Videos
hi, everyone! this might seem like a really stupid question but i am really not knowledge when it comes to purchasing phones at all (I only buy a new one every several years when it starts to crap out) so I'm hoping someone might help me.
right now, I have a pixel 2 and because I've had it since release, the battery is starting to go. Im wanting to buy the new pixel 5a but I keep hearing how it's only available as "unlocked" and won't be available to purchase at my carrier, which is Verizon. I've always bought/upgraded my phones actually at the verizon store and I'm not familiar how the process would go in updating to the pixel 5a since it's only available as unlocked. Would I just preorder it through the Google store and take it to Verizon to be activated? Or would I take my sim card from my current phone, a pixel 2, and put it into the 5a? I guess I'm just looking for someone to explain this to me in the simplest way possible. I live in the United States if that helps!
thank you so much in advance!
I've been purchasing unlocked phones for Verizon now for a while. Typically I just swap sim cards and good to go. But currently upgrading my self from a non 5g phone to a 5g, similar to what you are looking at doing. I'm picking up a new sim from Verizon for free and then activating it my self.
Technically you just swap the SIM card. Get it at Best Buy and you can ask them to do it for you.
As a separate matter, you should ask Verizon for an updated SIM card. You can do that at any time either by going into the Verizon store, or having them send it to you. That will give you extra bands and services that aren’t available on the old SIM from 2016.
I purchased the Google Fi version from the Google store because the store website said it's unlocked. I tried to add the phone to Verizon but every person that I have spoken to at Verizon keeps tellling me that the phone is not compatiable and when I speak with Verzion tech support, they say pretty much the same thing. It's bullshit created from the top down. They tell all their employees that it's not compatible by displaying an error message when trying to add the IMEI number. The simple fix is to add my phone's IMEI number to their network but they constantly refuse to do so and blame Google for incompatiability. Tech support told me that they stopped adding IMEI numbers a few years back from individuals and proceeded to say that it's Google's fault for not sending Verizon the IMEI number.
Verizon is a piece of shit and I wish I could kick them in the balls.
Switching my Note 9 sim to the Pixel 5a gives me access to internet, sending text, and calls but texting can not be received.
I bought the Google Fi (unlocked) 5a at the Google Store NYC, put my existing Verizon SIM in, and everything is working fine.
That's crazy. I just went on Verizon chat support and told them I wasn't receiving calls or texts and I thought my phone needed to be activated on their side. They got my IMEI and ICCID and had my phone good to go in like 15 minutes. Hate that support can't get their shit together across the board.
I've done some research and it seems I need to go through a workaround method since using my IMEI US Mobile's system shows the phone won't work on Warp.
Looking at previous posts it seems that if I activate the Warp physical SIM using another unlocked phone and then pop the SIM into my Pixel 5a it may work. But then I need to ask that the line be provisioned as CDMA-less. Doing these steps, can anyone confirm that everything will work correctly on my Pixel 5a including wifi calling and voicemail?
Some people mention trying to activate using eSIM but seemed less clear it would work.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!