Using phones not offered by Verizon

Does anyone know if you can use phones
that aren't sold by Verizon on Verizon's network?
For example if I wanted to use the Samsung SPH i500
which is a digital phone (as opposed to GSM) is there
a way to do it. Verizon's network is great but their
phones suck. Any advice ?

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› See More: Using phones not offered by Verizon

Typically you can't use a Sprint phone with Verizon because Sprints
locks them. However, take a look at Verizon's Samsung i600. You
might like it.

P.S. GSM is also digital.




"Z" <z@porksword.com> wrote in message news:<teHQb.259501$0P1.2284@twister.nyc.rr.com>...
> Does anyone know if you can use phones
> that aren't sold by Verizon on Verizon's network?
> For example if I wanted to use the Samsung SPH i500
> which is a digital phone (as opposed to GSM) is there
> a way to do it. Verizon's network is great but their
> phones suck. Any advice ?

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 04:03:37 GMT, "Z" <z@porksword.com> posted in
alt.cellular.verizon:

>Does anyone know if you can use phones
>that aren't sold by Verizon on Verizon's network?
>For example if I wanted to use the Samsung SPH i500
>which is a digital phone (as opposed to GSM) is there
>a way to do it. Verizon's network is great but their
>phones suck. Any advice ?

Verizon will activate any dual-band phone. If the phone isn't
subsidy-locked, it's simple to do yourself. If it's locked you'll
have to get the subsidy code to unlock it - which is nearly
impossible.

Verizon has an approved phone list; and your phone should be on this list
for it to be activated: to protect the integrity of the network. (makes
sense to us)

However, it is rather customary for people to activate any suitable CDMA
dual/tri mode phone; if it works, then it works. For example: Long before
VZW accepted the Kyocera 7135, Alltel had it. Many a VZW customer rep/tech
purchased a phone from ebay or 2nd source and then activated it on VZW.
Clearly it wasn't an approved phone, but then you won't get any support if
it doesn't work. Let the buyer beware.

Hope this helps.

Dr. WireMORE
Wireless Consulting, and Midwest Master Agent.

"Al Klein" <rukbat@pern.org> wrote in message
news:v29810pdnhphg3lga4kll16ohpffdem365@Pern.rk...
> On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 04:03:37 GMT, "Z" <z@porksword.com> posted in
> alt.cellular.verizon:
>
> >Does anyone know if you can use phones
> >that aren't sold by Verizon on Verizon's network?
> >For example if I wanted to use the Samsung SPH i500
> >which is a digital phone (as opposed to GSM) is there
> >a way to do it. Verizon's network is great but their
> >phones suck. Any advice ?
>
> Verizon will activate any dual-band phone. If the phone isn't
> subsidy-locked, it's simple to do yourself. If it's locked you'll
> have to get the subsidy code to unlock it - which is nearly
> impossible.

I hope I did not mess up- I have verizon wireless and a pretty new 1
yr contract. I just bid on a new verizon labeled kycera 7135 on EBAY.
Will I have to pay to transfer my number from my old phone to this
one?

"Dr. WireMORE" <Dr.WireMORE@vzw-midwest.com> wrote in message news:<hDbRb.4707$BA2.3006@newssvr26.news.prodigy.com>...
> Verizon has an approved phone list; and your phone should be on this list
> for it to be activated: to protect the integrity of the network. (makes
> sense to us)
>
> However, it is rather customary for people to activate any suitable CDMA
> dual/tri mode phone; if it works, then it works. For example: Long before
> VZW accepted the Kyocera 7135, Alltel had it. Many a VZW customer rep/tech
> purchased a phone from ebay or 2nd source and then activated it on VZW.
> Clearly it wasn't an approved phone, but then you won't get any support if
> it doesn't work. Let the buyer beware.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Dr. WireMORE
> Wireless Consulting, and Midwest Master Agent.
>
> "Al Klein" <rukbat@pern.org> wrote in message
> news:v29810pdnhphg3lga4kll16ohpffdem365@Pern.rk...
> > On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 04:03:37 GMT, "Z" <z@porksword.com> posted in
> > alt.cellular.verizon:
> >
> > >Does anyone know if you can use phones
> > >that aren't sold by Verizon on Verizon's network?
> > >For example if I wanted to use the Samsung SPH i500
> > >which is a digital phone (as opposed to GSM) is there
> > >a way to do it. Verizon's network is great but their
> > >phones suck. Any advice ?
> >
> > Verizon will activate any dual-band phone. If the phone isn't
> > subsidy-locked, it's simple to do yourself. If it's locked you'll
> > have to get the subsidy code to unlock it - which is nearly
> > impossible.

On 1 Feb 2004 00:37:43 -0800, lawson415@yahoo.com (robert) posted in
alt.cellular.verizon:

>I hope I did not mess up- I have verizon wireless and a pretty new 1
>yr contract. I just bid on a new verizon labeled kycera 7135 on EBAY.
>Will I have to pay to transfer my number from my old phone to this
>one?

No, just go to your account information on verizonwireless.com (set it
up if you haven't already). There's a page to change the ESN of the
phone you're going to be using. You can say that the old one is going
in for repair - then never switch back. (They only want the info for
statistical purposes ... how many people use the page for this, how
many for that, etc.) At this time there's no charge for this.

On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 21:10:43 GMT, Al Klein <rukbat@pern.org> chose to add
this to the great equation of life, the universe, and everything:

>. There's a page to change the ESN of the
>phone you're going to be using. You can say that the old one is going
>in for repair - then never switch back. (They only want the info for
>statistical purposes ... how many people use the page for this, how
>many for that, etc.) At this time there's no charge for this.

There's also an "other" reason option, at the bottom of the list.

--
David Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry
http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"I don't make predictions. I never have and I never will."
- Tony Blair, British prime minister

On 2004-01-25 12:19:21 -0800, Al Klein <rukbat@pern.org> said:

> Verizon will activate any dual-band phone. If the phone isn't
> subsidy-locked, it's simple to do yourself. If it's locked you'll
> have to get the subsidy code to unlock it - which is nearly
> impossible.

Not necessarily. The social-engineering with some carriers isn't too hard,
and with others, not even necessary (I seem to recall hearing somewhere
that Sprint gives you the subsidy code as part of activating with them
online, so in effect you only have to pay for one month of whatever plan
you choose to activate with to get the code, then cancel).

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 04:45:10 GMT, David S
<dwstreeter@spamisnaughty.att.net> posted in alt.cellular.verizon:

>On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 21:10:43 GMT, Al Klein <rukbat@pern.org> chose to add
>this to the great equation of life, the universe, and everything:

>>. There's a page to change the ESN of the
>>phone you're going to be using. You can say that the old one is going
>>in for repair - then never switch back. (They only want the info for
>>statistical purposes ... how many people use the page for this, how
>>many for that, etc.) At this time there's no charge for this.

>There's also an "other" reason option, at the bottom of the list.

"Repair" is always good, even if they ask. "My phone keeps breaking
down, but they gave me this loaner to keep, so I don't care."

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 09:44:36 GMT, Michael Kincaid
<kz7yy3z02@sneakemail.com> posted in alt.cellular.verizon:

> (I seem to recall hearing somewhere
>that Sprint gives you the subsidy code as part of activating with them
>online, so in effect you only have to pay for one month of whatever plan
>you choose to activate with to get the code, then cancel).

There are two codes - a one-time code, that's used to activate the
phone, and a permanent code that can be used any time. With on-line
activation it's easier to "social engineer" the permanent code out of
the computer than it would be out of a human being. (You can't change
SID, MIN, etc., with the one-time code.)