this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2025
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That hasn’t been true for years. Back in the 3g and earlier days you’d need to make sure your phone was compatible with the CDMA bands if you used sprint or Verizon. And even then if they didn’t like you you couldn’t use your phone on their network.
But ever since we switched to LTE which is GSM that’s largely not an issue. Everything uses the same technologies, and it’s only a few minor bands here or there that might be missing.
5G kinda shook things up. In particular mmWave 5G which isn’t available in the rest of the world. But even then anyone can buy any carrier unlocked phone and use it with their network.
Also what makes you think that in Europe your phone might not support all the bands the carriers there use? My international market iPhone doesn’t support all the bands used in Costa Rica. Phones carry by region all the time. The only difference is in the USA they can be locked to one carrier unless you convince them to unlock it.
Interesting. See my other comment for examples of US people still bringing their carrier up when looking for a phone, seems like people aren't aware it matters anymore
Edit: found another comment saying that "even if imported, they are not compatible" about Sony phones, is this correct?
https://reddit.com/comments/1i7o7z7/comment/m8mx3jw
https://www.reddit.com/r/PickAnAndroidForMe/comments/1ch6bh9/good_flat_screen_phone_for_the_us/
Those are 5g bands. Not mmWave 5g bands, but I could understand the confusion. OP mostly just wanted a phone that explicitly worked with those bands.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PickAnAndroidForMe/comments/1grp88a/between_two_flagships_pixel_8_and_galaxy_s24_for/
That one is more about the pixel having a shit modem.
I don't think they even thought it matters, just felt like mentioning if there's anything that might make it weird.
The last one they just mentioned their carrier at the start and nothing else after that. So I don't think we really have that big of an issue.
Alright. Just to finish, what with that comment saying that “even if imported, they are not compatible” about Sony phones, is this correct?
https://reddit.com/comments/1i7o7z7/comment/m8mx3jw
That comment makes no sense to me. My friend has an imported Sony phone and it works just fine on US carriers. IDK if somethings changed recently, but I don't see why it wouldn't work unless the carrier is explicitly blocking them.
I know for example Verizon will not allow phones that don't support voice over LTE. But any modern phone that isn't dog shit should support that. But I'd hope Sony would support that.
Interesting, so that person was probably incorrectly informed!
They may not be wrong, his phone is about a year or two old so things could have changed since then.
But that said it doesn't make any sense outside of the VOLTE thing or some other feature that some carrier requires.