Used Cell Phone
Is it possible to buy a used cell phone that was originally designed for a carrier other than mine?
I want to buy a new cell phone (used) but the phone I would like is for T-Mobile and I use Verizon Wireless. Is it possible to have it changed so that I can use it for Verizon?
Sorry but no. It does not matter even if the phone is “unlocked”. T-Mobile and Verizon use two different and incompatible communications technologies. T-Mobile & AT&T are compatible, with GSM technology, are activated through use of SIM cards. These cards can be swapped out to switch providers making GSM phones (unlocked ones) carrier independent. Verizon uses CDMA technology. CDMA carriers in the U.S. require proprietary handsets that are linked to one carrier only and are not card-enabled.
The Secret Life of Cell Phones – A Project of INFORM, Inc.