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Verizon S5 in UK

N

neil154

Android Enthusiast
I am planning a trip to the United Kingdom and wanted your advice on using a phone in the UK. My Verizon S5 is stock and by the time we go I will have Lollipop installed (I have been delaying the upgrade).

As I understand my S5 is unlocked and is a world phone but of course the phone is CDMA and I believe UK uses GSM. Can I simply buy a sim card for my S5 and then it would work? Maybe you have other suggestions on the easiest way to use a phone in UK for a relatively short period of time.

When I am in the UK I would like to use it to make local calls in UK and also and I would like to be able to use a mapping program (like Google Maps) so I can get around if I am taking a car some place. If I could also get email that would be great but I suspect that most hotels will have wifi so I could get email while at hotels.

Thanks, look forward to your help.
 
Do you know for sure if it's definitely unlocked? Because I understand that phones from US carriers are usually subsidy locked.

If it is unlocked, it should work no problem with a UK SIM. AFAIK the CDMA S5 does have GSM and UMTS, as it is a "world phone".
 
mikedt said:
Do you know for sure if it's definitely unlocked? Because I understand that phones from US carriers are usually subsidy locked.

If it is unlocked, it should work no problem with a UK SIM. AFAIK the CDMA S5 does have GSM and UMTS, as it is a "world phone".
Click to expand...

You are correct, it is a world phone. My Verizon info package specifically stated that it is global, and IF it were to use the Verizon Roaming that additional fees would be incurred.

So, best to just acquire a local SIM in other countries. I would touch base with the carrier Customer Service to be sure your phone is unlocked for global use. Mine is right out of the box.

Depending on how long it will be before you take your UK trip, I would delay installing Lollipop until I got back home. No point in trying to figure out new stuff while you are supposed to be having fun.
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I am sure that the phone is unlocked. I double checked with Verizon and they confirmed that all of their S5's are unlocked right out of the box.

Does anyone have a suggestion on which carrier I should get the SIM card from?
 
My son worked in London for about 30 days a couple years ago, his company (based in Georgia, USA) didn't bother with getting him a local phone. As his company laptop is on a very tight VPN to their corporate servers..... he said that month's phone bill was more than his paycheck.

You and I have to find something more reasonable than international roaming.
 
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