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What do I need to watch out for when buying an unlocked phone on the used market? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by yo_scottie_oh@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I want my next phone to be "unlocked" so I can use it w/ any carrier - Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Mint, etc. I'm based in the US, but if I travel internationally, it would be nice to be able to just pop in a local SIM card and continue using my phone like normal.

What gives me pause is, I see used phones listed as "US Version," and reviewers claiming the phone was not unlocked (for example, this Pixel 7a on Amazon).

Questions:

What am I missing here? Do these reviewers just not know what they're doing, or are they buying from shady resellers?
Does "US Version" imply I would not be able to use the phone internationally by just popping in a local SIM card?

Thank you!

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[–] poweruser@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

Stay away from any that are the "Verizon version"

Verizon deliberately conflates the term unlocked to mean not locked to a carrier (can use a non-Verizon SIM) instead of the bootloader being unlocked (can install a custom OS ROM such as GrapheneOS or LineageOS).

Their "unlocked" phones are all locked, so if you want a new OS that doesn't have their closed-source spyware then F you for buying the Verizon version

[–] yo_scottie_oh@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

I wanna run GrapheneOS, so thanks for the heads up.

Based on reviews, the listing in my OP looks like a mixed bag—some reviewers complaining that the boot loader is locked (hence they cannot flash a custom ROM onto it), others complaining that it’s unlocked (hence a security risk)—so if I get this phone, I guess it’s up to chance whether the bootloader is locked or not. 🤞🏻

[–] deadcade@lemmy.deadca.de 0 points 2 weeks ago

GrapheneOS developer is very toxic, if you trust him is up to you. I prefer not running his code on my personal devices, especially after him blaming large parts of his community for coordinated harassment. Watch Louis Rossman's video on it.

Although for security-focussed custom roms on the google pixel, like Calyx or Divest, you can re-lock the bootloader, so there's less security risk. A factory reset is required to unlock it again, similar to a factory bootloader lock.

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