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Google's latest phone officially launched yesterday, and for the third fourth dimension, Verizon is the just carrier selling the new Pixels directly. In by years, Verizon has sold SIM-unlocked Pixels that worked on every carrier — indeed, all its phones were unlocked because of a legal agreement information technology made a decade ago. Nevertheless, the Pixel 3 and three XL appear to exist the first high-profile Verizon phones discipline to its new, murky SIM locking policy. If y'all purchase a Verizon Pixel, it's really simply going to work on Verizon at first.

The Pixel three and 3 40 include the necessary modem hardware to work on all major US carriers. If yous purchase the Pixel from the Google Shop, y'all get what you'd await: a telephone that accepts whatsoever SIM card. Early reports say that Verizon Pixels purchased at Best Buy on launch twenty-four hour period will but work with Verizon SIM cards out of the box. The aforementioned probably goes for the Verizon Pixels in Verizon stores, merely reps usually won't even sell those to not-subscribers. The last two generations of Pixel phones on Verizon were SIM-unlocked, but the bootloader (a low-level security feature that prevents software mods) was non unlockable like Google's version.

All the other phones currently available on Verizon are unlocked, but that might not exist the instance for much longer. The carrier has been forced to sell its LTE phones unlocked for years because of the 2008 US authorities spectrum auction. That's when Verizon acquired its 700MHz Block C license, which is more commonly known as LTE band 13. Google placed large bids in that auction to ensure the Block C license carried the FCC'due south proposed "open access" rules, requiring that the winner would not cake whatever of its Block C devices from operating on other networks. Verizon agreed to that when it won the auction.

700MHz band fragmentation

Now, the FCC under chairman Ajit Pai has shown little interest in holding ISPs and carriers accountable. After repealing net neutrality, it'south unlikely the FCC will become after Verizon for violating the open admission rules. And that is, without a dubiety, what information technology'south doing.

Verizon start appear its intention to SIM lock phones again early on this year. It claimed the motility was to reduce phone thefts in transit — regardless of the rationale, it's still hostile to consumers. Early buyers report that Verizon reps are maxim the phone must be activated and used on Verizon for at least 24 hours earlier the carrier volition unlock it. Although, Verizon hasn't made any official statements yet. Its website even so lists the (now incorrect) pledge that it volition not SIM lock whatsoever LTE devices.

If Verizon gets abroad with this, and it probably will, the wait to accept your Verizon phone unlocked will probable get much longer. There may even exist more locked phones already for sale at Verizon, but this appears to exist the kickoff major launch under the new, unannounced policy. Luckily, unlocked phones are cheaper than they were in 2008. Y'all should buy your telephone elsewhere if swapping SIM cards is of import to you.

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