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Help how to tell unlocked CDMA?

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DWFII

Well-Known Member
I am wanting to buy a pre-owned or refurbished (or new old stock) Samsung Galaxy S5 or S6. Thinking pretty seriously about going with Total Wireless (Walmart) which uses the Verizon Network.

So...looking on Swappa, I see a number of Verizon Samsung phones but many seem to be GSM, but I need a CDMA to go with Total Wireless. Presumably Verizon offers both GSM and CDMA. Am I wrong?

I thought Galaxy models ending in V (G920V) were set up for Verizon and they may be but most of those I look at are GSM.

How can I tel if a phone is GSM or CDMA?

And for those who have Total Wireless (if any) does a Verizon phone have to be unlocked to swap out the factory sim for one for Total Wireless?
 
Recent Samsungs like S5 and S6, "V" Verizon versions are both CDMA and GSM capable. But you have to make sure they're unlocked if you want to use a SIM that isn't Verizon. Same for recent HTCs as well.

In the last few weeks I've seen Verizon branded S6s being used with China Unicom, which is GSM, HSDPA.
 
if you buy from www.swappa.com all of their phones must be unlocked, or they will NOT allow them to be sold.

Swappa verifies this before they allow the listing to go up.

The S5 phone works on CDMA ( 3g and lower) and 4g (gsm), I have two of them in service and both are on 6.0.1 MM.
it is a great phone. see my signature.


I don't know anything about the S6
 
Last edited:
mikedt said:
Recent Samsungs like S5 and S6, "V" Verizon versions are both CDMA and GSM capable. But you have to make sure they're unlocked if you want to use a SIM that isn't Verizon.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that. So the follow-up is why does it matter? Why can't I use an unlocked AT&T phone on a carrier such as Verizon, or a third party service provider such as Total wireless that uses Verizon?

AZgl1500 said:
if you buy from www.swappa.com all of their phones must be unlocked, or they will NOT allow them to be sold.

Swappa verifies this before they allow the listing to go up.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that, thank you. Some of the listing, however don't make that clear--some say "unlocked" or "unlocked GSM" and some simply say "GSM." But it begs the question just above...why are the phones sold on Swappa keyed to a specific carrier rather than the protocol (GSM or CDMA)?

The S5 phone works on CDMA ( 3g and lower) and 4g (gsm), I have two of them in service and both are on 6.0.1 MM.
it is a great phone. see my signature.

I don't know anything about the S6
Click to expand...

I don't know what 6.0.1MM means.
 
DWFII said:
Thank you for that. So the follow-up is why does it matter? Why can't I use an unlocked AT&T phone on a carrier such as Verizon, or a third party service provider such as Total wireless that uses Verizon?
Click to expand...

I guess you need to check with their BYOD(Bring Your Own Device) policies, as to what you can actually activate and use. Which from what I've seen is iPhones, and certain Samsungs, HTCs and Motos.
FYI:
https://www.verizonwireless.com/bring-your-own-device/
 
FWIW, I asked Swappa about whether all devices were unlocked (among several other questions) and the answer, according to Wesley Thurston, there, was that phones were not required to be unlocked on Swappa.
 
They are required to be in working order (unless it's in the boneyard) and to have clean MEID's. That's it.

If you need a phone that you can use on the Verizon network (through the Wally thingy) it will have to be either a Verizon phone or one that has their radios; newer Nexus, some newer Moto's (X, Pure) will work. Be sure to check willmyphonework.net or ask here when you find one. Also be sure, as @mikedt said, to check their BYOD policy, it may or may not be very limited anyway.
 
If a Verizon Samsung S5 G9200V phone is listed as unlocked for GSM does that mean it is also unlocked for CDMA?
 
Clementine_3 said:
They are required to be in working order (unless it's in the boneyard) and to have clean MEID's. That's it.

If you need a phone that you can use on the Verizon network (through the Wally thingy) it will have to be either a Verizon phone or one that has their radios; newer Nexus, some newer Moto's (X, Pure) will work. Be sure to check willmyphonework.net or ask here when you find one. Also be sure, as @mikedt said, to check their BYOD policy, it may or may not be very limited anyway.
Click to expand...


Thank you for your replies.

As mentioned I can find plenty of Verizon Samsung G5's and G6's with the V designation on Swappa. But I can't seem to find one that specifically states it is unlocked for CDMA. Most say "Verizon and unlocked for GSM."

And zero sellers over there (so far) seem willing to divulge the ESN so I can check for compatibility before I buy or even go the extra mile to check on the Total Wireless website for me if they don't want to release the ESN.

According to Total Wireless, the phone has to be Verizon and unlocked CDMA. Am I "looking for love in all the wrong places?"

Might just be simpler to go with an unlocked AT&T GSM, but Total Wireless has just such a good package at such a good price.
 
willmyphonework.net
For an S5, Verizon on Total Wireless:
SM-G900V
yes-mini.png
CdmaOne
yes-mini.png
CDMA2000, EVDO
partial-mini.png
Band13-700MHz, Band4-AWS

The first 2 band sets will work, the last "may" work (LTE).

When they say unlocked they mean it's not tied to Verizon and you can use it anywhere. For years now they have all been unlocked or 'global' phones. The newer Samsungs should be fine, you shouldn't have a problem. You can also ask the seller to enter the information into Total Wireless' site for you. I can't believe that would be an issue.
 
To my knowledge, all LTE capable phones that Verizon has sold in the last few years have been required by the FCC to be unlocked. Whether the phone itself supports GSM networks is another matter entirely. As stated above, best way to determine is to compare the bands your chosen phone will support vs. the bands that your carrier operate on (LTE is important, but don't forget to check the other bands, lest you wind up with LTE but no phone or text services).
 
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