Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 to use in US and Korea?

SirSavage

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May 28, 2011
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Hi everybody,

Okay so I need a new cell phone. I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile, and even though they assured me that my Galaxy S4 would work fine on their network, it doesn't at all. This is where I'm stuck... I'm going to be moving to South Korea in the next few months, so I want to get an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 that will work on T-Mobile while I'm here, and then work on the Korean cellular networks when I move over there. I'm seeing lots of conflicting info though. Every other site I find literally says the exact opposite: "You can ONLY use GSM in Korea..." then "You can ONLY use CDMA in Korea." And I can't figure out the LTE capabilities either. I don't actually know how to get a definitive answer on this and figure out which version of the unlocked phone to get. Anyone who has any experience with this or any guidance would be VERY much appreciated!

TL:DR. I need a fully functional unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 that I can use in the US, and that will be fully functional in South Korea. Help?

P.S. This is one of the phones I was looking at, but upon further investigation it looks like it says it may only work in North and South America:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VGYOY38?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A1UBF8LJHY2RG3

 
Solution
I would suggest you just try to get the international model. Bands should be compatible with T-mobile here, although I'm not familiar with Korean carriers or what network bands they use so I'm not certain of that. I imagine it would work, but you'd really have to check with the service provider there to be sure.

In either case, the international models come fully unlocked and runs on GSM. I highly doubt that Korea has a CDMA restriction, since the rest of the world uses GSM almost exclusively. The US is one of the only places with a major CDMA network. Korea will almost definitely offer GSM options.

By the by, you are looking for model number SM-G920F. That's the international variant of the phone.
I would suggest you just try to get the international model. Bands should be compatible with T-mobile here, although I'm not familiar with Korean carriers or what network bands they use so I'm not certain of that. I imagine it would work, but you'd really have to check with the service provider there to be sure.

In either case, the international models come fully unlocked and runs on GSM. I highly doubt that Korea has a CDMA restriction, since the rest of the world uses GSM almost exclusively. The US is one of the only places with a major CDMA network. Korea will almost definitely offer GSM options.

By the by, you are looking for model number SM-G920F. That's the international variant of the phone.
 
Solution