Help Buying S22 for Overseas Wife

[Jimmy the Toucan]

Thanks for providing this forum.

I have Verizon, and I use a Samsung Galaxy S8. My wife is overseas, and she has a cheap phone she hates. She wants me to bring her a new phone. We are looking at the S22, figuring it should be okay because my other Samsungs have been okay.

Her carrier is some mysterious foreign outfit, and using a big name like Verizon or Sprint will not be possible until she moves to the US later this year. She says I should just get her an S22, and she'll stick her own SIM card in it until she moves.

Is there any reason why this won't work?

So far, it looks like I can upgrade my S8 to an S22 cheaper than I can buy an S22 outright. I was thinking I might upgrade through Verizon, keep my S8, and give her the S22, assuming her card would work in it. Is this a good plan? Is there a better way to get an S22?

 

[olbriar]

I would suggest doing some serious research prior to buying a Verizon branded phone. I'm not certain you will be able to simply change sims and successfully use a different carrier. Verizon branded deals normally involved a Verizon plan as well.
I've not shopped the S22 and have no idea of the deals you might find. I would think an unlocked model is what might work best for your wife and the overseas carrier. It could easily be added to most all carriers state side later. I would make certain whatever you purchase for your wife is compatible with her present carrier.

 

[Hadron]

The obvious flaw in your plan is SIM-locking. Unless VZW have changed their policies lately and stopped locking their handsets any phone you buy through them won't work with her current SIM. I don't know their unlocking policies (to me they are just "some mysterious foreign outfit", albeit I've formed an impression of them from other posts here), so don't know how long you would have to wait/how much you would have to pay to do that.

The other thing to consider is compatibility. You don't say where in the world she is, but a US model s22 will work in most of the world (though perhaps not supporting all bands in a given country, which is why you should check what her service provider uses). But if you were to consider buying one for her where she is (which, depending on where she is, could be cheaper or more expensive) you should check that the local variant is fully compatible with whatever provider you plan to use at home.

 

[Jimmy the Toucan]

Thanks for the replies.

I used my Galaxy S8 in Turkey with a foreign SIM, so I am not happy to hear Verizon is causing problems for people like me.

She will be spending most of her time in Zambia.

I guess I should go with an unlocked phone.

Seems like all the new phones have poor battery life.

 

[Unforgiven]

Thanks for the replies.

I used my Galaxy S8 in Turkey with a foreign SIM, so I am not happy to hear Verizon is causing problems for people like me.

She will be spending most of her time in Zambia.

I guess I should go with an unlocked phone.

Seems like all the new phones have poor battery life.

@Jimmy the Toucan, I think that is right up there for best forum name. Makes me picture some Jimmy Buffet mafia dude. LOL

Anyway, as stated above, I'd shy away from doing the VZW upgrade and go unlocked. I'm here in the states, but even my last phone on Verizon I purchased unlocked and was able to just drop in a VZW sim and be fine. Particularly in your scenario with a wife overseas I think the unlocked phone will work best as you can just drop in any sim wherever you are.

As far as battery life, I have the S20 and if I'm not gaming like a fool I still get a good 36-48 hours out of a charge.

 

[Jimmy the Toucan]

Glad you like the name. It's a reference to one of Marlon Brando's underrated roles.