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I just killed my Nexus and I'm not eligible for a discount with Verizon until 8/22. I'm looking at the S4, full price in my case, I guess (sigh!) Does anyone know if the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with GSM unlocked? (I remember reading that the Verizon iPhone 5 does and can be used abroad by simply swapping a local SIM card.)
During my trial purchase on the Verizon website, it asked me if I wanted to keep the current SIM number (yes), and later if I wanted the phone implemented for worldwide GSM (do you think they mean through their own services, hence locked GSM, or open to any carrier abroad)?
Thanks for the input.
italiano1964 said:
I just killed my Nexus and I'm not eligible for a discount with Verizon until 8/22. I'm looking at the S4, full price in my case, I guess (sigh!) Does anyone know if the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with GSM unlocked? (I remember reading that the Verizon iPhone 5 does and can be used abroad by simply swapping a local SIM card.)
During my trial purchase on the Verizon website, it asked me if I wanted to keep the current SIM number (yes), and later if I wanted the phone implemented for worldwide GSM (do you think they mean through their own services, hence locked GSM, or open to any carrier abroad)?
Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All you have to do is give them a call and let em know you will be traveling abroad, they will adjust your plan accordingly. I dunno if the S4 is global capable though, hardware wise.... Make sure you call them before using it abroad, failure to do so will most likely result in a massive roaming bill....
If you look on the hardware specs, it says its a Global Ready phone on Verizon's website. It has GSM also. I think it is possbile to put in a att SIM and go. Don't hold me to it though
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
i do believe all verizon 4G LTE phones must come GSM unlocked out of box now, if im not mistaken.
yyhd said:
i do believe all verizon 4G LTE phones must come GSM unlocked out of box now, if im not mistaken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I believe it's FCC required because of auction rules for the 700mhz band Verizon LTE is using.
That said, you may still need root to enable new APNs.
s44 said:
Yeah, I believe it's FCC required because of auction rules for the 700mhz band Verizon LTE is using.
That said, you may still need root to enable new APNs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You needn't root，
it can support，GSM and wcdma carriers！！
i test a SIM card of China Unicom
it can edit APNS
nforce4 said:
You needn't root，
it can support，GSM and wcdma carriers！！
i test a SIM card of China Unicom
it can edit APNS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate if you show screenshot of APN setting. if possible also network screenshot.
For now all I know is you can get WorldWide plan from verizon and you basically will be paying to verizon but you will use that other carrier as an atena... Cool, but it's VERY EXPENSIVE. Calls internet everything. Is there a way to somewhat hack sgs 4 verizon to use it internationally without needing that stupid expensive plan.
The SiMs are very cheap and the phone plans are very cheap in Europe, sometimes it's even more profitable to buy an unlocked phone just to travel.
So, does anyone know yet how to hack it ? There was a way like that on SGS 3.
I upgraded on Verizon and then traveled to Europe on the same day. All was working well with Verizon in the US. I then put in a sim card I bought when I arrived, and it worked for calling as soon as it started (no changes required). The add apn setting was greyed out, but it worked anyway. I put in the appropriate apn settings and it now does mobile data, voice, and sms. I dont know about MMS, yet.
I did all this without root access, but I went ahead and did the root procedure this morning.
I have to go to another country in 2 weeks, and I may get a different sim. If so, I will update after that.
I do have a persistant warning in the status bar telling me I am using a non-Verizon sim, but no other ill effects.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
maxyoda said:
I upgraded on Verizon and then traveled to Europe on the same day. All was working well with Verizon in the US. I then put in a sim card I bought when I arrived, and it worked for calling as soon as it started (no changes required). The add apn setting was greyed out, but it worked anyway. I put in the appropriate apn settings and it now does mobile data, voice, and sms. I dont know about MMS, yet.
I did all this without root access, but I went ahead and did the root procedure this morning.
I have to go to another country in 2 weeks, and I may get a different sim. If so, I will update after that.
I do have a persistant warning in the status bar telling me I am using a non-Verizon sim, but no other ill effects.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for info. Are you using Verizons World Data plan ? If not, when you come back to US is it possible that you will get a pretty large bill for using outside of US ? What type of internet are you recieving, 3g, HSPA or maybe Edge ? What countries have you tried this in yet ?
Also where did you get the phone, pre order or in store?
Thank you, I'm asking so many questions because I really wanted to get an upgrade but I will be flying to Europe for this whole summer and I thought it wouldnt worth it right now.
