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Buying unlocked phones in USA

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  • 30-11-2015 11:13pm
    #1
    Anonymou
    Registered Users Posts: 194 ✭✭


    Hoping to buy a galaxy s6 from best buy while I'm in the US, have a good offer going at the moment for an unlocked version. One thing I'm just curious about is on the description it says that the phone only works on gsm carriers (in the US that is T-mobile & at&t) and not cdma carriers. It goes like this:

    Unlocked cell phones are compatible with GSM carriers, including AT&T and T-Mobile; also compatible with GSM SIM cards, including H20 and NET10.
    * Phone will not work with Sprint, Verizon, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile or any other CDMA carriers. Please contact your carrier prior to purchasing to confirm your carrier will support voice and data on this unlocked GSM device.

    I am with 3 at home in Ireland so I'm wondering will it be ok to use once I get back? Can't find information on whether 3 is gsm or cdma.


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    #2
    él statutorio
    Registered Users Posts: 1,259 ✭✭✭él statutorio


    It'll work fine in Ireland.

    CDMA is mainly used in the US (and I think Japan).


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    #3
    mistress_gi
    Registered Users Posts: 963 ✭✭✭mistress_gi


    AT&T and Tmobile are compatible with bandwiths here. I've had mobiles from both carrires before.
    As far as I know CDMA have different bandwiths and some do not even have sim cards.
    I'd say you will be fone, but check the bandwiths of 3 and compare them to the mobile specs from the various websites.
    Better safe than sorry I always say :)


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    #4
    Ah-Watch
    Registered Users Posts: 1,761 ✭✭✭Ah-Watch


    So verizon phones come unlocked automatically now- AT&T and T-Mobile dont. As for buying the S6 here in the US I wouldn't bother. I got an S6 Edge from work which is on Verizon and even though its unlocked yes and it would read my Vodafone sim and pick up AT&T (Vodafones preferred network if using Red Roaming) it wouldn't allow me text off it. You need to enter the message centre number into- in my case its Vodafone, in your case 3 however due to the bloatware from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile place on Androids here there is no menu option to edit the message centre number, just the Verizon message centre number. Just to make sure I wasn't imagining things I put in my old TMobile one and that too won't send texts as it needs the message centre number to be updated.

    Pity as I always loved Samsung but the US carriers have such bloatware and different (random) menus I ended up switching back to my iPhone. If you can find a factory unlocked S6 then grab that or buy one from Best Buy or in a Samsung store as it wont be branded but don't buy one from the carriers unless you're going to root it etc


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