carrier is using for its 4G LTE network. If information technology doesn't take radios that are compatible with its LTE frequencies, you may non get information service at all or you will get service that is substantially slower than is advertised for a 4G LTE Network.

What to look for

The incompatibility issue is particularly hard for Verizon customers since you will need a device that supports CDMA for vocalization. As for 4G compatibility, you will demand to make certain the telephone you purchase has radios that tin can tune into the frequencies that Verizon uses for LTE.

When it comes to LTE, it's non plenty to just wait for the frequency, since some carriers utilize different slivers of the same frequency for their LTE networks. Then it's more helpful to look at the specific LTE frequency "ring class" that is supported. Band classes are assigned past a wireless standards arrangement to ensure manufacturers are using the same specifications when developing components for devices. This means that matching LTE frequency band classes is the best style to know if a device you're ownership is compatible with the network yous use.

For Verizon, you need to make sure the phone you are purchasing supports any of these three LTE band classes: LTE band 13 (700 MHz c), band 4 (1700 MHz f) or band 2 (1900 MHz). But for reference, AT&T and T-Mobile each support LTE bands 2 and 4. Dart supports one ring class that is mutual to Verizon: ring 2 (1900 MHz).

One thing to note hither is that wireless operators utilize a mix of radio frequencies to build their networks. And depending on which markets they own specific frequency licenses and how they are edifice their networks, they may not employ the same frequency bands ubiquitously across their network. What this means for consumers is that if all the bands don't match upward exactly, which they practice non for any of the major wireless carriers, at that place is a gamble that a device fabricated specifically for one carrier may not work optimally on another carrier.

This effect may soon go away as device makers include more frequency bands in all the devices they make. This has already begun happening with devices from Apple, Samsung and Motorola, which are building devices that tin be used beyond multiple carriers. Merely for now, information technology's something to consider when shopping for a new unlocked phone. It's nevertheless important to read the specs to make sure the bands match up to the carrier.

What should you do?

Getting an unlocked telephone that wasn't specifically made to work with Verizon on its network is tricky. The CDMA/voice outcome pretty much ensures you lot need a device that's made for Verizon. There are a few exceptions. And some of those are the phones that Verizon has already certified to be used on its network. The iPhone half dozen and iPhone vi Plus, besides equally the Nexus 6 tin be purchased unlocked and used on Verizon. Unfortunately, many of the low-toll devices from Mainland china won't piece of work on Verizon, not just because they aren't "certified" by Verizon, but considering the technology is not compatible.

The adept news is that all of Verizon's 4G LTE phones come unlocked out of the box. And because the rest of the world uses GSM for vocalism rather than CDMA, new smartphones made for Verizon already include CDMA and GSM radios, which means the telephone tin be taken to a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile in the Usa as well as to other GSM operators overseas and it will work.

As for LTE compatibility, as I explained above, AT&T and T-Mobile use some of the same radio frequency bands for LTE that Verizon uses, so smartphones made for Verizon'due south 4G network, should still operate on either AT&T's or T-Mobile'south 4G network. The LTE upshot becomes a bit trickier in Europe since wireless carriers there support different frequency band classes than operators in the U.S.

The best way to know for sure is to compare the specs. The Verizon phone must exist GSM compatible and back up the same LTE frequency bands that either AT&T or T-Mobile support. T-Mobile provides a tool on its website that allows y'all to type in the serial number of your device to double cheque.

The lesser line

If you program to stick with Verizon as your service provider, I propose just getting a smartphone made for Verizon. This doesn't hateful y'all have to buy it from Verizon. You tin can withal get a used or refurbished phone that was fabricated for Verizon. You lot will exist able to salvage some coin if you do that. The reason I advise buying a Verizon 4G LTE smartphone is because it will work optimally while you are a Verizon customer. And if you do make up one's mind to leave Verizon, it will most likely work on either AT&T or T-Mobile. Information technology's a win-win for y'all.

Good luck!

Enquire Maggie is an communication column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. If y'all have a question, I'd love to hear from you lot. Delight ship me an eastward-post at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Inquire Maggie" in the subject header. You lot can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie folio.

douglasalaire1937.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/bringing-your-own-smartphone-to-verizon-what-do-i-need-to-worry-about/#:~:text=The%20best%20way%20to%20know%20for%20certain%20is%20to%20compare,your%20device%20to%20double%20check.