No, I am not using Verizon's plan (as far as I know). I have a local prepaid sim and phone number with prepaid data on a gsm network (T-Mobile) and so I do not receive calls on my US Verizon number - they go straight to Google voice answering service. I get a H+ symbol for data when I am in an area with good reception, and 3g elsewhere. So far, I have only tried it around Berlin.
I bought the phone in the store.
Tw1ser said:
Hey, thanks for info. Are you using Verizons World Data plan ? If not, when you come back to US is it possible that you will get a pretty large bill for using outside of US ? What type of internet are you recieving, 3g, HSPA or maybe Edge ? What countries have you tried this in yet ?
Also where did you get the phone, pre order or in store?
Thank you, I'm asking so many questions because I really wanted to get an upgrade but I will be flying to Europe for this whole summer and I thought it wouldnt worth it right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maxyoda said:
No, I am not using Verizon's plan (as far as I know). I have a local prepaid sim and phone number with prepaid data on a gsm network (T-Mobile) and so I do not receive calls on my US Verizon number - they go straight to Google voice answering service. I get a H+ symbol for data when I am in an area with good reception, and 3g elsewhere. So far, I have only tried it around Berlin.
I bought the phone in the store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy your phone on contract ?
Yes. Upgraded on contract.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
verizon galaxy s4 usage in europe
maxyoda said:
No, I am not using Verizon's plan (as far as I know). I have a local prepaid sim and phone number with prepaid data on a gsm network (T-Mobile) and so I do not receive calls on my US Verizon number - they go straight to Google voice answering service. I get a H+ symbol for data when I am in an area with good reception, and 3g elsewhere. So far, I have only tried it around Berlin.
I bought the phone in the store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, I saw your posts which were very helpful about verizon galaxy s4 usage in europe. I have a few more questions if you have time. On which operators and countries were you able to get 3g speeds with verizon s4. Thank you.
---------- Post added at 06:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:07 AM ----------
maxyoda said:
No, I am not using Verizon's plan (as far as I know). I have a local prepaid sim and phone number with prepaid data on a gsm network (T-Mobile) and so I do not receive calls on my US Verizon number - they go straight to Google voice answering service. I get a H+ symbol for data when I am in an area with good reception, and 3g elsewhere. So far, I have only tried it around Berlin.
I bought the phone in the store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sadettin said:
Hello, I saw your posts which were very helpful about verizon galaxy s4 usage in europe. I have a few more questions if you have time. On which operators and countries were you able to get 3g speeds with verizon s4. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am asking because i need to know if it will work on a country where the 3g frequency is 2100mhz.
I've done some research on the topic but am having a hard time finding a definative answer on the topic.
I bought my phone thru Verizon (paid in full) intially to ensure I would keep my unlimited data plan. Since this purchase I've discovered that T-Mobile has s $30/mo plan that fits my lifestyle just fine. My intent is to sell my plan (craigslist/ebay/etc) to get out of our contract and make some $$$ on the side.
When I bought this phone 1 of the major draws I saw was that, even though it's a Verizon phone, it wasGSM compatible. I've read plenty of posts about users throwing in a ATT sim card and being good to go. On the tmobile side of things, the results aren't as clear.
So.... Long story short, I'm looking for a definative answer if the Verizon GS4 will fully work on T-Mobile's GSM network and if so, where might one find some guidance on what I need to do if there are any necessary steps involved.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Plain and simple... No, the Verizon GS4 will not work on Tmobile. Verizon is cdma and tmobile is gsm. It will not work
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
teqknique said:
I've done some research on the topic but am having a hard time finding a definative answer on the topic.
I bought my phone thru Verizon (paid in full) intially to ensure I would keep my unlimited data plan. Since this purchase I've discovered that T-Mobile has s $30/mo plan that fits my lifestyle just fine. My intent is to sell my plan (craigslist/ebay/etc) to get out of our contract and make some $$$ on the side.
When I bought this phone 1 of the major draws I saw was that, even though it's a Verizon phone, it wasGSM compatible. I've read plenty of posts about users throwing in a ATT sim card and being good to go. On the tmobile side of things, the results aren't as clear.
