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[Q] International GSM Compatibility of Verizon Razr/Maxx HD

Hi All,
I know this question might have been asked in different forms, but I still want to double check and be at peace.
I have purchased a Verizon Razr Maxx HD - seller claims it to be brand new, clean ESN and International ready. I am importing this to India where the Frequency Band of my service provider Vodafone is GSM - 900/1800 MHZ, HSPA - 2100 MHZ, 4G LTE - 2300 MHZ
Since Verizon uses CDMA technology in the US, I was initially not very sure if this will work in India. But I researched quite a bit and found that as per the phone Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_razr_maxx_hd-4972.php, I should be able connect to GSM and 3G (4G is still a dream here in India)
I then confirmed from Verizon and XDA threads that the phone is indeed International ready i.e. in US it is locked for Verizon, but it will work with most networks GSM/HSPA/4G abroad so it doesn't require any separate unlocking for International Use. Is this correct? If the seller says that the phone has a clean ESN, then do I need to unlock the phone separately?
Once my friend in US receives the phone tomorrow, I plan to check the ESN here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/estore/certifieddevice/cd and also with Verizon Customer Care. Some other XDA members in India and abroad are facing difficulty in connecting to 2G/3G ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2100093) so I am worried, if my money will go to waste, although on paper all seems fine. Certain seller on ebay India is saying that it will only work on CDMA networks. So there is a lot of confusion creeping in.
If there is anything other precautionary measures that I should take, before my friend ships the phone to India? Any help is deeply appreciated.
PS: Motorola has discontinued there India business (yes no local support or warranty!) , but I really adore the Razr line of phones so much (for there build quality, great battery life and vanilla UI) that I am treading this path. Only (huge) concern is if the phone will connect to the network

siddroid said:
Hi All,
I know this question might have been asked in different forms, but I still want to double check and be at peace.
I have purchased a Verizon Razr Maxx HD - seller claims it to be brand new, clean ESN and International ready. I am importing this to India where the Frequency Band of my service provider Vodafone is GSM - 900/1800 MHZ, HSPA - 2100 MHZ, 4G LTE - 2300 MHZ
Since Verizon uses CDMA technology in the US, I was initially not very sure if this will work in India. But I researched quite a bit and found that as per the phone Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_razr_maxx_hd-4972.php, I should be able connect to GSM and 3G (4G is still a dream here in India)
I then confirmed from Verizon and XDA threads that the phone is indeed International ready i.e. in US it is locked for Verizon, but it will work with most networks GSM/HSPA/4G abroad so it doesn't require any separate unlocking for International Use. Is this correct? If the seller says that the phone has a clean ESN, then do I need to unlock the phone separately?
Once my friend in US receives the phone tomorrow, I plan to check the ESN here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/estore/certifieddevice/cd and also with Verizon Customer Care. Some other XDA members in India and abroad are facing difficulty in connecting to 2G/3G ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2100093) so I am worried, if my money will go to waste, although on paper all seems fine. Certain seller on ebay India is saying that it will only work on CDMA networks. So there is a lot of confusion creeping in.
If there is anything other precautionary measures that I should take, before my friend ships the phone to India? Any help is deeply appreciated.
PS: Motorola has discontinued there India business (yes no local support or warranty!) , but I really adore the Razr line of phones so much (for there build quality, great battery life and vanilla UI) that I am treading this path. Only (huge) concern is if the phone will connect to the network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't have any fear ... your phone will work great in gsm and hspa ... !

o2qc418 said:
Don't have any fear ... your phone will work great in gsm and hspa ... !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! The phone was finally delivered yesterday. So I noted the IMEI number and called up Verizon. They said that it has a clean ESN but it is still activated with Verizon. But I am sure what does that really mean.. Will it work properly on any other SIM? I could imagine two scenarios:
As I understand, as soon as the original owner of the phone (eBay seller) stops the monthly bill payment, the connection will get cancelled first and then Verizon will try to claim the phone back. As the seller doesn't have this phone anymore, it is at this time that the phone will start giving SIM card errors to me as the ESN will become bad. Is that correct?
The seller claims, that she got this phone as a contract upgrade but did not use it all. So she must have activated this SIM on some other phone or her older phone. Wouldn't verizon come to know of this and deactivate this SIM card or blacklist list this user and report the phone IMEI. I am clueless on this one.
Overall, I feel that this is a deal breaker for me. And I am planning to return the phone. Any suggestions?
PS: Anyone wondering why I am going through so much trouble? I am in love with this phone (sturdy build quality and best battery!) And it is not available in India for retail.

You shouldn't have any issues unless you plan to use it on a CDMA network owned by Verizon.

Just pull the Verizon SIM out of the phone and pop in your favorite Indian SIM. Be sure to switch the phone to the Global network mode (or GSM/UMTS) and you'll be good to go. Doesn't matter what happens to the seller's account in the US, the phone will still work -- although perhaps not on VZW in the US, in case you travel here. For that matter, the phone won't work in the US at all, as the radio firmware specifically blocks ATT/TMobile.
They'll be an annoying "This SIM is from an unknown source" message every time you start the phone, but that is easily bypassed by pressing OK. I read on here somewhere that the unknown message is actually generated by a VZW *.apk that is installed on the phone. So theoretically one could root the phone and remove the annoying apk/message.
Also, you won't be able to do tethering using the stock utilities -- they try to phone home to Verizon and don't work when on a foreign network (I tried while I was in Australia last week on Optus, it failed miserably.)

