Unlocked Phones

[Cameramonkey]

With phones switching over to 5G my older Samsung S5 was getting to be a chore to use. I decided to get the newest and greatest Samsung phone available which arguably was the S22+ Plus, 5G which was selling for $1049.00, I searched and found a refurbished one on Amazon for $ 741.00 garranteed for 90 days so I bought it. Supposedly all I had to do was switch my Sim card, WRONG! I'm with Straight Talk and they said I would have to buy a new Sim card as though I was a new customer, so I did.
Then, after $37.50 and an hour and half later after talking with someone I could hardly understand, I finally got my new phone working. The whole thing made me want to throw it out the window. I gave them a "0" on their customer service survey and right a way I got a call back from them with someone who spoke clear American English and she helped me clear up my remaining problems. If it wasn't for their cheaper cost I would have gone to another carrier. Oh well it's working now.

Patriot Mobile. Can be cheaper than ST and 100% domestic support.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I believe Graphs and charts will be in order.

LTE is what most use today as I recall.

 

[bwframe]

Hope you did not have the misfortune of buying one of their washing machines real pos.

No and I haven't bought one of their supposedly terrible refrigerators either. Gotta do your research...

Electronics are a different story. I personally can attest to very good luck with Samsung phones, monitors and watches. Anything else, I'd research individually. Even with as good of a name as Samsung in phones, I'd research the model. I picked a Note 9 over similarly priced used Note 10's a couple years back, due to product features and reviews.

A decade later, Samsung deserves to be the "face of Android"

There are plenty of great phone brands, but Samsung's history of hardware and software innovations makes it the unofficial face of Android.

www.androidauthority.com

 

[flightsimmer]

I forgot to add that the new phone was unlocked and Verizon capable and I still couldn't use my old Sim card.

Now, I'll have to watch and see if I'm double billed for the month.

 

[senork]

Depending on how you want to use your phone, there are some bargains out there. I have an iphone and I use unlimited talk and text from Tracfone, $220 annually. Mine runs off of Verizon. The downside is… only 12 GB of data without purchasing more. I hardly use any data. Like I said, it all depends on how you want to use it.

 

[Cameramonkey]

For some reason I thought that Verizon phones are already unlocked.

It depends. If you buy your phone direct full retail, its unlocked. If you buy it at a discount (or free, or $1 as part of a contract) from any carrier and they will "Carrier Lock" the phone. You cannot unlock the phone until the contract is up. (and they have recovered the money they lost selling you a phone below cost).

Once your contract is up you can request the phone to be unlocked and if the carrier agrees you dont owe them for the phone they will allow the phone to be unlocked.

Some sketch carriers like Straight Talk will lock the phone by default even if you just buy a sim card and BYOP that is paid off.

 

[Ingomike]

With phones switching over to 5G my older Samsung S5 was getting to be a chore to use. I decided to get the newest and greatest Samsung phone available which arguably was the S22+ Plus, 5G which was selling for $1049.00, I searched and found a refurbished one on Amazon for $ 741.00 garranteed for 90 days so I bought it. Supposedly all I had to do was switch my Sim card, WRONG! I'm with Straight Talk and they said I would have to buy a new Sim card as though I was a new customer, so I did.
Then, after $37.50 and an hour and half later after talking with someone I could hardly understand, I finally got my new phone working. The whole thing made me want to throw it out the window. I gave them a "0" on their customer service survey and right a way I got a call back from them with someone who spoke clear American English and she helped me clear up my remaining problems. If it wasn't for their cheaper cost I would have gone to another carrier. Oh well it's working now.

My uncle had a sign in his shop.

”The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of the low price if forgotten.”