1. stevegamer's Avatar
    This is my first post out here, and I have pretty much locked in on the Priv as my new cell phone. It will be my first Blackberry phone, so I have little experience with Blackberry software. I am upgrading from a Kyocera Rise running Android 4.04, and it gotten very slow, and many apps are no longer compatible. Obviously, I keep my phones for much longer than the average person. I am on Virgin Mobile, and need to switch carriers to a network that uses AT&T or Verizon.

    The Priv ticks almost all the boxes I was looking for a new phone:
    - Physical keyboard
    - Android 5.0 or newer, but preferably 6.0 or newer
    - Larger screen size than my current phone
    - Much newer OS than my current phone
    I wish it had a removable battery, but you can't have everything.

    I don't want a used phone. I'd prefer not to buy from an anonymous online seller , so my main options are:

    - Buy a CDMA Priv through Verizon. I see it says it's discontinued on some sites, but I know my local store had stock as of 2 days ago. Since I am near Philadephia, there are literally dozens of Verizon stores near enough to me that I could visit. That doesn't include licensed vendors.

    - Buy an unlocked AT&T branded GSM phone through Best Buy for $319.99

    - Buy an unlocked GSM phone through Best Buy for $299.99

    From what I've read on these forums, and in reviews I don't want the AT&T branded phone in the forums. Other than the travel advantage of GSM, is there a significant advantage to going GSM over the CDMA through Verizon?
    06-05-17 04:49 AM
  2. raymerjacque's Avatar
    you cant go wrong getting a priv. I just got mine a few weeks ago and im really loving it. Specially the Camera, Screen and keyboard.
    06-05-17 05:01 AM
  3. newcollector's Avatar
    As for advantage, it depends on your coverage in your area. In some places CDMA is great while GSM is weaker. In other places it is the reverse. Look at your main location and see which is better and go for it.
    06-05-17 06:31 AM
  4. Wezard's Avatar
    Verizon is in the process of switching to LTE, which is GSM. CDMA is being phased out. Nobody knows the exact time table, but it will happen.
    The CDMA version, Verizon Priv, has the currently most used LTE bands used by Verizon, but if Verizon expands their bands, you will prob not be able use them on the Priv. This won't make any difference for at least the next 2 years, maybe much longer.

    My advise, if AT&T or TMo have good coverage where you mostly use the phone, go that route. If Verizon has substantially better coverage, go with them.
    Also note that a factory unlocked device will get fairly timely updates, Verizon often lags by months.
    06-05-17 08:32 AM
  5. prplhze2000's Avatar
    Anything but AT&T. Get factory unlocked.
    Wezard likes this.
    06-05-17 12:24 PM
  6. FF22's Avatar
    This is my first post out here, and I have pretty much locked in on the Priv as my new cell phone. It will be my first Blackberry phone, so I have little experience with Blackberry software. I am upgrading from a Kyocera Rise running Android 4.04, and it gotten very slow, and many apps are no longer compatible. Obviously, I keep my phones for much longer than the average person. I am on Virgin Mobile, and need to switch carriers to a network that uses AT&T or Verizon.

    The Priv ticks almost all the boxes I was looking for a new phone:
    - Physical keyboard
    - Android 5.0 or newer, but preferably 6.0 or newer
    - Larger screen size than my current phone
    - Much newer OS than my current phone
    I wish it had a removable battery, but you can't have everything.

    I don't want a used phone. I'd prefer not to buy from an anonymous online seller , so my main options are:

    - Buy a CDMA Priv through Verizon. I see it says it's discontinued on some sites, but I know my local store had stock as of 2 days ago. Since I am near Philadephia, there are literally dozens of Verizon stores near enough to me that I could visit. That doesn't include licensed vendors.

    - Buy an unlocked AT&T branded GSM phone through Best Buy for $319.99

    - Buy an unlocked GSM phone through Best Buy for $299.99

    From what I've read on these forums, and in reviews I don't want the AT&T branded phone in the forums. Other than the travel advantage of GSM, is there a significant advantage to going GSM over the CDMA through Verizon?
    Just to let you know that the Verizon Priv travels very well to Europe and works on the gsm over there. I used the Verizon Priv in Portugal this past summer (with the sim Verizon provides) and I also used it in Barcelona in Feb. It comes UNlocked so you could use a foreign sim in it. I've got it and I was able to compare the Verizon Priv to the unlocked ShopBB gsm priv down in the Sedona area and Verizon worked much better than the gms using a Tmobile sim card.
    06-05-17 11:43 PM
  7. stevegamer's Avatar
    Thanks for the help. I live near Philadelphia, PA and both Verizon & AT&T have excellent network coverage here, as they are direct descendants of the original A & B side cellular carriers which had their headquarters here, so it was an unusual situation where both carriers had the same area as their home area. The network quality is really good for both, no issues with that.