Cpudan80 said:
For that matter, the phone won't work in the US at all, as the radio firmware specifically blocks ATT/TMobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For that matter, there is a recently discovered working unlock for that too, and it doesn't even require root
He won't need it though.
Cpudan80 said:
They'll be an annoying "This SIM is from an unknown source" message every time you start the phone, but that is easily bypassed by pressing OK. I read on here somewhere that the unknown message is actually generated by a VZW *.apk that is installed on the phone. So theoretically one could root the phone and remove the annoying apk/message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theoretically and in practice, this has been done (just search...).
Cpudan80 said:
Also, you won't be able to do tethering using the stock utilities -- they try to phone home to Verizon and don't work when on a foreign network (I tried while I was in Australia last week on Optus, it failed miserably.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And again there is a fix if you root the phone, it involves editing a sqlite db and setting a value to zero (again search... Don't have the link handy, sorry...).
Sent from my XT907

Cpudan80 said:
Just pull the Verizon SIM out of the phone and pop in your favorite Indian SIM. Be sure to switch the phone to the Global network mode (or GSM/UMTS) and you'll be good to go. Doesn't matter what happens to the seller's account in the US, the phone will still work -- although perhaps not on VZW in the US, in case you travel here. For that matter, the phone won't work in the US at all, as the radio firmware specifically blocks ATT/TMobile.
They'll be an annoying "This SIM is from an unknown source" message every time you start the phone, but that is easily bypassed by pressing OK. I read on here somewhere that the unknown message is actually generated by a VZW *.apk that is installed on the phone. So theoretically one could root the phone and remove the annoying apk/message.
Also, you won't be able to do tethering using the stock utilities -- they try to phone home to Verizon and don't work when on a foreign network (I tried while I was in Australia last week on Optus, it failed miserably.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see you've tried rooting the phone in the states, so the phone will just show a message that can be removed after rooting the phone and the phone will work on 3G/HSDPA in the states even without using a verizon account?

i have seen a number of people reporting the phone not to be working in India .

I have Razr HD in India & It doesnt work for any GSM

Is it working with Indian GSM
siddroid said:
Hi All,
I know this question might have been asked in different forms, but I still want to double check and be at peace.
I have purchased a Verizon Razr Maxx HD - seller claims it to be brand new, clean ESN and International ready. I am importing this to India where the Frequency Band of my service provider Vodafone is GSM - 900/1800 MHZ, HSPA - 2100 MHZ, 4G LTE - 2300 MHZ
Since Verizon uses CDMA technology in the US, I was initially not very sure if this will work in India. But I researched quite a bit and found that as per the phone Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_razr_maxx_hd-4972.php, I should be able connect to GSM and 3G (4G is still a dream here in India)
I then confirmed from Verizon and XDA threads that the phone is indeed International ready i.e. in US it is locked for Verizon, but it will work with most networks GSM/HSPA/4G abroad so it doesn't require any separate unlocking for International Use. Is this correct? If the seller says that the phone has a clean ESN, then do I need to unlock the phone separately?
Once my friend in US receives the phone tomorrow, I plan to check the ESN here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/estore/certifieddevice/cd and also with Verizon Customer Care. Some other XDA members in India and abroad are facing difficulty in connecting to 2G/3G ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2100093) so I am worried, if my money will go to waste, although on paper all seems fine. Certain seller on ebay India is saying that it will only work on CDMA networks. So there is a lot of confusion creeping in.
If there is anything other precautionary measures that I should take, before my friend ships the phone to India? Any help is deeply appreciated.
PS: Motorola has discontinued there India business (yes no local support or warranty!) , but I really adore the Razr line of phones so much (for there build quality, great battery life and vanilla UI) that I am treading this path. Only (huge) concern is if the phone will connect to the network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try out. Is it working for any GSM sim ? If yes, how did you do it ?

parin11 said:
I have Razr HD in India & It doesnt work for any GSM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are u planning to do with the phone if it does not work?

bhatias said:
What are u planning to do with the phone if it does not work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very interesting thread and an even more interesting question.
I wonder what happened to the OP.
I have seen some ads. for used Razr HD's recently.
I am confused if those will work in India or not, but the phones are indeed very well built.