So.... Long story short, I'm looking for a definative answer if the Verizon GS4 will fully work on T-Mobile's GSM network and if so, where might one find some guidance on what I need to do if there are any necessary steps involved.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a VZW customer and I work at T-Mobile. I've tried popping in my manager's T-Mobile micro sim-card into my VZW S4. The voice service worked flawlessly but there was neither 3G nor 4G connectivity. No idea why.
jkuczy16 said:
Plain and simple... No, the Verizon GS4 will not work on Tmobile. Verizon is cdma and tmobile is gsm. It will not work
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WRONG! I'm using a Verizon GS4 on AT&T HSPA+ right now.
izgil82 said:
I'm a VZW customer and I work at T-Mobile. I've tried popping in my manager's T-Mobile micro sim-card into my VZW S4. The voice service worked flawlessly but there was neither 3G nor 4G connectivity. No idea why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you change the APN's?
T-Mobile is NOT GSM. The only way would be change the apn settings to see if it will work.
Okay I guess I made a mistake, sorry for causing any confusion. Guess you really do learn something new everyday lol
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
sk337sk337 said:
WRONG! I'm using a Verizon GS4 on AT&T HSPA+ right now.
Did you change the APN's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I read Verizon S4 will work with AT&T H+, but not T-mobile.. they only get edge even with the APN changed
TheAxman said:
T-Mobile is NOT GSM. The only way would be change the apn settings to see if it will work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait what? T-mobile is gsm..
TheAxman said:
T-Mobile is NOT GSM. The only way would be change the apn settings to see if it will work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah they are GSM
Sent from my LG-P880 using Tapatalk 2
So I am right about tmobile being gsm
Sent from my DROID RAZR
These questions are tricky. Work!? You have to define that word before you get your answer. Voice works and so as data IF you add APN manually (or if it comes automatically from T-Mo). Now by data you mean 2G(EDGE)? 3G(HSPA)? 4G(LTE)? It also depends on whether you are in an area where T-Mo has re-farmed 1900 HSPA. If you are in one of these areas then you got 3G for data. If not, 2G for you. No 4G anywhere for this phone on T-Mo.
teqknique said:
I've done some research on the topic but am having a hard time finding a definative answer on the topic.
I bought my phone thru Verizon (paid in full) intially to ensure I would keep my unlimited data plan. Since this purchase I've discovered that T-Mobile has s $30/mo plan that fits my lifestyle just fine. My intent is to sell my plan (craigslist/ebay/etc) to get out of our contract and make some $$$ on the side.
When I bought this phone 1 of the major draws I saw was that, even though it's a Verizon phone, it wasGSM compatible. I've read plenty of posts about users throwing in a ATT sim card and being good to go. On the tmobile side of things, the results aren't as clear.
So.... Long story short, I'm looking for a definative answer if the Verizon GS4 will fully work on T-Mobile's GSM network and if so, where might one find some guidance on what I need to do if there are any necessary steps involved.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is %100 possible. It's involved...to the extent that it might not be for those who aren't willing to turn their phone into a PDA.
In this post I explain (condescendingly, because some guy was so sure it wasn't possible) that phones nowadays are capable of multiband...because it's just not cost effective for manufacturers to produce one phone for CDMA, then one for GSM, one for LTE, one for AWS bands, etc etc...you get the picture. If you look up the specs of the chips in the S4 (probably the same across the carriers) you'll see that it's a pentaband phone.
Short story long...I come from a time where there wasn't a "It's not possible"...my job bought me a VZ S4 which I plan on using with my Tmobile simcard...because I don't feel like carrying a Nexus 4 AND an S4...I'll post my progress in the forums for all to benefit from. Until then...
I only tested it for a few minutes.... but I did get lte on it but not sure about aws... on T-Mobile. Sorry I couldn't do a more extensive experiment.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Yes it is possible. And it is actually not that much work.
#1 be rooted
#2 put in tmobile sim and restart phone (cant change apn with vzw sim)
#3 change the apn settings for voice and data to t mobile (google it)
I have been using a verizon i545 S4 on tmobile for 3 weeks now. I have voice text and 4g h+ data.
The S4 is global, even if verizon tries to lock it down.
justda said:
Yes it is possible. And it is actually not that much work.
#1 be rooted
#2 put in tmobile sim and restart phone (cant change apn with vzw sim)
#3 change the apn settings for voice and data to t mobile (google it)
I have been using a verizon i545 S4 on tmobile for 3 weeks now. I have voice text and 4g h+ data.
The S4 is global, even if verizon tries to lock it down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how are you getting 4g? I'm only getting 2g ;-; i'v ebeen asking everywhere but everybody seems to think it cant be done i guess? I just get ignored by the usually helpful community.
