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Google's latest phone officially launched yesterday, and for the third time, Verizon is the only 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 considering of a legal agreement it made a decade ago. Withal, the Pixel 3 and three 40 appear to be the kickoff loftier-profile Verizon phones subject to its new, murky SIM locking policy. If you buy a Verizon Pixel, it'south actually merely going to work on Verizon at first.

The Pixel three and 3 Xl include the necessary modem hardware to piece of work on all major US carriers. If yous buy the Pixel from the Google Shop, you get what you'd look: a phone that accepts any SIM carte du jour. Early reports say that Verizon Pixels purchased at Best Purchase on launch day will merely piece of work with Verizon SIM cards out of the box. The same probably goes for the Verizon Pixels in Verizon stores, but reps unremarkably won't even sell those to non-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'south version.

All the other phones currently available on Verizon are unlocked, but that might non be the case for much longer. The carrier has been forced to sell its LTE phones unlocked for years because of the 2008 United states government spectrum auction. That's when Verizon caused its 700MHz Block C license, which is more commonly known as LTE band 13. Google placed large bids in that auction to ensure the Cake C license carried the FCC'southward proposed "open up access" rules, requiring that the winner would not block 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 piffling interest in holding ISPs and carriers accountable. After repealing cyberspace neutrality, it's unlikely the FCC will go after Verizon for violating the open access rules. And that is, without a doubt, what it's doing.

Verizon first announced its intention to SIM lock phones again early this year. Information technology claimed the move was to reduce phone thefts in transit — regardless of the rationale, it's still hostile to consumers. Early buyers report that Verizon reps are proverb the phone must be activated and used on Verizon for at to the lowest degree 24 hours before the carrier will unlock it. Although, Verizon hasn't made any official statements however. Its website yet lists the (now incorrect) pledge that it volition non SIM lock any LTE devices.

If Verizon gets away with this, and it probably volition, the await to accept your Verizon telephone unlocked will likely go much longer. There may even be more locked phones already for sale at Verizon, just this appears to be the start major launch under the new, unannounced policy. Luckily, unlocked phones are cheaper than they were in 2008. You should buy your phone elsewhere if swapping SIM cards is of import to yous.

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