I thought you just had to change the mobile networks under settings and it would work.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD
siddroid said:
Hi All,
I know this question might have been asked in different forms, but I still want to double check and be at peace.
I have purchased a Verizon Razr Maxx HD - seller claims it to be brand new, clean ESN and International ready. I am importing this to India where the Frequency Band of my service provider Vodafone is GSM - 900/1800 MHZ, HSPA - 2100 MHZ, 4G LTE - 2300 MHZ
Since Verizon uses CDMA technology in the US, I was initially not very sure if this will work in India. But I researched quite a bit and found that as per the phone Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_razr_maxx_hd-4972.php, I should be able connect to GSM and 3G (4G is still a dream here in India)
I then confirmed from Verizon and XDA threads that the phone is indeed International ready i.e. in US it is locked for Verizon, but it will work with most networks GSM/HSPA/4G abroad so it doesn't require any separate unlocking for International Use. Is this correct? If the seller says that the phone has a clean ESN, then do I need to unlock the phone separately?
Once my friend in US receives the phone tomorrow, I plan to check the ESN here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/estore/certifieddevice/cd and also with Verizon Customer Care. Some other XDA members in India and abroad are facing difficulty in connecting to 2G/3G ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2100093) so I am worried, if my money will go to waste, although on paper all seems fine. Certain seller on ebay India is saying that it will only work on CDMA networks. So there is a lot of confusion creeping in.
If there is anything other precautionary measures that I should take, before my friend ships the phone to India? Any help is deeply appreciated.
PS: Motorola has discontinued there India business (yes no local support or warranty!) , but I really adore the Razr line of phones so much (for there build quality, great battery life and vanilla UI) that I am treading this path. Only (huge) concern is if the phone will connect to the network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is your Droid Razr Maxx Hd working fine with the Indian GSM carrier? Me too looking for a Droid razr maxx hd from US (Verizon Locked with clean ESN). Need a confrimation as this is highly priced & i don't wanna waste my hard earned money. Your reply is appreciated. Thanks

I've been using it since a couple of months now on the Vodafone network and works fine. Gives a HDSP+ network for 3G connections. Rest your doubts the phone works fine in India.
IMischief
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx Hd
eMischief said:
I've been using it since a couple of months now on the Vodafone network and works fine. Gives a HDSP+ network for 3G connections. Rest your doubts the phone works fine in India.
IMischief
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying. Where do you stay in Mumbai? If possible giv me ur Contact Numb.

Hi, I'm also but droid razr maxx hd from eBay, I'm using it on Indonesia gsm, just insert the sim card and no problem at all
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 4 Beta

The phone is actually GLOBAL READY NOT GLOBAL UNLCOKED
Well I bought my droid razr maxx brand new from eBay and since I knew it's global "ready" I directly brought it to Iran. I've tried a couple of non-Verizon SIMs but non of them worked. when I turn on the phone it simply doesn't recognize the SIM and doesn't let me get past the "Insert SIM" screen. So I thought there should be a problem with the phone as a result I sent it back to US and Motorola for repair and they sent it back saying no functional faults were found. yesterday I chatted with a Motorola agent and she told me "you should have had an international plan with Verizon" before taking it to countries other than US" here's the link which confirms this statement:
https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/86286
When it says global ready it means that it has GSM capabilities rather than only CDMA capability and better say it's NOT GLOBALLY UNLOCKED.

valapsp said:
Well I bought my droid razr maxx brand new from eBay and since I knew it's global "ready" I directly brought it to Iran. I've tried a couple of non-Verizon SIMs but non of them worked. when I turn on the phone it simply doesn't recognize the SIM and doesn't let me get past the "Insert SIM" screen. So I thought there should be a problem with the phone as a result I sent it back to US and Motorola for repair and they sent it back saying no functional faults were found. yesterday I chatted with a Motorola agent and she told me "you should have had an international plan with Verizon" before taking it to countries other than US" here's the link which confirms this statement:
https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/86286
When it says global ready it means that it has GSM capabilities rather than only CDMA capability and better say it's NOT GLOBALLY UNLOCKED.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever resolve your GSM issue? If not, there's a video tut in my sig (Unlocked) for RAZR M and Maxx HD for both US and international carriers

androidx219 said:
Did you try out. Is it working for any GSM sim ? If yes, how did you do it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First try OTA update via WiFi and if it doesn't then try this.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2022296

Verizon Moto G Unlock Bootloader / Root?

Does anyone know if the Verizon version of the Moto G can be easily unlocked and rooted like the GSM version? Knowing Verizon's track record with locked down devices I wouldn't be surprised if it can't be unlocked. I'm thinking about buying one as a wifi/media device for my car, but I'd also like to play around with dev on it so a non-unlockable bootloader would be a deal breaker.

detonation said:
Does anyone know if the Verizon version of the Moto G can be easily unlocked and rooted like the GSM version? Knowing Verizon's track record with locking down devices I wouldn't be surprised if it is locked. I'm thinking about buying one as a wifi/media device for my car, but I'd also like to play around with dev on it so a locked bootloader would be a deal breaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be clear, *all* Moto Gs (GSM) ship with locked bootloaders, even if you buy one that is factory SIM-unlocked, but Motorola offers a way to unlock the bootloader on the phone (for free) via their web site after you register it and request an unlock code. In the U.S., doing so voids your hardware warranty.
So the question isn't whether or not the Verizon model will have a locked bootloader or not. It surely will, as they all do. The question is whether Motorola's on-line bootloader unlocker will work with Verizon-branded CDMA model or not. And at this point, given that it hasn't been released yet and nobody has one, how is anybody supposed to answer that question?
-- Nathan

nlra said:
Just to be clear, *all* Moto Gs (GSM) ship with locked bootloaders, even if you buy one that is factory SIM-unlocked, but Motorola offers a way to unlock the bootloader on the phone (for free) via their web site after you register it and request an unlock code. In the U.S., doing so voids your hardware warranty.
So the question isn't whether or not the Verizon model will have a locked bootloader or not. It surely will, as they all do. The question is whether Motorola's on-line bootloader unlocker will work with Verizon-branded CDMA model or not. And at this point, given that it hasn't been released yet and nobody has one, how is anybody supposed to answer that question?
-- Nathan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's actually available in some Best Buys right now and I think I've seen a few people say they've picked one up. I also updated the OP to use the right terminology though I'm sure everyone knew what I meant anyway.

