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Please help? iphone5 Verizon Wireless and Verizon Straight Talk question

I would very much like an iphone5, however I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the conflicting information I am running into. I understand some of the tech lingo, but I can't seem to find the answers I'm looking for (here's hoping somebody here knows answers and makes sense - and in English, oh my at the outsourcing - at the same time ;o)

We are currently on the Verizon Wireless network with two dumb phones and one smart phone, but to add the iphone would push our bill close to $200/month (and who can afford that?) We've been looking into Straight Talk's unlimited plan for smart phones which is almost half of what our current plan would be. The contract on my "stupid" phone expired a year or two ago, but I never upgraded as I was holding out for an iphone.

Here's my dilemma: Where do I get a phone that isn't married to a carrier? Is it even possible?

From what I've been able to ascertain, the iphone5 model that you can buy from Straight Talk is a Verizon phone (CMDAv) and it runs on Verizon towers through the Straight Talk unlimited plan, but it won't work on Verizon Wireless. So if I hate Straight Talk does that mean I blew $649 for a phone I can't use anywhere else? Yikes! If I buy the iphone5 as an upgrad from Verizon for $199, it will not work on another carrier including Straight Talk as it is a CMDA (hold the v).

I did see some guy with a post about a pair of scissors and a home grown Nano card (from a Simm), but that idea makes me a little twitchy. I would appreciate any help you can give me, and I'll offer an apology for the length of this post *wince*. It's awfully long.

Thank you so much!

iPhone 5, Carriers

Posted on Mar 5, 2013 6:49 AM

Best reply

Michael Black

Level 10

80,274 points

Posted on Mar 5, 2013 6:59 AM

If you want to use one of the two USA CDMA iPhone service providers, Sprint or Verizon (or any MVNO that uses their network) you have to buy a CDMA phone for that network. No way around that.

The only unlocked iPhone available is the GSM only model A1428 (same model as sold for use on the AT&T network). There is no such device as an unlocked CDMA iPhone and never has been (CDMA technology just does not work that way).

So, if you want to stick with Verizon, or a virtual carrier that uses Veriizon's network, you are going to have to buy an iPhone from that specific carrier. A CDMA phone needs to be provisioned for a specific network, while an unlocked GSM phone can be provisioned for any GSM network from the settings stored on a SIM card.

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18 replies

Epic Farms Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 5, 2013 3:29 PM in response to Epic Farms

Thank you to everyone who responded; I really appreciate the helpful information. I guess I'm off to do some more investigating. Yippee. *sigh* Not.

I must be getting tired; I see that I have "0" points and can't help but wonder if that makes me pointless. *grin*

Over and out...

Mar 19, 2014 12:32 PM in response to Epic Farms

I seem to be getting more confused as I read all the comments. I also am in the market for a smart phone and wanted to go with the iPhone5S. I bought an iMac recently so wanted to keep things similar, appples to apples, so to speak as I am a computer novice.

I am now with Verizon on a month to month basis as my contract expired some time ago. But have read a lot of stories where the 5S and Verizon seem to go crazy and unknowingly use tons of data and go over the monthly alotment. I don't want to be hit with extra charges, would rather it just automatically throttle me back until the next month. I don't want to be locked into Verizon for 2 years and have varying high bills.

I thought Straight Talk would be a perfect fit for me. The $45 "unlimited" plan would do as I don't intend to use much data.

If I went to the Apple store and purchased an iPhone5S outright can they configure it to use Verizon towers? And does ST support this model iPhone through Verizon towers/coverage? I go to areas where my Verizon has coverage. Others who are with me on different carriers do not have signals so I would like to keep that advantage. OR is this something that is totally not possible? MAYBEE possible in the future? My "dumbphone" still works for now, but does not hold a charge well. It is so old the manufacturer does not stock batteries. The ones I have bought off the net are cheap(China, SURPRISE) but they go bad quickly. Will eventually need to upgrade. I am not techno advanced so any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Mar 19, 2014 12:42 PM in response to ComputerBrick3

If you want to use Verizon, then you need to purchase a Verizon iPhone. Since the sim slot is officially unlocked, out of the gate, the phone will also work on Straight Talk's GSM network. However, you will only get LTE, using the phone on Verizon's network.

Please help? iphone5 Verizon Wireless and Verizon Straight Talk question