I am also on hyperdrive, have you looked at their coverage map? And what apn are you using tmobile has 3. Standard phones, smart phones, and I believe one for hipsters aka apple? The proper apn starts with fast. (Its 645 in the morning google it yourself)
Another thing to consider, you might be getting 4g or h what ever, t mobile is half as fast as verizon. I had to use xposed framework to turn on the proper icons.
The steps I posted are all I did, other than being on hyperdrivre rom. Try setting to gsm as your preffered network?
Im sorry people have ignored this and claim its impossible, the tmobile guy in store actually got his manager to come use my phone after I got it working in front of him in store. The store manager told the employee I must be some super hacker and this isnt possible for normal people. All i did was imout the apn and the sim nothing crazy.
justda said:
Yes it is possible. And it is actually not that much work.
#1 be rooted
#2 put in tmobile sim and restart phone (cant change apn with vzw sim)
#3 change the apn settings for voice and data to t mobile (google it)
I have been using a verizon i545 S4 on tmobile for 3 weeks now. I have voice text and 4g h+ data.
The S4 is global, even if verizon tries to lock it down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will this always work with straight talk... I am now rooted
silentshadow310 said:
Will this always work with straight talk... I am now rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is already a guide for straight talk here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2672843
Drake9897 said:
how are you getting 4g? I'm only getting 2g ;-; i'v ebeen asking everywhere but everybody seems to think it cant be done i guess? I just get ignored by the usually helpful community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I have been out of the loop for a while with work and such... Did you ever get your 4G or LTE to work properly?
silentshadow310 said:
Will this always work with straight talk... I am now rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What this guy said above this comment. I know nothing about straight talk, and someone already wrote a guide on how to do it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2672843:good:
Is it possible to unlock the Verizon version of the S4? I'm deploying in 4 weeks and would like to use my phone with international carriers. I have an SCH-I545 build and I'm still running on stock. Thanks
I think ATT has begun to unlock phones internationally when asked.
Verizon? Not sure... one think to check is if the Verizon GS4 supports a carrier in the country you travel to.
Take a look at Leo Laporte's Tech Guy show... he has callers ask this quetion on average every other week... I think he has show notes on his site now days... techguylabs.com
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
PetrichorXFi said:
I think ATT has begun to unlock phones internationally when asked.
Verizon? Not sure... one think to check is if the Verizon GS4 supports a carrier in the country you travel to.
Take a look at Leo Laporte's Tech Guy show... he has callers ask this quetion on average every other week... I think he has show notes on his site now days... techguylabs.com
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon phones are unlocked out of the box, but you have to make sure that the country you are going to has a GSM network.
After a lot of searching, I decided to ask this here:
I have a Verizon S4, but I was wondering if it was actually unlocked out-of-box or if there is something I have to do in order to use it with, for instance, Cricket, or U.S. Cellular. I have done lots of rooting/developing for Android, but have never tried to use an Android phone with a differing carrier. Can anyone help or point me to a thread that helps? (Again, did lots of Googling and XDA-searching)
furballbeethoven said:
After a lot of searching, I decided to ask this here:
I have a Verizon S4, but I was wondering if it was actually unlocked out-of-box or if there is something I have to do in order to use it with, for instance, Cricket, or U.S. Cellular. I have done lots of rooting/developing for Android, but have never tried to use an Android phone with a differing carrier. Can anyone help or point me to a thread that helps? (Again, did lots of Googling and XDA-searching)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is GSM-unlocked. This means that you buy a SIM, plug it in, then add the proper APN to enable data. (Settings, Connections, More networks, Mobile networks, Access Point Names). The "+" (Add APN) button is disabled if you have a VZ SIM installed but will be enabled if you insert a non-VZ SIM.
Whoever you get the SIM from will tell you what to enter for the APN.
Whether or not it'll work and how fast a network you'll get depends on the bands that the local carrier uses.
k1mu said:
The phone is GSM-unlocked. This means that you buy a SIM, plug it in, then add the proper APN to enable data. (Settings, Connections, More networks, Mobile networks, Access Point Names). The "+" (Add APN) button is disabled if you have a VZ SIM installed but will be enabled if you insert a non-VZ SIM.
Whoever you get the SIM from will tell you what to enter for the APN.
Whether or not it'll work and how fast a network you'll get depends on the bands that the local carrier uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI k1mu,
So do you mean to say if I purchase this device with full price from VZW ~$400 (month to month plan),
the next thing I can do is take off VZW SIM and would it work on my AT&T GSM SIM in US?
malhotra.aakash said:
HI k1mu,
So do you mean to say if I purchase this device with full price from VZW ~$400 (month to month plan),
the next thing I can do is take off VZW SIM and would it work on my AT&T GSM SIM in US?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe. While the VZW version is GSM-unlocked for international use, it is unclear how well it works with US GSM carriers. Some people say they can get it to work, some say they can't. Theoretically, it should only take you putting in an AT&T SIM then plugging in the APN data for it to work, but some people still say it won't.
