I'm considering buying a phone from Amazon that seems really cool! It has a paper-like mode that I'd love to have. The phone is labeled as "AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon Unlocked" but also states it's "not compatible with other carriers" and that "incompatibility MAY occur" if it's used with a different carrier. I checked the bandwidths, and they match my Japanese carrier, but I'm unsure about what "unlocked, but locked for these 3 US carriers" really means in practice. Can I use this phone in Japan with a non-US carrier, or is there a way to unlock it further? Thanks for any insights!
2 Answers
I think they’re mainly covering their bases to avoid returns. The US has some regional cellular providers that use different frequencies, so it might not work with those. I'd recommend reaching out to your carrier just to double-check. By the way, that phone looks interesting! I'm curious about how it performs with video.
The "unlocked" message actually means that the phone can accept any SIM card, except for those from the three mentioned carriers. Just a heads up, if you're into photography, the camera on phones sold in Japan might have a locked shutter sound that can't be disabled due to regulations around privacy and upskirt pictures. So just be aware of that!
Actually, the shutter sound isn't hardware locked; it’s based on your location. So, almost any phone will have that sound when in Japan. Just a little heads-up!
I went ahead and bought it! I'll be crossing my fingers until it arrives next Friday. I’ve done extensive research too, and I'm feeling optimistic it’ll work with my Japan SIM. If it doesn't work perfectly but I still enjoy it as a phone and e-reader, I might just keep it.