Un-locked cell phones???

[Neonkiss]

I got an email today and see that Newegg is now selling un-locked cell phones.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=227&name=Unlocked-cell-phones

I currently have cell phone service with Verizon and have a nation wide plan with more mins than I use every month. I would like to come up to the 1990's with some type of smart phone. I spoke with the Verizon rep and they advised that I would need an additional data plan for $30.00 per month per phone.
I'm already paying them $105.00 for one plan with two phones and can't see upping that to $165.00+

Can I buy an un-locked phone and use it on my current service plan?
If so, I don't currently have a phone with a SIM card, will that make a difference?
And with a new un-locked smart phone on a no data service plan, I'll be able to surf the net at any wi-fi spot, but not with my phone minutes?

I did some searching on the net before posting this, but info was contradicting at best and some sites stated that discussions about un-locked phones were prohibited because they're illegal???
If their  illegal, why does Newegg have a whole section selling them?

Any input or opinion is welcome.

[poppo]

They are not illegal.

FWIW, I don't do a lot of phone talking and have a LG Optimus V smartphone with Virgin Mobile. $25 a month for 300 minutes and unlimited text and true unlimited 3G data. WiFi capable of course too.

[brichter]

You should have made this decision a month ago before they kicked out the unlimited data plans.  

I specifically got my new phone outside of Verizon so I could stay on my unlimited data plan... and I'll stay month to month with them for the next decade to stay on unlimited data.

You need to get a Verizon compatible phone (CDMA), GSM phones won't work on their network. SIM cards are for GSM phones only...

Without data access you won't be able to surf the web unless your phone has WiFi and you're connected to a WiFi hotspot.

[Neonkiss]

Thanks for the replies so far. Keep the suggestion coming.
Or post your cost saving hints.     

Story of my life, two months too late and two buck short.

[Yoeddy1]

The iPhone 5 will be coming in October and will be available from AT&T, Verizon, and now Sprint.  I love the iPhone 4 and luckily got in right before the true unlimited data use came to a halt.  For what it's worth, I would suspect iPhone 4's are going to be REALLY cheap in the coming months.

Jason

[brichter]

I will be surprised if the price does drop more than marginally, it did not drop much for the earlier ones when the iPhone 4 was released.

[poppo]

I will be surprised if the price does drop more than marginally, it did not drop much for the earlier ones when the iPhone 4 was released.

And if you want one (iPhone 4) without a contract with Verizon:

Full Retail Price $749.99 

[Foster]

The true LTE networks (Verizon is one of them) are based on GSM so the SIM card is part of the 4G LTE phones that Verizon sells.

[Neonkiss]

The iPhone 5 will be coming in October and will be available from AT&T, Verizon, and now Sprint.  I love the iPhone 4 and luckily got in right before the true unlimited data use came to a halt.  For what it's worth, I would suspect iPhone 4's are going to be REALLY cheap in the coming months.

Jason

Woooo, Slow down there.....
I'm trying to get up to year 2000 speed, not right into 2011.
Hell right now when I want to send a text, I have to push the #2 button three times for the letter "C" 

I do like all the suggestion, so without changing providers does it pay for me to have an un-locked phone or just a regular phone on my network?
I think the advantage of the un-locked is so you can put in a SIM from another provided if you travel outside the country?
That way you don't pay roaming fees and you can use a SIM from the country your in at the time.

[brichter]

The true LTE networks (Verizon is one of them) are based on GSM so the SIM card is part of the 4G LTE phones that Verizon sells.

Hey, Foster, he's not looking for a 4G phone, he's looking at older models (check the link he posted). Everything I said in reference to his questions is correct, any phone he buys with a SIM card will not work on the Verizon network.

[brichter]

I will be surprised if the price does drop more than marginally, it did not drop much for the earlier ones when the iPhone 4 was released.

And if you want one (iPhone 4) without a contract with Verizon:

Full Retail Price $749.99 

Yes, Apple is very proud of their hardware...

[Neonkiss]

Looks like these are the only ones they carry un-locked for Verizon.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008699%20600054272&IsNodeId=1&name=Verizon&Order=PRICED&Pagesize=100

What is the advantage of un-locked???

[poppo]

What is the advantage of un-locked???

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-unlocked-cell-phones.htm

[Neonkiss]

What is the advantage of un-locked???

