Verizon and Sprint exercise more control over the phones that can use their network, and it takes a little more that just building one to make it happen.
In the midst of all the discussion over the merits and flaws of the Google Play edition Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, there's a third discussion taking place, that more than a few people are interested in -- will we ever see a Google Play edition phone on Verizon or Sprint?
Now, we can't answer that any more than anyone else who doesn't make high-level purchasing decisions at either carrier, but we can talk about the issue a little bit. Hopefully this can address some of the questions surrounding the issue and clear up a little confusion.
The Google Play edition phones that are currently being sold will only work on AT&T or T-Mobile (or any of the smaller regional or MVNO carriers who use a GSM network) here in the U.S. The HTC One will only work at 2G speeds on T-Mobile, unless you're in an area that has already had the 3G network switched over to the 1900Mhz bands. Have a look here to see an unofficial map where that's been done. The phones are SIM unlocked, so will also work on any GSM network outside the U.S. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you can stick the SIM card you use for Verizon LTE in one and get it to work, as neither phone supports the required network frequencies. The same goes for Sprint, as well as regional carriers like Cricket, Page Plus or U.S. Cellular. The easy way to check -- will the (non-Verizon) Galaxy Nexus or Nexus 4 work on the carrier? If so, the Google Play edition phones will work, too.
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Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima
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