So, you should be able to, but going by the accounts of XDA members, it doesn't always work, which may or may not come down to user error.
joshm.1219 said:
Maybe. While the VZW version is GSM-unlocked for international use, it is unclear how well it works with US GSM carriers. Some people say they can get it to work, some say they can't. Theoretically, it should only take you putting in an AT&T SIM then plugging in the APN data for it to work, but some people still say it won't.
So, you should be able to, but going by the accounts of XDA members, it doesn't always work, which may or may not come down to user error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks joshm.1219,
It still leaves me in a dilemma.. I do really want to get a "S4 mini" model but don't want to stuck up with CDMA providers to be true. Might want to use with ATT or Tmobile or H2O.. I visited the VZW store and the model has option under networks as
1. Global
2. LTE/CDMA
3. GSM/UTMS
Now the Qs are,
1. If this model does have a SIM card slot, how at the first point VZW has lock on it
2. When i asked the VZW associate, he was not sure whether they ever do unlock the device or not
3. If I am ready to pay off complete price of the device which is ~400, what else I would need from them to really 'UNLOCK' it?
4. Is there any means by root/flashing to make such model work for US GSM carriers like H2O or even T-mobile.
Sorry to be so annoying but m new to all these things and quite confused :crying:
many Thx in advance..
malhotra.aakash said:
Thanks joshm.1219,
It still leaves me in a dilemma.. I do really want to get a "S4 mini" model but don't want to stuck up with CDMA providers to be true. Might want to use with ATT or Tmobile or H2O.. I visited the VZW store and the model has option under networks as
1. Global
2. LTE/CDMA
3. GSM/UTMS
Now the Qs are,
1. If this model does have a SIM card slot, how at the first point VZW has lock on it
2. When i asked the VZW associate, he was not sure whether they ever do unlock the device or not
3. If I am ready to pay off complete price of the device which is ~400, what else I would need from them to really 'UNLOCK' it?
4. Is there any means by root/flashing to make such model work for US GSM carriers like H2O or even T-mobile.
Sorry to be so annoying but m new to all these things and quite confused :crying:
many Thx in advance..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I can't be of more help, I've been on Verizon for 10 years now, but it is by all intents & purposes, fully SIM-unlocked. It's simply unclear as to why some people report problems of using Verizon phones on US GSM carriers. If you really don't want to worry about it & are willing to pay full price, purchase a device through the carrier you want to use it on.
here is the code to choose network
you might need to change the network frequency to gsm if you wanna use it on att or tmobile and when you wanna switch back to verizon choose wcdma try dialing *#*#4636#*#*:good:
joshm.1219 said:
Sorry I can't be of more help, I've been on Verizon for 10 years now, but it is by all intents & purposes, fully SIM-unlocked. It's simply unclear as to why some people report problems of using Verizon phones on US GSM carriers. If you really don't want to worry about it & are willing to pay full price, purchase a device through the carrier you want to use it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had people argue with me over this, but the fact is that NO Verizon LTE phone is SIM-locked. None. Nada.
People who claim differently are simply misinformed. (My I545 comes up on AT&T when I plug in my UK SIM and switch to GSM.)
Not to say that all VZ phones are unlocked - my Inc2 had to be unlocked before it would work with that same SIM. If I remember right, it wouldn't connect in the US, either, even after being unlocked. Not so for the GS4.
I appreciate the posts here from people who know. As for me, I am switching to tmobile and will attempt to use this there. If it doesnt work out, I will sell it on swappa and get a nexus 5!
Hi,
Verizon S4 with 4.3 is international unlocked by default.
You just need to select network mode 'GLOBAL'. Then add the right APN.
I am using Indian GSM SIM with the GLOBAL mode selected. All is well for me.
I can provide screenshots if anybody wanna see.
Verizon phones are unlocked out of the box and they DO work fine on US carriers I'm running my Verizon S4 right now on AT&T and I also ran it on tmobile for short time,
even works with Walmart straight talk and Net10 as those are just subsidies of T Mobile and AT&T anyway.
so don't sweat it if you have a verizon phone that uses a sim card, you can run it on any network that uses a SIM card US or international.
baseband issue
Doesn't the MK2 baseband with jb 4.3 block US Sim cards?