detonation said:
It's actually available in some Best Buys right now and I think I've seen a few people say they've picked one up. I also updated the OP to use the right terminology though I'm sure everyone knew what I meant anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to purchase one last night at my local Best Buy after proving to them that they were in fact somewhere in the store, and waiting for them to call their Verizon rep, I just attempted the bootloader unlock on the Motorola Developer (official bootloader unlock) and I can confirm that it is not eligible for unlock at this time. Huge letdown for me as I was gonna get one for myself soon, but the wife won't really care about it being unlocked so for her it's still a good deal.

I purchased the moto G today and it says it is not eligible for bootloader unlock.
I was able to get past the activation screen and not activate it.
Every time I turn the phone on it does ask for activation. Wish I could get rid of this...
Anybody have a way to unlock the bootloader on the Verizon version?

I am waiting for unlock and root for VZW version too before I get it

Moto-G bootloader...
I was fat and happy to buy a pair of these when they became available in my area, but not being able to unlock the bootloader, and also not able to obtain the code from Circle-M, has forced us to begin looking at other devices, and forget the 'G'.
Too bad, I was really looking forward to expanding its horizons, but not if the game is to maintain a lock on my own device, no thank you!

Moto G 》VZW 》Get past the activation screen
MustangChris04 said:
I purchased the moto G today and it says it is not eligible for bootloader unlock.
I was able to get past the activation screen and not activate it.
Every time I turn the phone on it does ask for activation. Wish I could get rid of this...
Anybody have a way to unlock the bootloader on the Verizon version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did get past the activation screen? Trying to use the moto g as a wifi/media only device. TIA

I got the US CDMA version for BoostMobile & had it unlocked 'n rooted w/in minutes of unboxing yesterday.
You sure you're entering the serial # correctly?
(I didn't take out all of the spaces the first time and got denied, then fixed it & unlocked)
Good luck!

kr338r said:
I got the US CDMA version for BoostMobile & had it unlocked 'n rooted w/in minutes of unboxing yesterday.
You sure you're entering the serial # correctly?
(I didn't take out all of the spaces the first time and got denied, then fixed it & unlocked)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought BoostMobile runs on Sprint's network?

there is no boost version that I'm aware of..
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

motrinHD said:
there is no boost version that I'm aware of..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, but there is more...
http://www.hsn.com/products/motorola-moto-g-45-quad-core-no-contract-smartphone/7347964

So I'm very seriously thinking of getting one
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

So this may be a dumb question, but would it be possible to unlock the bootloader of a Boost Moto G and flash it to Verizon?

S_transform said:
So this may be a dumb question, but would it be possible to unlock the bootloader of a Boost Moto G and flash it to Verizon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you can't flash a Boost CDMA phone and use it on Verizon (and vice versa): CDMA phones don't have SIM card to identify carriers; instead the carriers keep a database of admissable IMEI. Boost IMEI obviously not on Verizon's database, in which case you are stuck.
(Feel free to correct me, but please hold your flame )

kr338r said:
I got the US CDMA version for BoostMobile & had it unlocked 'n rooted w/in minutes of unboxing yesterday.
You sure you're entering the serial # correctly?
(I didn't take out all of the spaces the first time and got denied, then fixed it & unlocked)
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone with the Verizon version confirm that this works?

Just attempted to on a VZW MotoG with no success.

Well thats a bummer. I tried to unlock it but seem to have problems with the fastboot drivers on my pc. Ill mess with it a little bit later and post the results.

koebrah said:
How did get past the activation screen? Trying to use the moto g as a wifi/media only device. TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to activate it and get a phone number to get past that screen. You dont have to pay anything, just select "pay later" both time it asks you. It'll give you a number and then you can connect to wifi to do the rest of the steps.
Altering the setup app in any way thereafter reboots the phone, so you'll always have the activate app in your drawer. Thanks, Verizon.

