What cell phones work on verizon?

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Brainless Harry Reid

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If i were to buy a phone off of Tigerdirect.com , newegg.com or ebay.com ...which phones work with verizon networks? i have a blackberry ATM , but i want to get rid of it and my plan isn't up, and i don't want to buy a phone at the verizon store, i just want to get one online and take it in and get it activated.....so what's phones should i be looking for? , thanks
 
Verizon will not activate a non-Verizon phone, so you would probably have to choose from their list:

Verizon phones

If you could find one of the models they provide, they would probably let you activate it; chances are it was already branded as a Verizon phone.
 
Verizon actually will activate a non-Verizon phone. They started doing this about 6 years or more ago.

The phone must meet specific requirements, which include:

  • CDMA digital or tri-mode phone
  • E911 capable
  • Cannot have any carrier's exclusive features. This includes Push To Talk and Mobile TV. So you cannot bring a phone like the Samsung Instinct from Sprint and activate with Verizon. Picture phones and stuff will be able to be activated with Verizon, but they cannot guarantee mms messaging will work.
How do I know this information? Well, in addition to having the LG Versa on my plan, my Son has the LG Rumor2 on our Verizon Wireless plan. We did have to pay retail price from Sprint...but it wasn't too bad. All of the features on his phone works...including the internet and mms messaging.
 
Thanks for the update, nicknrm. I knew that VZW had some restrictions on which phones they would activate, but I had heard they would not activate any phones they didn't offer ... I stand corrected. :blush:
 
You could also go to phonearena.com and look at the variety of phones Verizon does offer along with specs, recommendations/comparisons. Very useful website.
 
The easiest way to do it is just to get a Verizon Wireless phone. It saves you and the representatives a lot of stress.

Some representatives will falsely tell you they cannot activate the phone. That's when you hang up and call them again. I went through 10 or so representatives just to get my son's phone activated...but I was persistent because I KNEW they were capable of activating rival carrier's CDMA devices.
 
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