Or do I just have a weird s4?
kendonsh said:
Doesn't the MK2 baseband with jb 4.3 block US Sim cards?
Or do I just have a weird s4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine dont? Im on mk2,
soon as I got my verizon s4 replacement from a damaged model that I turned in,
I threw a net10/att sim card in it.
completely stock phone not even rooted nothin, and it works fine, I did get a popup that said non Verizon SIM card but it works fine
calls in and out MMS works fine
---------- Post added at 01:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:53 PM ----------
CafeAdrutico said:
The S4 is supposed to work globally right out of the box, as long as you've called Verizon to enable International roaming on your account. But, used that way, you'll be paying Verizon for International roaming and it's bloody expensive.
The question is, can you remove the SIM and put in a SIM for a local carrier in the foreign country where you are and use the phone on that carrier? That is what being unlocked would allow you to do. Past Verizon phones have not been unlocked to allow this. But, if you called Tech Support and told them you were going to, for example, Europe and wanted to use a local SIM, they would walk you through unlocking (at no charge).
I read a report that the S4 is not locked and that you can use a SIM for a local carrier in Europe, as it comes out of the box. But, I would not trust that. I would call VZW Tech Support and tell them exactly what you want to do - i.e. don't say "can I use my phone in Europe?" The answer to that is yes, you can, at about $1/minute. What you should ask them is, "can I travel to Europe and purchase a SIM from a local carrier and use that in my phone?" If not, they should be able to walk you through unlocking the phone, so you can do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to answer your question simply yes.
let's say I take my phone to Spain are somewhere in the UK, I'll go to store buy a SIM card for local network and BAM local phone number in Europe making phone calls, you can even get Data to work if you have that local carrier's APN settings
no unlocking is required because it is not locked.
other companies AT&T, Sprint, t-mobile, yes you have to get The phone sim unlocked.
k1mu said:
I've had people argue with me over this, but the fact is that NO Verizon LTE phone is SIM-locked. None. Nada.
People who claim differently are simply misinformed. (My I545 comes up on AT&T when I plug in my UK SIM and switch to GSM.)
Not to say that all VZ phones are unlocked - my Inc2 had to be unlocked before it would work with that same SIM. If I remember right, it wouldn't connect in the US, either, even after being unlocked. Not so for the GS4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is 100% correct. NO LTE phones on verizon are sim locked. They are REQUIRED to keep them unlocked because of their agreement with the FCC for their use of the spectrum they lease. NO OTHER CARRIER must abide by these rules. Only VZW. Sprint I've heard will unlock ANY phone that is capable if you ask them too, and AT&T will NOT unlock any of their phones unless it 2 years old and out of contract (which makes no sense if you have to pay them while under contract anyway). There was a big deal about the Iphone 5 when it came out with LTE for verizon. If you bought a Verizon Iphone, you could put an ATT sim in it and it works, but not an ATT on VZW because ATT keeps them locked.
The Dinc 2 above was NOT an LTE device. Therefore no sim card....and it wouldn't work on most overseas networks anyway as it was a CDMA only phone. I believe VZW tested the limits of the "unlocked" SIM with their first few LTE phones. My Rezound worked with a GSM network sim....but voice and SMS only. It took some unlocking of the bootloader and rooting to run a special Rom to get Data to work on it.
I am heading to the Caribbean in a few weeks, and I will be using a rented SIM card to be able to message back and forth with my wife (with a data based messenger service as data rates are far cheaper than SMS rate there)
318sugarhill said:
This is 100% correct. NO LTE phones on verizon are sim locked. They are REQUIRED to keep them unlocked because of their agreement with the FCC for their use of the spectrum they lease. NO OTHER CARRIER must abide by these rules. Only VZW. Sprint I've heard will unlock ANY phone that is capable if you ask them too, and AT&T will NOT unlock any of their phones unless it 2 years old and out of contract (which makes no sense if you have to pay them while under contract anyway). There was a big deal about the Iphone 5 when it came out with LTE for verizon. If you bought a Verizon Iphone, you could put an ATT sim in it and it works, but not an ATT on VZW because ATT keeps them locked.
The Dinc 2 above was NOT an LTE device. Therefore no sim card....and it wouldn't work on most overseas networks anyway as it was a CDMA only phone. I believe VZW tested the limits of the "unlocked" SIM with their first few LTE phones. My Rezound worked with a GSM network sim....but voice and SMS only. It took some unlocking of the bootloader and rooting to run a special Rom to get Data to work on it.