Verizon is ONE BIG PILE Horse-Chit.. I hate that company with a passion...
So I moved my Family to T-Mo and bought 2 Nexus 5's and 2 Moto G's!
I will NEVER-EVER go back to Verizon... EVER!
They are the most archaic, backward and Xpensive carrier in North America
Pleas do yourself a favor and leave that - HORRIBLE effin COMPANY
P.S. I REPEAT - I will NEVER-EVER go back to Verizon... EVER
Visit this site and read the horror stories: http://verizarape.com/

[Q] How to Unlock Bootloader on Moto G '13 Model

Hello everyone,
I am sure that this has been asked and answered before, but I have not found much solutions beyond the common "wait and see what happens".
My problem is that I own a 16GB 2013 Motorola Moto G which I purchased unlocked and with a Global GSM from Amazon in March and am having trouble unlocking the boot loader. I am currently connected to the Vodafone EG network (although not on a plan- it is prepaid).
I have gone through all the steps from [I am not allowed to post the link, but it's legit and consistent with all other tutorials.] but am told by the Motorola website that my phone cannot be unlocked. On the Motorola forums, it only states that Moto Gs sold by AT&T cannot be unlocked, so I am confused as the why the phone which I bought unlocked does not work.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I should go around rooting my phone? Is there any way to root it without directly unlocking the boot loader from Motorola? Would it work if I reset the phone/removed the SIM card?
Thanks.

Get sunshine: http://theroot.ninja
$25 but its worth it. Think about all the freedom you get by unlocking the bootloader.

Sounds great, except the website states it only works on Moto Gs running 4.4.3 or lower. I am running 4.4.4 (sorry I forgot to mention that). Any suggestions?

Try to copy the code by hand

Download it and run it. Sunshine will first do a bunch of comparability tests. Only when the app knows its compatible it will pause and ask for payment. Once you pay, and if it doesn't work, they guarantee a refund on their site. Download it and try it, can't hurt. The site also states that it might work on some devices running 4.4.4
Also you stated that the Motorola website states only att phones cannot be unlocked. Maybe your phone cannot be unlocked because it was probably on the att network before it was gsm unlocked.

donkeycarts said:
Hello everyone,
I am sure that this has been asked and answered before, but I have not found much solutions beyond the common "wait and see what happens".
My problem is that I own a 16GB 2013 Motorola Moto G which I purchased unlocked and with a Global GSM from Amazon in March and am having trouble unlocking the boot loader. I am currently connected to the Vodafone EG network (although not on a plan- it is prepaid).
I have gone through all the steps from [I am not allowed to post the link, but it's legit and consistent with all other tutorials.] but am told by the Motorola website that my phone cannot be unlocked. On the Motorola forums, it only states that Moto Gs sold by AT&T cannot be unlocked, so I am confused as the why the phone which I bought unlocked does not work.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I should go around rooting my phone? Is there any way to root it without directly unlocking the boot loader from Motorola? Would it work if I reset the phone/removed the SIM card?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not an answer to your current issue but may help with next one...
It's best to check these issues before you decide to buy a device. As a rule, avoid carrier-branded and/or network-locked devices unless the benefit to you outweighs the reality that your device belongs to that carrier/network forever and is likely permanently bootloader locked.
Carrier devices aren't discounted or subsidized usually, they are amortized. Overall, you may end up paying more than buying an unlocked device outright separately from a mobile plan.

Did sunshine work?

AT&T or T-Mobile for unlocked S8+ ?

The backstory.... Preordered an ATT Note 7 and had many headaches with delivery / billing. I am now living with my old Note3 using Goggle Voice/Hangouts because of my weak signal (all carriers) at home. I'm using a pre-paid Straight Talk plan when away from home.
I've been waiting patiently for the S8+ and now need to decide between AT&T and T-Mobile for a GSM phone. I plan on paying full cash price and having it unlocked to use a 3rd part prepaid plan (Straight Talk or ?).
I considered a factory unlocked phone (Best Buy, May 9th??) but I am told that those will also have a locked bootloader. Up until the Note 7 I always ran rooted with custom ROMS. I became a big fan of Samsung Pay which I think also means a locked bootloader with no root is needed. Of coarse, bloatware sucks. I had good luck with Package Disabler Pro on my Note 7. I will be using my Google number, if only for forwarding to another number. WiFi calling is a must one way or another.
My Note 7 from ATT let me run Mobile Hotspot at the same time WiFi was enabled. This made it easy for giving my Android head unit in my car Internet access. The T-mobile version at the time needed to be turned on and off.
I'm leaning toward T-mobile only because of my bad blood with ATT. ATT coverage is marginally better in my area.
Thoughts, comments.

Either and flash the OS on it with ODIN. It is the same hardware so it doesnt matter.

mweinbach said:
Either and flash the OS on it with ODIN. It is the same hardware so it doesnt matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and also if the T-Mobile version is going to have an unlocked bootloader, flashing T-Mobile firmware should allow you to unlock it through the OS.
But it's highly unlikely it will have an unlocked bootloader, although T-Mobile have supported it, I don't think it's happening.

No unlocked bootloaders on u.s.a. Carriers....

SBERG117 said:
No unlocked bootloaders on u.s.a. Carriers....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get that if you buy a carrier phone and then unlock it. But what about the factory unlocked phones sold in the US?
I've heard that the bootloader on those phones is also locked, but not from a real good source of info. I've also heard international versions do not have a locked bootloader and do not support Samsung Pay. They also do not support CDMA (which doesn't bother me at all).

Interceptor777 said:
Yes and also if the T-Mobile version is going to have an unlocked bootloader, flashing T-Mobile firmware should allow you to unlock it through the OS.
But it's highly unlikely it will have an unlocked bootloader, although T-Mobile have supported it, I don't think it's happening.
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Click to collapse
If I flash via ODIN does that kill Samsung Pay? What about Knox?

