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

submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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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[–] seaQueue@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Look up the exact model of the phone then check GSMArena or a similar site to see which bands it supports - then check to see which bands your carrier requires.

Also, in the US I usually recommend eBay or swappa for phones - their buyer protections are robust and it's almost trivial to return the phone if there's an issue that isn't disclosed in the sale listing. Buying used/refurbed things on Amazon is a crapshoot in my experience.

[–] cRazi_man@lemm.ee 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Is this thing with unsupported bands ever an issue outside USA? It isn't a problem I've ever encountered in using any phone abroad or heard people of any other could try talk about.

[–] seaQueue@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Not to my knowledge. The US is it's own special flavor of carrier-specific phone hell.