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:

  1. What am I missing here? Do these reviewers just not know what they’re doing, or are they buying from shady resellers?
  2. Does “US Version” imply I would not be able to use the phone internationally by just popping in a local SIM card?

Thank you!

  • edric@lemm.ee
    4·
    2 months ago

    I’m not an expert but my guess is this is more of a signal band issue rather a carrier-lock issue if it’s truly unlocked. Some phones only support specific bands that won’t work with certain carriers. That’s just my guess though.