Can I use an unlocked V3 RAZR with Verizon Wireless?
July 24, 2007 6:21 AM   Subscribe

I'm a customer of Verizon Wireless in New Jersey. If I purchase an "unlocked", refurbished Motorola V3 RAZR can I use it with my current Verizon service/phone #?

I'm out of contract with Verizon. My current phone is a Samsung SCH-A670 which is rather haggard at this point with a cracked screen.

Verizon is happy to give me a new phone if I sign a new 2 year contract with them. I'm loathe to do that.

Without a new contract, they'll only sell me a new phone at full retail price.

Can I buy the V3 RAZR that is currently for sale at www.stootsi.com and get it to work with my current Verizon service?
posted by de void to Technology (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
From an older thread. The answer seems to be yes, but only if it's verizon branded.
posted by ruevian at 6:55 AM on July 24, 2007


Yeah, Verizon phones don't use SIM cards, and it needs to have some of their proprietary electronics in it, so it has to be a Verizon phone.
posted by nasreddin at 6:58 AM on July 24, 2007


It must be CDMA (usually named the RAZR V3c)! If you get a GSM phone, it will not work.

... Now that I looked on the site, it says at the bottom of the product info page:
"Plus, the Motorola V3 Razr works on these GSM Networks: GSM 850, 900, GSM 1800 and GSM 1900."

Which means it will NOT work on Verizon's network. Try ebay, look for a CDMA phone.
posted by ijoyner at 7:00 AM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]


From what I understand, Verizon will *ONLY* activate Verizon-branded phones. Even if you get a CDMA phone, it has to have the Verizon firmware. Sucks, but that's the way it is. HowardForums has far more information.
posted by Alterscape at 7:04 AM on July 24, 2007


The concept of "unlocked" basically doesn't apply to CDMA phones at all. (I realize that's handwaving, but it's useful handwaving, dammit.)

Anyhow, you need a Verizon V3c or V3m, not an unlocked V3 or V3i. EBay has 400+ of them, it seems, so you're probably still fine. I'd recommend the V3m which is the "multimedia edition".

Once you have the phone and it's registered you can play with seem edits and/or the Alltel firmware to restore features that Verizon disables, but not until you're up and running on Verizon.
posted by mendel at 8:20 AM on July 24, 2007


Slightly off topic, but, have you actually HAD a Razr? I absolutely detest that phone and can't understand why people like them. Perhaps it's just the model I had, but not being able to turn off the low battery alert (eeeERRRT!) was a dealbreaker. I've got a Samsung Trace now and I'm SO much happier with it. Anyway, sorry for the derail ... back to GSM vs. CDMA...
posted by Happydaz at 10:26 AM on July 24, 2007


Why not sign a two-year contract with someone else? The worst thing you can do is buy your own phone that is locked into the Verizon network. You are out ~$400 and you can't leave anyway. Why not get them or a different network to pay for a phone.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:03 AM on July 25, 2007


« Older What do you do when email becomes too slow and...   |   Me upon my pony on my boat Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.