    I will definitely avoid a AT&T branded phone, and will lean towards the factory unlocked choice. I do wish I could see a KeyOne in a store to just make sure it wasn't what I wanted, but that's a big price difference - I probably haven't spent much over $500 on buying all my cell phones combined.
    06-06-17 05:25 AM
  8. Wezard's Avatar
    Verizon worked much better than the gms using a Tmobile sim card.
    That could very be due whomever TMo decided to partner with in Sedona, vs who Verizon partnered with.
    Unless you know both devices were using the same local carrier, it's meaningless.
    I read your post 3 times, and it seems the phones were using different SIM's??
    06-06-17 11:38 AM
  9. FF22's Avatar
    That could very be due whomever TMo decided to partner with in Sedona, vs who Verizon partnered with.
    Unless you know both devices were using the same local carrier, it's meaningless.
    I read your post 3 times, and it seems the phones were using different SIM's??
    Yes, they were using different sims. The Verizon Priv used the verizon one. The ShopBB used a Tmobile sim. And clearly that made a difference. But verifying that were the staff at the resort. When I walked to the lobby to ask, the three folks noted that Verizon works the best and that Tmobile and AT&T both worked poorly, if at all. Two had tmobile and said they could not use their phones from the resort. This was not really the boonies. This was a large golf resort across from a Hilton and two small shopping centers.
    06-06-17 05:20 PM
  10. Wezard's Avatar
    This was a large golf resort across from a Hilton and two small shopping centers.
    You meant Sedona AZ, USA. I thought you were roaming overseas somewhere.
    Apparently Verizon has a distinct advantage in some areas, TMo is catching up up though

    My comments were aimed at using different SIM's overseas. TMo might be using carrier X's network, while Verizon is using carrier Y's network. So it wouldn't be a valid comparison of devices. And, it would only be a valid SIM/home carrier comparison in one country. TMo might be much better in France, while Verizon could be better in New Zealand. Just depending on who they partnered with.
    FF22 likes this.
    06-08-17 08:16 AM
  11. FF22's Avatar
    You meant Sedona AZ, USA. I thought you were roaming overseas somewhere.
    Apparently Verizon has a distinct advantage in some areas, TMo is catching up up though

    My comments were aimed at using different SIM's overseas. TMo might be using carrier X's network, while Verizon is using carrier Y's network. So it wouldn't be a valid comparison of devices. And, it would only be a valid SIM/home carrier comparison in one country. TMo might be much better in France, while Verizon could be better in New Zealand. Just depending on who they partnered with.
    Yup, I was in the good ol' USA. Well, I think Arizona is part of the US but sometimes it's hard to tell! (put on flak jacket).

    And those Sedona Vortices certainly make it seem like another world!!!
    06-08-17 09:14 AM
  12. stevegamer's Avatar
    Thanks for the guidance, everyone. I bought an unlocked GSM Priv from Best Buy , and used my couponing skills to get it for about $40 off the price they had listed via various discounting methods, so about $259 pre-tax.

    Looking forward to getting it, and trying out the Hub, which I think will help me stay more organized.

    I now need to take a look at cases, and screen protectors, time to look at those threads.
    Nathan Conley likes this.
    06-17-17 11:58 PM
  13. Nathan Conley's Avatar
    Thanks for the guidance, everyone. I bought an unlocked GSM Priv from Best Buy , and used my couponing skills to get it for about $40 off the price they had listed via various discounting methods, so about $259 pre-tax.

    Looking forward to getting it, and trying out the Hub, which I think will help me stay more organized.

    I now need to take a look at cases, and screen protectors, time to look at those threads.
    Congratulations. You'll find that there has been far fewer problems with that version the STV-1.

    ENJOY
    06-18-17 05:08 AM

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