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Where to buy the Nexus S, unlocked without contract?

B

Bls440

Newbie
Hello,

I'm a french customer and I'd like to buy this phone from a RELIABLE buyer. I'm kind of scared of refurbished products or counterfeit phones that you can find on Ebay.
I've heard that BestBuy used to sell the unlocked Nexus S with no contract, but is it still the case (I couldn't find such an offer) ? I also need to make sure international shipping is possible.
Oh and one last thing, I'm looking for the 'american' version of the phone, that is, with the super amoled screen, that's the main point of my research :)

Thanks in advance !
 
Bls440 said:
Oh and one last thing, I'm looking for the 'american' version of the phone, that is, with the super amoled screen, that's the main point of my research
Click to expand...
You do realize the North American version has a different radio in it and uses different frequencies for 3G voice and data?
 
bfksc said:
You do realize the North American version has a different radio in it and uses different frequencies for 3G voice and data?
Click to expand...

Most likely that's not true. The tmobile version will work on hundreds of carriers around the world. Tmobile uses the same gsm bands and will work on several European carriers. That's why they always release Nexus phones on tmobile first in the US.
 
Bls440 said:
My carrier uses 900/1800 so that's not a problem !
Click to expand...
IT IS A PROBLEM...

The North American version uses 850/1900/2100 for 3G data and voice. The T-Mobile uses 900/1700/2100 for 3G. The GSM freqs for 2G/EDGE is the same for all models and will work around the world. But if you want 3G you will want a model with the radio for your part of the world.

And the SC-LCD model is actually very similar to the S-AMOLED for actual use...I would be happy with either screen type.
 
bfksc said:
IT IS A PROBLEM...

The North American version uses 850/1900/2100 for 3G data and voice. The T-Mobile uses 900/1700/2100 for 3G. The GSM freqs for 2G/EDGE is the same for all models and will work around the world. But if you want 3G you will want a model with the radio for your part of the world.

And the SC-LCD model is actually very similar to the S-AMOLED for actual use...I would be happy with either screen type.
Click to expand...

Thanks for enlightening me. Would this one be ok ? Buy Google Nexus S S-AMOLED (SIM Free/Unlocked) Reviews
 
Bls440 said:
Thanks for enlightening me. Would this one be ok ? Buy Google Nexus S S-AMOLED (SIM Free/Unlocked) Reviews
Click to expand...

As far as I know, all of the Nexus S' use either 900/1700/2100 MHz or 850/1900/2100 MHz. Neither of those are an exact match for your network provider.

It's still possible that the 900/1700/2100 version will work on your network though. It depends if your carrier has the network setup to allow use of only the 900 MHz band (which it likely does). The other issue would be coverage. It's possible your carrier uses the 900MHz band for 3G in some areas but the 1800MHz band for 3G in others.

You should ask around on forums specific to your carrier to see if anyone is using an unlocked 900/2100 MHz device and still getting 3G in your area (most phones in Europe are 900/2100, so it shouldn't be hard to find someone who has tried it). You could also contact your carriers customer/technical support to ask about it, but be careful since they're not always correct when they say things.
 
Bls440 said:
Bouygues Telecom, in France.
They sell the SLCD version in their stores (as in Italy, Spain, etc), but I'd rather get the AMOLED.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, the i9023 (aka the SLCD Nexus S) only comes in 900/1700/2100 MHz. This would mean that the i9020T (aka AMOLED 900/1700/2100 Nexus S) should work for your carrier.

Of course your carrier could somehow have access to a special model of the Nexus S with a 900/1800 MHz radio. If that's the case, you might be out of luck. See if you can ask them for the model number of the SLCD version they offer, as well as the supported UMTS frequencies it has.
 
quantumrand said:
As far as I know, the i9023 (aka the SLCD Nexus S) only comes in 900/1700/2100 MHz. This would mean that the i9020T (aka AMOLED 900/1700/2100 Nexus S) should work for your carrier.

Of course your carrier could somehow have access to a special model of the Nexus S with a 900/1800 MHz radio. If that's the case, you might be out of luck. See if you can ask them for the model number of the SLCD version they offer, as well as the supported UMTS frequencies it has.
Click to expand...

Well I was planning to renew my contract and get a cheap i9023 and then buy it ; I've already found a buyer so I can get a i9020T straight away. But I guess that is a risky move, let's say the UK version isn't compatible, I'd be stuck :S
 
If anyone else is looking to buy a Nexus S, I think I'm going to sell the one that I purchased at BB about 3-4 months ago. The phone is absolutely in mint condition, not a single mark on the phone. It's the I9020T Super AmoLED version, that came with the T-mobile Sim. The phone unlocked. The reason why I want to sell...
Although I live right on the Canada USA border, I use the phone maily in Canada and it only does 2G on the Canadain Rogers Carrier. Rogers or Bell are my only carrier options where I live.
I tried to take it back to BB but they just gave me the its been past 30days story.
I've never sold anything on ebay, I'm not sure how to safely sell this phone to someone. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
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