Can I use an unlocked V3 RAZR with Verizon Wireless?

July 24, 2007 6:21 AM

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)

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