jimk
Premium
join:2006-04-15
Raleigh, NC
 ·AT&T Southeast
 ·RoadRunner Cable
1 edit | reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Others Will Follow.
Verizon doesn't lock phones. You can access the programming menu, and switch the phone to another carrier. Then, you can load their PRL (preferred roaming list) and the phone is now activated. This only works if the new carrier will let you use the phone in the first place. Alltel works the same way.
Verizon does install proprietary firmware that has ties to services such as Get It Now which will obviously stop working on a different carrier, but basic phone functionality will work.
If you can reprogram the phone (CDMA) or just insert a SIM card and go (GSM), the phone is not locked to the carrier. If the phone is locked, you would need a special password to get into the programming menu or to allow it to take a SIM from a different carrier.
I'm not sure about the handful of world phones (with GSM) that Verizon has. I do believe those might be locked on the GSM side, but I have also heard that they can be unlocked after your account is in good standing for a certain amount of time. |
