unlocked cell phones?

[Ragnarok2]

So I see a guy on Craigslist selling an "unlocked" cell phone, and he claims it will work with ANY carrier. Is this true? Would my carrier(US Cellular) or any carrier for that matter activate an unlocked cell phone? Thanks a lot!

 

[nace186]

It depend on what the cell phone support, and whether it GSM or CDMA. From what I know US Cellular is CDMA base and if the phone is GSM, it wouldn't work. You could check the phone on phone scoop to see if the phone is GSM or CDMA and also if it support the frequency band that US Cellular is using. If the phone works for US Cellular, you could just buy it and bring it to the agent and ask them to transfer data from your old phon onto the new one.

 

[RedBeard]

Can you tell us what phone it is? Make/model

 

[teatime0315]

Is your carrier GSM or CDMA?

 

[vshah]

if you have a gsm carrier, any unlocked gsm phone will work for ou providing it supports the frequencies your carrier uses.

 

[Marinski]

Don't think so. GSM - At&t, T Mobile, etc. CDMA- Sprint, Verizon, don't know all the rest.

 

[Zebo]

No you got several standards you must check into before just buying any cell thinking it can work on your network...

The US major Standards are:

Verizon Wireless, Sprint and US cellular use CDMA.

AT&T/cingular, T-Mobile, and others use GSM - very popluar overseas too.

Nextel, Boost and a couple other regionals use iDEN.

US Cellular is a CDMA network so you need a CDMA phone - futhermore if not new in box (NIB) you need to ask the seller the ESN (electronic serial number) to see if it's been stolen by calling US cellular and asking them if it's kosher to put that ESN on their network. After getting the phone call US Celluar and give them the ESN and they will walk you though adding that phone to their network with your phone number.