[Biggles]

Originally Posted by New Englander

While looking on Ebay at new unlocked cell phones I noticed many are listed as "international Versions". Could someone explain what this means?

Usually go to the UK in the summer. My phone is an unlocked iPhone, nothing special. At any phone store in the UK, and they are numerous, I replace the sim card which they usually do it for me with a pay per minute program which I top up any time, no contract. Upon returning home to The Villages I put my AT&T sim card back in and good to go.

[Alicia]

A unlocked phone is one that you can put a SIM card in that will work in the country you are visiting the cards can be bought at the country's airport or whoever is the provider in that country. You pay full price for the phone as it is not tied to a provider.

[roscoguy]

Originally Posted by New Englander

While looking on Ebay at new unlocked cell phones I noticed many are listed as "international Versions". Could someone explain what this means?

Pinball wizard nailed it in post #6. The sites linked to can give you all the info you need to assure compatibility (3G, 4G, LTE, etc.), but checking with your carrier is the smartest & safest way to go. RBW225 also gave very useful info in post #13. You will need a SIM from the carrier you intend to use, although if you plan to remain with your current carrier, you may be able to remove the SIM from the phone you have been using & transfer it to the unlocked phone. Ask your carrier about that, too.

I have been using an unlocked LG phone for a couple years & bought it primarily so I wouldn't be locked into a lease or contract and so that I could swap out the SIM when we traveled. Cell carriers in some countries sell cheap SIMs right at the airport. Most will allow you to add airtime via the phone or online. Worked well for us in South America a few years ago. Almost all the standard features of the phone work for me except for the voicemail app, which was tied to the original carrier, Sprint. I was able to find a 3rd party app that has worked out very well. As always, YMMV. There are even some phone models that can accept 2 SIMs & allow to to activate 1 or the other, a nice feature if you do plan to use it outside of the US.

[lindaelane]

Phones companies in the US are allowed to refer to their phones as "unlocked" even if they cannot work with a new SIM card purchased abroad. I went to a great deal of trouble to "unlock" my phone from TracPhone, then I got a SIM card in Europe from someone other than TracPhone. It would not work. When I asked, it was explained "Your phone is unlocked, but not unlocked for Europe".

I would guess international version is good if you want to travel. Don't purchase merely "unlocked" if you want to travel abroad because it probably won't work with SIM cards purchased for it abroad.

I think the bottom line however is that you must ask the seller on ebay, which can be done through their system over there, what is specifically meant by "International Version" - whether the phone will work in the US with any SIM card and whether the phone will work abroad with any SIM card. You need both (unless you never leave the country).

[M2inOR]

Here is a link to an article that explains why some phones won't work on Verizon.

Will my unlocked phone work on Verizon? (Probably not) | Android Central

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by roscoguy

Pinball wizard nailed it in post #6. The sites linked to can give you all the info you need to assure compatibility (3G, 4G, LTE, etc.), but checking with your carrier is the smartest & safest way to go. RBW225 also gave very useful info in post #12. You will need a SIM from the carrier you intend to use, although if you plan to remain with your current carrier, you may be able to remove the SIM from the phone you have been using & transfer it to the unlocked phone. Ask your carrier about that, too.

I have been using an unlocked LG phone for a couple years & bought it primarily so I wouldn't be locked into a lease or contract and so that I could swap out the SIM when we traveled. Cell carriers in some countries sell cheap SIMs right at the airport. Most will allow you to add airtime via the phone or online. Worked well for us in South America a few years ago. Almost all the standard features of the phone work for me except for the voicemail app, which was tied to the original carrier, Sprint. I was able to find a 3rd party app that has worked out very well. As always, YMMV. There are even some phone models that can accept 2 SIMs & allow to to activate 1 or the other, a nice feature if you do plan to use it outside of the US.

Careful you may upset someone more than John Wayne!

[Cheese]

Some phone are only set up for international use. I guess you could check with your carrier
to see if this can be changed. Good Luck!

[crydzanich]

Hi, I’m not a very “techy” person so if I sound stupid, I’m sorry.
I purchased my IPhone when the lease was up. Don’t know if that was smart or not, however it’s done. How does one go about getting the phone unlocked. I’d like to switch carriers but after reading several replies, I’m worried that it might not be compatible with another provider. I’m at a loss as to what my options are.
Thanks in advance for any input.

[New Englander]

Thanks for all the reply's but I decided against buying the international phone.

[Ecuadog]

Originally Posted by New Englander

While looking on Ebay at new unlocked cell phones I noticed many are listed as "international Versions". Could someone explain what this means?

An "international version" means that it was not made for sale in the USA. It will probably work in the USA with a carrier using GSM technology.

You might find this link useful... willmyphonework.net

[LovingTVLifestyle]

If it’s an unlocked GSM Mobile phone (NOT CVMA; which is usually Verizon), then while traveling overseas you can buy a local SIM card in the country you go to and make international calls (including calling back to the US) for cheap. I hope this helps you.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by crydzanich

Hi, I’m not a very “techy” person so if I sound stupid, I’m sorry.
I purchased my IPhone when the lease was up. Don’t know if that was smart or not, however it’s done. How does one go about getting the phone unlocked. I’d like to switch carriers but after reading several replies, I’m worried that it might not be compatible with another provider. I’m at a loss as to what my options are.
Thanks in advance for any input.

Even if you purchased your iPhone from Verizon, they will unlock your phone after you own it and have a contract with them for a minimum of 45 days. In the future you can buy unlocked iPhones directly from Apple, just go to their web site and search for unlocked phones. You can even buy an unlocked refurb iPhone from Apple with a full one year warranty for less cost than the same model if purchased from one of the major carriers.

[IvorT]

International can mean two things. Most easily dealt with is that the supplied charger, may have some sort of European power supply. You can easily replace that, or buy a pin converter. All European phones I’ve seen, will work on US power. The reverse is not necessarily the case.
The main problem is that some of the frequencies used by the networks, are not the same as in the US. Having said that, I have four U.K. iPhones, ranging from a 5 to an 8. All work great in the US. BUT, most countries of the world us a standard called GSM. They have SIM cards, which can be moved between phones. My US network uses SIM cards, so no problem, the big issue is VERIZON compatibility. I think that the latest VERIZON standard also uses SIM cards, but they may not be compatible.
I would stay with iPhones and nothing older than a 6. If your not on VERIZON, you should be o.k. But talk to your US provider about buying a SIM.

[IvorT]

I forgot to say, in my earlier reply. UNLOCKED is essential. New phones, sold to you by your service provider, are locked. They will not work on any other network. I don’t mean roaming, I mean you can’t move between providers. The meaning of unlocked, is therefore obvious. Some networks will unlock your phone, for a fee, and after you’ve had the contract for some time. Some networks automatically unlock the phone, say after a year.

[OlifOlif]

My telephone was made in China. So this is an international phone. However, I never called China since I can't understand Chinese!