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Uh, unlocked version? When?

codezer0

Android Expert
Jan 23, 2013
859
291
Arizona
As the title thread says, I know LG loves to just make carrier-specific versions of their phones that will only physically work with the same carrier... to the point that it's not even worth SIM unlocking to take with me to another carrier.

I'd rather avoid that nonsense, though. Last I checked, there was an unlocked version of the G4 that at least had the bands to work with three of the four US carriers, but LG wanted to insist that one too was locked to some other carrier, which left me royally confused. :thinking:

In most every other respect, everything I see tells me the V20 should be a winner for me. But if I'm going to drop their asking price on one of these, I want a version that will at least leave me the option to use it on other carriers and still have it work. I remember reading on LG's Facebook page that they were going to debut an "unlocked" version later 2016/early this year, but I haven't been able to find or see anything to that effect.

So, where is it?
 
there are plenty of UNLOCKED LG V20's and supposedly all of them are "unlock able" unlike previous systems. They have identical hardware on them - now if you bought a VZ model you might need to have the system rom flashed to a new software - but I'm not 100% certain of that either.

But do a google on Unlocked LG V20 and you should see plenty for sale.
 
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Damn! I wish I had the money too--

Wait a sec... Us996. That implies something. I know last time I was talking with LG about the g4, they insisted the us991 version was locked to us cellular. Like, who the hell is us Cellular? And that any updates would have to come from them. Despite being sold as unlocked, they insisted it had no warranty as a result.

So... What's up with that?
 
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US cellular probably bought a gross of phones - and didn't have nearly the launch customer base so they sold them off to B&H.

US cellular is one of the MVNO groups - IE they buy time on one of the big 4 to sell back to their customers. I would check but I would think that would be an unlocked phone such that it would recognize anyone's system and I would bet it might have the same basic rom that the ATT phone would have.

MIght have US cellular logo on the battery door - might ask B&H about it see what they say.
 
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