I am based in the UK, but determined to get a Droid 4 as it seems the best handset for my most important criteria (generally capable android model, good battery and physical keyboard). I have a One X now and dont like it (mostly due to keyboard, as I was a previously long suffering crackberry fan, One X is a nice toy, but i prefer practicality for emails/msgs).
I just want to check the steps i need to go through to get a Droid 4 to work over here, I have gathered the below by reading the threads:
1) Phone must be activated initially in the USA to work
2) Must have the patch/upgrade to activate the GSM capability
3) Must get unlocked.
However, not being very phone savy, I wanted to check that is everything above is all i need to do?
Plus, I would really appreciate any help with the following:
1) Are the phones easy to unlock, as there are lots of independants here in the UK doing that part- but I dont know whether this phone is more tricky etc or if someone in the UK might not have the right software? Does this have to be from Motorola/Verizon?
2) How can i check if a phone has the GSM activation upgrade? Is this pushed down to all newly activated devices for example? If not, how do i get it (or ask the seller to get it for me)?
3) Anybody want to sell me a ready to go package (or suggest where I could buy a phone- even if i have to do the unlocking here)? Nobody on Ebay USA seems to want to ship to the UK and obviosuly a standard retail purchase online wont work, due to the activation issue? I am happy to pay a fair amount to compensate someone for the time/hassle..
4) anything else I should know about that i might have overlooked?
Thanks guys I really appreciate your time reading my post and any help received. Oh and if any of you out there want to make money, there is a good opportunity to sell these phones into the UK on ebay, as we basically have no android phones available here with a physical keyboard. Given blackberry has a very high share here, this is something many consumers want and are accustomed to, but nothing is available!! Well thats, my two cents anyway..
I just want to check the steps i need to go through to get a Droid 4 to work over here, I have gathered the below by reading the threads:
1) Phone must be activated initially in the USA to work
2) Must have the patch/upgrade to activate the GSM capability
3) Must get unlocked.
However, not being very phone savy, I wanted to check that is everything above is all i need to do?
Plus, I would really appreciate any help with the following:
1) Are the phones easy to unlock, as there are lots of independants here in the UK doing that part- but I dont know whether this phone is more tricky etc or if someone in the UK might not have the right software? Does this have to be from Motorola/Verizon?
2) How can i check if a phone has the GSM activation upgrade? Is this pushed down to all newly activated devices for example? If not, how do i get it (or ask the seller to get it for me)?
3) Anybody want to sell me a ready to go package (or suggest where I could buy a phone- even if i have to do the unlocking here)? Nobody on Ebay USA seems to want to ship to the UK and obviosuly a standard retail purchase online wont work, due to the activation issue? I am happy to pay a fair amount to compensate someone for the time/hassle..
4) anything else I should know about that i might have overlooked?
Thanks guys I really appreciate your time reading my post and any help received. Oh and if any of you out there want to make money, there is a good opportunity to sell these phones into the UK on ebay, as we basically have no android phones available here with a physical keyboard. Given blackberry has a very high share here, this is something many consumers want and are accustomed to, but nothing is available!! Well thats, my two cents anyway..
