What do I need to watch out for when buying an unlocked phone on the used market? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by yo_scottie_oh@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I want my next phone to be "unlocked" so I can use it w/ any carrier - Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Mint, etc. I'm based in the US, but if I travel internationally, it would be nice to be able to just pop in a local SIM card and continue using my phone like normal.

What gives me pause is, I see used phones listed as "US Version," and reviewers claiming the phone was not unlocked (for example, this Pixel 7a on Amazon).

Questions:

What am I missing here? Do these reviewers just not know what they're doing, or are they buying from shady resellers?
Does "US Version" imply I would not be able to use the phone internationally by just popping in a local SIM card?

Thank you!

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[-] scytale@lemm.ee 9 points 1 day ago

I’m not an expert but my guess is this is more of a signal band issue rather a carrier-lock issue if it’s truly unlocked. Some phones only support specific bands that won’t work with certain carriers. That’s just my guess though.

this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024

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