Phredeee said:
The backstory.... Preordered an ATT Note 7 and had many headaches with delivery / billing. I am now living with my old Note3 using Goggle Voice/Hangouts because of my weak signal (all carriers) at home. I'm using a pre-paid Straight Talk plan when away from home.
I've been waiting patiently for the S8+ and now need to decide between AT&T and T-Mobile for a GSM phone. I plan on paying full cash price and having it unlocked to use a 3rd part prepaid plan (Straight Talk or ?).
I considered a factory unlocked phone (Best Buy, May 9th??) but I am told that those will also have a locked bootloader. Up until the Note 7 I always ran rooted with custom ROMS. I became a big fan of Samsung Pay which I think also means a locked bootloader with no root is needed. Of coarse, bloatware sucks. I had good luck with Package Disabler Pro on my Note 7. I will be using my Google number, if only for forwarding to another number. WiFi calling is a must one way or another.
My Note 7 from ATT let me run Mobile Hotspot at the same time WiFi was enabled. This made it easy for giving my Android head unit in my car Internet access. The T-mobile version at the time needed to be turned on and off.
I'm leaning toward T-mobile only because of my bad blood with ATT. ATT coverage is marginally better in my area.
Thoughts, comments.
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I'm in a similar situation and my first concern is what bands both phones support. Online it seems AT&T covers both GSM providers perfectly. The info on T-Mobile and its bands is extremely lacking. My second concern is the process of unlocking either fully paid off phone for use on the other. I think I can have TMobile unlock it for me but I'm not sure how it works with AT&T. The easiest solution is the unlocked version but thats not even got a release date set in writing anywhere.

Phredeee said:
If I flash via ODIN does that kill Samsung Pay? What about Knox?
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As long you are flashing official firmware from Samsung nothing will break. Knox will not be tripped and Samsung Pay will work.

954wrecker said:
I'm in a similar situation and my first concern is what bands both phones support. Online it seems AT&T covers both GSM providers perfectly. The info on T-Mobile and its bands is extremely lacking. My second concern is the process of unlocking either fully paid off phone for use on the other. I think I can have TMobile unlock it for me but I'm not sure how it works with AT&T. The easiest solution is the unlocked version but thats not even got a release date set in writing anywhere.
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It is my understanding that all US (Snapdragon) phones cover all bands, including CDMA. That means you could even take an unlocked AT&T phone to Verizon. I'm not used to that! It even has LTE-U which TMo is supposed to be soon supporting.
I am an ex AT&T customer. They unlocked my Note 7, and again with the replacement, without issue. I seem to remember there was a wait period at first. 7 or 14 days?
The thing I'm considering is also the VR incentives for pre-ordering. I can tell you AT&T messed up my Note 7 pre-order. They shipped it on the release day by a slow method. I ended up going to a store and buying one outright and returning the unopened one once it arrived. That caused a billing nightmare that I had to call them every months until I finally turned it in and closed my account.

Phredeee said:
It is my understanding that all US (Snapdragon) phones cover all bands, including CDMA. That means you could even take an unlocked AT&T phone to Verizon. I'm not used to that! It even has LTE-U which TMo is supposed to be soon supporting.
I am an ex AT&T customer. They unlocked my Note 7, and again with the replacement, without issue. I seem to remember there was a wait period at first. 7 or 14 days?
The thing I'm considering is also the VR incentives for pre-ordering. I can tell you AT&T messed up my Note 7 pre-order. They shipped it on the release day by a slow method. I ended up going to a store and buying one outright and returning the unopened one once it arrived. That caused a billing nightmare that I had to call them every months until I finally turned it in and closed my account.
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Can you recall where you read the carrier versions support all the bands just like the unlocked versions? All the info I found from the carriers shows different bands on each model.

Phredeee said:
I get that if you buy a carrier phone and then unlock it. But what about the factory unlocked phones sold in the US?
I've heard that the bootloader on those phones is also locked, but not from a real good source of info. I've also heard international versions do not have a locked bootloader and do not support Samsung Pay. They also do not support CDMA (which doesn't bother me at all).
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You're missing what I'm saying... There will be no unlocked bootloaders on any Samsung S8 phones for the USA. You cannot get one from carrier or factory.
I think you may be mixing up Bootloader unlock and Sim unlock....

954wrecker said:
Can you recall where you read the carrier versions support all the bands just like the unlocked versions? All the info I found from the carriers shows different bands on each model.
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I do remember that it was a story about FCC approval of the factory unlocked (SIM) phone. Keep that in mind that it may be the unbranded, factory unlocked phone only, but the article did say they were all the same. The locked carrier phones may not be so flexible.
Other things I've found.. Best Buy SIM unlocked does not get the incentives. Best Buy, and their cheaper price, does not seem to offer a T-Mo phone.
The VR incentive is attractive to me, but is not a must have. At this moment, until I can find out for sure if Samsung Pay will work on an international version, I am leaning towards a T-Mo pre-order. But that is me and my preferences YMMV. I have a major dislike for AT&T.
Looking for where I read it. In the mean time this may be interesting to you.
Model numbers http://techbeasts.com/list-of-samsung-galaxy-s8-galaxy-s8plus-model-numbers/
Frequencies https://www.frequencycheck.com/models/OyqBp/samsung-sm-g955a-galaxy-s8-td-lte-samsung-dream
The link is for the AT&T model search for other models.