I am heading to the Caribbean in a few weeks, and I will be using a rented SIM card to be able to message back and forth with my wife (with a data based messenger service as data rates are far cheaper than SMS rate there)
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I just spent a week in the UK with an ekit.com SIM in my Verizon GS4 - no problem with getting service, no Verizon charge (even though I was on the Vodaphone network for at least some times.)
And the dinc 2, while not LTE, was CDMA/GSM - not just CDMA (yes, the dinc was CDMA-only), so it did accept a SIM card. I'm using that in the GS4 now that it's cut down to micro SIM.
That phone WAS SIM-locked, but VZ happily unlocked it. For the GS4, I didn't have to do anything with VZ to use it off their network.
bickin said:
Is it possible to unlock the Verizon version of the S4? I'm deploying in 4 weeks and would like to use my phone with international carriers. I have an SCH-I545 build and I'm still running on stock. Thanks
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DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO
UNLFOK s4 UK VERSION sorry I'm new to the website
furballbeethoven said:
After a lot of searching, I decided to ask this here:
I have a Verizon S4, but I was wondering if it was actually unlocked out-of-box or if there is something I have to do in order to use it with, for instance, Cricket, or U.S. Cellular. I have done lots of rooting/developing for Android, but have never tried to use an Android phone with a differing carrier. Can anyone help or point me to a thread that helps? (Again, did lots of Googling and XDA-searching)
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The phone is already unlocked for SIM and other carriers, all you need is the correct APN for the carrier. I currently have T-Mobile on my i545 and everything works on it.
I currently have a Sprint HTC 4g LTE. It is rooted, boot loader is unlocked, and it is S-Off. I'm currently using Sprint. However, I was thinking about switching to Straight Talk. They said they would have no problem putting my phone on their network. However, I pretty confident that when they put my phone on Straight Talk, I will still be using Sprints towers. Is there a way to request or flash my phone where I can use this Sprint phone on a the Verizon towers since they both use CDMA? Any help or guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Page Plus..
OR Verizon Pre-paid are other options. StraightTalk is Sprint only I believe.
I've flashed mine to Verizon Pre-paid and haven't looked back. Everything works perfectly. You will need to download a voicemail app (I use YouMail) and configure your MMS protocols (there's a tutorial in the General thread if you search Verizon MMS).
jwalkinc said:
OR Verizon Pre-paid are other options. StraightTalk is Sprint only I believe.
I've flashed mine to Verizon Pre-paid and haven't looked back. Everything works perfectly. You will need to download a voicemail app (I use YouMail) and configure your MMS protocols (there's a tutorial in the General thread if you search Verizon MMS).
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Thanks for the information, but Straight Talk actually uses all major phone providers, At&t, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon towers. In order to access those towers though, you have to have a phone from that company so that is my dilemma of trying to get a Sprint phone to work on a Verizon network. I looked at the tutorial that you are refereeing to. I'm not 100% sure this will work for me or not since I want to use straight talk.
I read a few threads and am confused, so I thought I would just ask. I have a few 4G LTE devices for Verizon and am ready to switch to AT&T. Let's just say that Verizon and I had an argument and it is time to switch. Plus I would be saving over $50 to switch to AT&T with a month to month with a BYOP plan.
I visited the AT&T store today and had them insert a SIM into my S4. I get the error "This SIM card is from an unknown source" in the banner. I get a signal strength and a H for where the data symbol 4GLTE is. Then it drops the signal and refuses to have a data connection. At this time the APN settings were NOT adjusted. This was a straight out of the box S4 rooted on NC5 with Android version 4.4.2. After messing with the S4 for awhile he moved to the S3 and entered the proper APN settings. It pulled data, but only at EDGE speeds or 1X. Also, my last device, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, has no way of editing the APN settings. It is NOT rooted and is still on stock firmware.
My questions are these:
1. Can this be done?
2. What do I need to do to the phone(s)/tablet to make it work?
3. Will I be able to get 4G speeds?
I do not want to purchase phones with AT&T today because I just don't have the money. I already have these devices, I just want to swap them over. I am comfortable with flashing using ODIN and even so far as using safe-strap. I have flashed some custom roms, but my phone is a daily grind phone and I really want something that works 90% of the time.
Thanks in advance for any help!