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-unlocked-cell-phones.htm

Thanks Poppo
So if I'm on Verizon and they use CDMA, an un-locked phone means nothing to me?

[poppo]

[So if I'm on Verizon and they use CDMA, an un-locked phone means nothing to me?

I believe so. My Verizon iPad has no SIM card (unlike my previous AT&T iPad).

[jay]

I think what you are missing the point of an UNLOCKED phone.
You DO NOT get any more features (ie web browsing, email etc) if your current package does not already support it.

So if you were to buy a unlocked smart phone and put your chip into it you would not be able to get email or surf the web because you don't have that $30 data plan.

The problem with a locked phone is that you head out of country and AT&T starts ripping you off for anywhere from $1.00 per min to $4.00 per min for roaming and $16 / mb for data. I took my Canadian phone to the US for a ten days and came back with a $700 bill. I pre-bought 100 us roaming min for $80 and ended up using 406min.
My daughter bought a phone and 2000 min at a US walmart for $65.00. THe phone doesnt get any service here in Canada but we have it for our next trip.

THe solution is that in Europe, dominican, mexico etc you can buy local simm chips that put you back to 9c per min on a pay as you go plan. However the simms dont work in your phone because it is locked. You can usually pay $25.00 - $50.00 to get your existing phone unlocked.

My advice is that since you have an old phone, simply get your provider to give you a new one that has a keyboard with texting capabilities. It will be locked but it doesn't sound like you need a unlocked phone unless you plan to head out of the country.

[cowboygames]

Jay is right, even with a locked phone on Verizon you can only get what you subscribe to and if Verizons system doesn't recognize the ESN your phone transmits, it wonMt allow it to be activated anyway. My Droid 2 Global has a simm card, but it's only used for intenational travel. The phone runs strictly on CDMA in the states.

[poppo]

But I think there is still the issue that Verizon (as far as I know, and what Google says) does not use SIM cards and thus the whole unlock issue is moot.

[cowboygames]

Hi Poppo, they have a few phones, like the Droid 2 Global, that have simm cards in them specifically for local/international use. It's mounted under the battery cover right next to the memory card. Unlike an AT&T phone though, I can take it out and the phone will still work here in the states and nobody can swipe my phone and just swap the simm cards to use it

[stayouttadabunker]

Do the SIM cards play "The Munsters" theme music? 

[cowboygames]

Only if it's unlocked

[stayouttadabunker]

Do the SIM cards play "The Munsters" theme music? 

Only if it's unlocked

  good comeback answer!  

[jay]

Verizon and Bell South are CDMA

Simms usually imply a GSM based network. Tmobile, AT&T are GSM
Europe is on GSM.

You can unlock a CDMA phone, but Korea and parts of Africa are the ony countries that share the technology.

Telus / Bell here in Canada were CDMA until about 3 years ago then they started an agressive change to GSM.

CDMA has the advantage that it can run analog and deliver long distance. When North America were rolling out cell towers they were spaced quite far apart as conpared to todays density. This let them roll out greater coverage for less money. GSM supports many more phones per tower but the reception distance from a tower is a lot shorter.
Europe also had the advantage that if they wanted to drop a cell tower in the center of someones yard they just went ahead and did that as most people lived in appartments and property was not private space. If they do that in the US someone complains that it wrecks their view 5 milies on the horizon and the cell company doesn't get their permit.

When it comes to data CDMA Edge technology has the capability of being faster than GSMs 4G and its a software update to the phone vs a hardware change from 3g to 4g.
Both are good technology but GSM is more flexiable due to the removeable simms and world wide acceptance.

The primary driver for Tmobile to be GSM is that they are owned by Deuscha telecom (Germany) and this allowed Europeans to come to the US and pay exhorbant roaming fees. AT&T decided to get into that game about 6 years ago.

[poppo]

CDMA has the advantage that it can run analog and deliver long distance. When North America were rolling out cell towers they were spaced quite far apart as conpared to todays density. This let them roll out greater coverage for less money. GSM supports many more phones per tower but the reception distance from a tower is a lot shorter.

That is why I got rid of my AT&T iPad for a Verizon one. I had to practically stand on my roof to get any signal with AT&T. But I get 3 bars of Verizon 3G. Cell towers are in the same place. I love living rural, but for some things, it really sucks.

[jay]

Or you could just use wifi off a Linksys router ? with a decent Internet connection this is way faster and cheaper than any cell card.