954wrecker said:
Can you recall where you read the carrier versions support all the bands just like the unlocked versions? All the info I found from the carriers shows different bands on each model.
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It appears that going by this information the factory unlocked and the AT&T are NOT the same https://www.frequencycheck.com/compare-devices/6MQWs05y/samsung-sm-g950a-galaxy-s8-td-lte-samsung-dream/samsung-sm-g950f-galaxy-s8-td-lte-samsung-dream
You're correct that it seems T-mo info is evasive.

Hello,
I would like to know, if it posible to buy the Galaxy S8 from the samsung web page (att version), then unlock it and after that flash the unlocked rom flashing it with odin.
Can someone help me?
thanks.

Just ordered the 955F from Clove...
I'm hoping that missing bands won't hurt my AT&T usage much. Or any prepaid sims I may throw in there.
Will see if the 955U info comes out before my phone, and will decide if I want to cancel.
:good::angel:

Question Purchased a Verizon variant through Google Store, paid in full... Fully unlocked in 60 days, or is this a trick?

I haven't purchased a new phone since before 802.11ax came out. It's been... a long time, to say the least.
I'm reading mixed signals. Can I unlock, root, and do whatever anyone else can do with this hardware - or will they strangle my balls still?

I'm on Verizon too, but purchased the unlocked version. The Verizon bootloaders have driven me nuts in the past...

Fully unlocked amas in carrier unlocked. Only way you can unlock the bootloader of a pixel 7 device in the USA is if you bought an u locked variant directly from Google. You can't unlock any Android device bought from Verizon.

Usually it means you can't unlock the bootloader but that's only after the first firmware update.
So if you don't update it and wait then it should work. That's how it went with the vzw variant of the pixel XL anyways... I bought 2 of them because like a dupe I let it update without even thinking.
Then I got another and before anything I unlocked the bootloader, installed twrp, got root and then put my sim card in and I manually installed Google's updates and everything was fine.
Dunno if that changed or not...but it will ship with the ability to unlock it, or should because it's flashed with the stock Google firmware

The above post only applies to the original Pixel 1.
When Verizon says "unlocked" they mean carrier unlocked.
You can only get a bootloader unlocked if you buy direct from Google and buy the Google version of the phone, not the Verizon one they list.

What @jdoe6783 and @TonikJDK said. When all United States carriers volunteer information about "unlocking", they only mean carrier unlocking - i.e. you can then use your Verizon Pixel 7 Pro on a different carrier.
As I say in Post 2 in my thread:
roirraW edor ehT said:
Verizon variants:
Will never be able to have their bootloader unlocked. It's like winning the lottery, and just as rare and relatively random. There is nothing that anyone on XDA can do to help you unlock your Verizon variant.
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Curious why you would even buy the carrier variant from the google store? I mean if you are paying in full, just buy the unlocked version.

Ok. Thank you, all. Once the device is carrier unlocked, will I be able to remove the Verizon bloatware? That's my biggest concern now. I can live with a locked bootloader as long as the provided OS allows me to control what software is and is not running.
I bought the carrier variant for a few reasons:
I've already settled on Verizon as my carrier for the long haul. I bounced around between MVNOs, Google Fi, and T-mobile before landing on Verizon ~18mo ago. It has been a better experience for a little less money after taking advantage of so many promotions - several of which hinge on my home ISP being Verizon as well.
The trade-in value is pretty solid. I don't value it at $700 like they say as it's really just $19/mo off my bill for 3 years. It's not clear to me what happens if I upgrade my device or decide to cancel service in that time... they just stop providing the discount?
I never felt the need to root my last phone. I did it for a while, and many of my necessary apps detected this and stopped working. I've gathered that this is something the community has addressed now, but it still speaks to the time/benefit of going through the process to root and try out different things that rooting enables. I have less time to research and try out various options than I once did. My suspicion is that I'll be happy enough with the factory OS. The only things that would change this would be if I cannot remove Verizon bloatware. I'm not forefiting that kind of control of my $1k phone for a $20/mo reimbursement.
mmWave sounds cool, but I'm not convinced it'll have a meaningful impact on my usage. Perhaps when I'm in a large city and there's congestion on the other bands... This is a very minor point.

