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Is it really the case that the only way to get a handset in the US is through a carrier? Not even from Amazon or other online electronics retailer? I've not bo
by Spearchucker 14y ago
Is it really the case that the only way to get a handset in the US is through a carrier? Not even from Amazon or other online electronics retailer?
I've not bought a handset in the US. And never will, from a carrier (irrespective of the cost) because -
a). I want an unlocked handset
b). I don't want carrier branding or crapware on my phone
c). I don't trust carriers (ref. eg. CarrierIQ).
- TylerE 14y agoMostly, yea. You can buy on Amazon, but even there you're still buying it through a carrier, with a plan.
- BHSPitMonkey 14y agoNo, it's not the case. Buying through the carrier is the main paradigm in place, but plenty of even "normal" retailers [1] offer unlocked phones, as well as places like eBay, and Google (e.g. Google sells the Galaxy Nexus unlocked, directly). [1] http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Mobile-Cell-Phones/Unlocked-Mobile-Phones/pcmcat156400050037.c?id=pcmcat156400050037 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Mobile-Cell-Phones/Unlocked-Mobi...
- gwillen 14y agoYou can buy a handset through an electronics retailer. But: - Every cell carrier in the US has its own frequencies, so you generally have to buy a handset specific to a particular carrier. (The GSM carriers, T-mobile and AT&T, share the voice and 2G data frequencies, but they have different 3G data frequencies. The CDMA carriers share nothing.) - With most carriers, when you start service you are paying a baked-in surcharge designed to pay for the discount on the handset you got from them. You pay this whether you bought the handset, or brought your own. So if you buy a handset and then set up a plan, you're throwing money away if you don't buy it from the carrier. (There are some carriers for which this isn't true.)