EDIT:
None of the codes work either:
*#0*#
*#06#
ECT...
ghost0001 said:
I read a few threads and am confused, so I thought I would just ask. I have a few 4G LTE devices for Verizon and am ready to switch to AT&T. Let's just say that Verizon and I had an argument and it is time to switch. Plus I would be saving over $50 to switch to AT&T with a month to month with a BYOP plan.
I visited the AT&T store today and had them insert a SIM into my S4. I get the error "This SIM card is from an unknown source" in the banner. I get a signal strength and a H for where the data symbol 4GLTE is. Then it drops the signal and refuses to have a data connection. At this time the APN settings were NOT adjusted. This was a straight out of the box S4 rooted on NC5 with Android version 4.4.2. After messing with the S4 for awhile he moved to the S3 and entered the proper APN settings. It pulled data, but only at EDGE speeds or 1X. Also, my last device, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, has no way of editing the APN settings. It is NOT rooted and is still on stock firmware.
My questions are these:
1. Can this be done?
2. What do I need to do to the phone(s)/tablet to make it work?
3. Will I be able to get 4G speeds?
I do not want to purchase phones with AT&T today because I just don't have the money. I already have these devices, I just want to swap them over. I am comfortable with flashing using ODIN and even so far as using safe-strap. I have flashed some custom roms, but my phone is a daily grind phone and I really want something that works 90% of the time.
Thanks in advance for any help!
EDIT:
None of the codes work either:
*#0*#
*#06#
ECT...
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Already answered in another thread.
k1mu said:
Already answered in another thread.
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Cool beans, but I have read about 20 threads, specifically what one are you referencing? Link please?
ghost0001 said:
Cool beans, but I have read about 20 threads, specifically what one are you referencing? Link please?
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It was an answer to this same question asked by you. This thread is redundant.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-verizon/help/verizon-to-att-t2801297
k1mu said:
It was an answer to this same question asked by you. This thread is redundant.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-verizon/help/verizon-to-att-t2801297
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That thread just asks if the SIM card would work and if they would need to flash a GSM ROM to their S4. That thread does not answer the questions I asked. I just gave my insight after a visit with the AT&T store. Store techs tend to not know as much as the XDA community. That is why I asked here. So no, it is not a redundant thread. I appreciate your answer, but it isn't what I am looking for. Not a straight up yes or no, this or that.
As for the GSM locks I discussed, it was from an experience I had with a Motorola Droid 2 and using it on a local GSM provider in the USA. So yes, that was pre LTE.
ghost0001 said:
That thread just asks if the SIM card would work and if they would need to flash a GSM ROM to their S4. That thread does not answer the questions I asked. I just gave my insight after a visit with the AT&T store. Store techs tend to not know as much as the XDA community. That is why I asked here. So no, it is not a redundant thread. I appreciate your answer, but it isn't what I am looking for. Not a straight up yes or no, this or that.
As for the GSM locks I discussed, it was from an experience I had with a Motorola Droid 2 and using it on a local GSM provider in the USA. So yes, that was pre LTE.
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My point, which you apparently missed, is that there is no reason for starting up yet another thread to ask questions that have already been answered. That''s why I said that this is redundant.
OK, let me answer your questions.
1. Can this be done?
Yes, you can install an AT&T SIM, set up the APN, and it will work. What bands you get and what bandwidth you get depends on what bands AT&T are using in your area. You won't likely be able to get LTE speed; most likely just Edge. You can't fix that, as it's a limitation of the phone's radio hardware. Again, some people have made claims that you can flash the AT&T GS4 modem on a Verizon phone and change that, but that's pretty risky as it will likely brick your phone.
2. What do I need to do to the phone(s)/tablet to make it work?
It works, for some level of "work". If you're stock,some people have reported that the firmware requires CDMA for some functions, like SMS. I haven't verified that. I was able to send SMS with my phone and a UK SIM which uses the AT&T network.
3. Will I be able to get 4G speeds?
Not likely. For example, see here http://phandroid.com/2012/12/10/nexus-4-att-lte/ - the common band, LTE Band 4, has limited AT&T coverage.
I haven't gone over the specs of the two phones lately to match them up, so that may be worth looking at again.
k1mu said:
My point, which you apparently missed, is that there is no reason for starting up yet another thread to ask questions that have already been answered. That''s why I said that this is redundant.
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Thank you for your answer. I decided to trade the phones into AT&T and get a credit towards a Samsung S4 and a Asus Padphone X. After I read a few more posts over the internet and a few more hours figuring out how LTE works I came across the answer. I did miss what you meant and I apologize. Again, thank you for your answer.