shiftr182 said:
Curious why you would even buy the carrier variant from the google store? I mean if you are paying in full, just buy the unlocked version.
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agreed...
you can always buy the Google unlocked variant and just activate it on your carrier (in this case, Verizon as OP's carrier), instead of purchasing the specific carrier variant.
At the very least I plan on purchasing the unlocked variant and activating it on Verizon....
If anything, @SethW, if it is truly important to you to do all the additional "fun" stuff like root, tether, custom ROMs, and all the other stuff (like it is to many/most of us on this forum)...you should still be in the return period. You might want to try the route of returning it and purchasing the Google unlocked variant to be certain you can unlock the bootloader -- and therefore root and other things.
EDIT
@SethW's reply just popped up while I was replying and just got in right before my post, so I wanted to address it...
SethW said:
Ok. Thank you, all. Once the device is carrier unlocked, will I be able to remove the Verizon bloatware? That's my biggest concern now. I can live with a locked bootloader as long as the provided OS allows me to control what software is and is not running.
I bought the carrier variant for a few reasons:
I've already settled on Verizon as my carrier for the long haul. I bounced around between MVNOs, Google Fi, and T-mobile before landing on Verizon ~18mo ago. It has been a better experience for a little less money after taking advantage of so many promotions - several of which hinge on my home ISP being Verizon as well.
....My suspicion is that I'll be happy enough with the factory OS. The only things that would change this would be if I cannot remove Verizon bloatware. I'm not forefiting that kind of control of my $1k phone for a $20/mo reimbursement.
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It's okay to be on Verizon. I've been with them for decades and okay with them. It's good that you tried out a bunch and have your reasons to use them. By all means, you can/should use the P7P with them.
But to address your other concerns about the Verizon bloatware -- I'm fairly certain if you purchased the carrier specific Verizon variant, it will have its bloatware and you will not be able to remove it. There might be tricks to hide & help ignore it, but [usually] you aren't going to be able to remove it (at least without root, which you will not be able to do since Verizon bootlocks their devices; also, if it were rootable, you would have an unlocked variant and would not have bloatware in the first place ) [fun fact: in the earliest days of Android smartphones, the whole reason to root one's phone was to get rid of said bloatware; now, one has to purchase directly from Google and get their variant to even get a chance to root outside of carrier control]. Now I've never purchased a carrier variant from Google nor have I met anyone who has, so it might be different since you purchased it from Google store and not Verizon store, but I can't imagine Verizon wouldn't hold Google to their restrictions even if it's from Google's store -- I mean, what's the difference/purpose selling a carrier variant without any of said carrier's restrictions when Google could just sell Google's unlocked variant and just load it on the carrier's network?
TL;DR If it's a carrier (Verizon) variant, it most likely will have the carrier's bloatware; and you cannot remove it; even if the OS is as customizable as Android.

I'm definitely thinking about a return already. The agreements states 'unlocked after 60 days' which I read as fully unlocked, rather than some partial unlocking they've come up with. It really hinges on whether or not I can fully control the OS of the phone after it's 'carrier' unlocked.
EDIT - in response to @simplepinoi177 's edit
Well then. Returning it for sure. Didn't even think to mention ad-blocking apps and such but I rely on those. Makes my stomach turn when I see someone using a device without robust ad-blocking. Without root, that's probably on the chopping block too.

SethW said:
I'm definitely thinking about a return already. The agreements states 'unlocked after 60 days' which I read as fully unlocked, rather than some partial unlocking they've come up with. It really hinges on whether or not I can fully control the OS of the phone after it's 'carrier' unlocked.
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Keep in mind, it's not just Verizon. All U.S. carriers, when they say unlocked, they only mean carrier unlocked. It's not just something Verizon came up with. As far as they're concerned, it will be fully unlocked.
SethW said:
EDIT - in response to @simplepinoi177 's edit
Well then. Returning it for sure. Didn't even think to mention ad-blocking apps and such but I rely on those. Makes my stomach turn when I see someone using a device without robust ad-blocking. Without root, that's probably on the chopping block too.
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Good luck with your return and re-purchase!

simplepinoi177 said:
you can always buy the Google unlocked variant and just activate it on your carrier (in this case, Verizon as OP's carrier), instead of purchasing the specific carrier variant.
At the very least I plan on purchasing the unlocked variant and activating it on Verizon....
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The unlocked phone from Amazon is the same as the unlocked one from Google, isn't it?

Wi1son said:
The unlocked phone from Amazon is the same as the unlocked one from Google, isn't it?
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Yep

Wi1son said:
The unlocked phone from Amazon is the same as the unlocked one from Google, isn't it?
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EtherealRemnant said:
Yep
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Also, if you check the Amazon description, under "Wireless Carrier", it states "Unlocked", so it's a safe bet that it's actually unlocked like the Google variant and not the way carrier's state "unlocked" like it's not "contractually bound" or "locked" to the carrier....

If you have the Verizon model, you can disable some of the VZW bloatware with ADB, but not all of it. If you disable some of the VZW specific packages, it won't boot and you will have to go through recovery. I was really annoyed when I found out that I couldn't unlock the bootloader on the VZW model of my Pixel 3XL. On my previous phone I had relied on particular mods to make my life easier (I'm unilaterally deaf).
I would certainly return it for the unlocked Google version while the window is open, just in case you ever need to unlock the bootloader.

Refused delivery and requested FedEx return it to sender - as instructed by Google Support. In spite of this, FedEx tried to delivery every day for the past week. They're finally sending it back to Google. I suspect they'll refund it soon. I'm really annoyed that I'm apparently going to miss out on the $200 google store promotion. I was looking forward to trying out the pro earbuds for free.