Can I Buy A Phone And Use It On Verizon
"BYOD" means "bring your own device". If your device is unlocked and compatible with the Verizon network, you can bring it to us and activate it on a new or existing Verizon plan.You can BYOD with smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches you bought from Verizon, a third-party seller, another phone carrier or manufacturer.Check your device's compatibility for BYOD.
can i buy a phone and use it on verizon
You may be able to bring your mobile number along when you bring your device to Verizon. Learn how at our Bring your number to Verizon FAQs.Note: When you're bringing a phone number to Verizon, don't cancel your service with your other carrier until we've activated your new line.
Receive up to $504 promo credit ($180 w/Welcome Unlimited, $360 w/ 5G Start, or $504 w/5G Do More, 5G Play More, 5G Get More or One Unlimited for iPhone plan (Welcome Unlimited and One Unlimited for iPhone plans can't be mixed w/other Unlimited plans; all lines on the account req'd on respective plans)) when you add a new smartphone line with your own 4G/5G smartphone on an eligible postpaid plan between 2/10/23 and 4/5/23. Promo credit applied over 36 months; promo credits end if eligibility requirements are no longer met.
You bring the phone, Verizon supplies the plan. Through the BYOD program, you can activate a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE or compatible unlocked phone on a monthly plan. Be sure your device is unlocked if you are transferring from another carrier.
An unlocked phone is not tied to a specific phone carrier. The Sony Xperia 10 Plus, OnePlus 7 Pro and LG G7 Fit are examples of unlocked phones that have been certified to work on Verizon. Visit our Unlocked Page to learn more.
I currently have Verizon Wireless service with a non-smartphone. My two-year contract has long since expired. I am considering a Samsung Galaxy or an Apple iPhone. I'm willing to pay full price for it, but I'd like to get a good deal if I could. I'm thinking of buying the phone on the open market instead of from Verizon. Maybe I could get a better deal that way? I would also like the phone that I buy to be able to be used on other carriers, should I have a falling out with Verizon.
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 get the best price you can find on a device. And it also gives you the option to switch to another operator if you're not satisfied with your service.
But popular 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. Still, 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 can get great deals on them over more 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 have made it easy to bring unlocked devices to their networks for years. But things are changing at Verizon, according to Albert Aydin, a spokesman for Verizon. The company is making an effort to make it much easier to use some unlocked phones, such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Nexus 6 on its network, even if it's a version of the device that wasn't made specifically for Verizon. Customers can visit Verizon's website and check the ID, such as the IMEI number, on their device to see if it will work unlocked on the carrier's network.
Under the old contract plans, customers would typically pay $200 for a new smartphone. But the device costs much more than that, usually at least three times more than the subsidized price. Who paid the balance? The carrier, which then figured the cost of this subsidy into the monthly service charge. But 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's more, once a contract ended, customers still paid the same amount each month -- even long after the device the carrier had subsidized was paid off.
That's all changing, and it's good news for consumers, especially savvy shoppers like yourself. Now, the cost of your service will be separate from the cost of your device. You can still buy a new phone from your carrier, but you'll either pay full price for it upfront or you'll finance it.
The other option, as you have suggested, is that you can bring your own device. This means you can use a phone that you already own, buy a used or refurbished smartphone, or shop around for a less expensive device from a lesser-known manufacturer.
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 will work on every carrier's network. This is especially true for Verizon and Sprint, which have based their traditional voice and data networks on technologies that are not deployed globally. To make certain the smartphone you buy will work with your carrier, you must look at the device specifications to ensure it supports the radio frequencies and network technology that is compatible with your carrier.
The wireless world is quickly moving to the next generation of network technology known as 4G LTE. Right now LTE is the technology used to provide broadband-like Internet speeds to wireless customers. Even though all major wireless carriers throughout the world, including the four major carriers in the US, are using the same 4G technology to deliver high-speed Internet access to smartphones, they don't all use the same radio frequencies. This means that the device you choose needs to include radios that can tune into the frequencies that your carrier is using for its 4G LTE network. If it doesn't have radios that are compatible with its LTE frequencies, you may not get data service at all or you will get service that is substantially slower than is advertised for a 4G LTE Network.
The incompatibility issue is particularly hard for Verizon customers since you will need a device that supports CDMA for voice. As for 4G compatibility, you will need to make sure the phone you purchase has radios that can tune into the frequencies that Verizon uses for LTE.
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). Just for reference, AT&T and T-Mobile each support LTE bands 2 and 4. Sprint supports one band class that is common to Verizon: band 2 (1900 MHz).
This issue 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 can be used across multiple carriers. But for now, it's something to consider when shopping for a new unlocked phone. It's still important to read the specs to make sure the bands match up to the carrier.
Getting an unlocked phone that wasn't specifically made to work with Verizon on its network is tricky. The CDMA/voice issue pretty much ensures you 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 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the Nexus 6 can be purchased unlocked and used on Verizon. Unfortunately, many of the low-cost devices from China won't work on Verizon, not just because they aren't "certified" by Verizon, but because the technology is not compatible.
The good 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 voice rather than CDMA, new smartphones made for Verizon already include CDMA and GSM radios, which means the phone can be taken to a carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile in the US 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's 4G network, should still operate on either AT&T's or T-Mobile's 4G network. The LTE issue 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 certain is to compare the specs. The Verizon phone must be GSM compatible and support the same LTE frequency bands that either AT&T or T-Mobile support. T-Mobile provides a tool on its website that allows you to type in the serial number of your device to double check.
If you plan to stick with Verizon as your service provider, I suggest just getting a smartphone made for Verizon. This doesn't mean you have to purchase it from Verizon. You can still get a used or refurbished phone that was made for Verizon. You will be able to save some money if you do that. The reason I suggest buying a Verizon 4G LTE smartphone is because it will work optimally while you are a Verizon customer. And if you do decide to leave Verizon, it will most likely work on either AT&T or T-Mobile. It's a win-win for you.
Also, locked phones prevent theft. Unlocked phones are more likely to be sold illegally or used overseas with different carriers. Verizon locks its new phones as a security precaution. (Users can unlock them; more on that below.) 041b061a72