Hey, I know everybody here is smart, so I wanted to ask this question. There are many sources with MANY variations of answers, and I don't know who to really believe!
Is it possible to switch from Verizon to T-Mobile? I have a Droid Razr Maxx. I do believe that I have to unlock my phone to use the T-Mobile sim card, but how? I know it can be done in many different ways, and that one includes global unlock, but how would that even work? Would it still work in the US?
Err... yes and no. The main reason is T-Mobile's 3G (GSM/UMTS) and 3.5G (HSPA/HSPA+ - incorrectly marketed as 4G, which is different from 4G LTE; I know, it's confusing) networks operates on 1700MHz and 2100MHz bands, and the phone needs to support BOTH in order to work on T-Mobile's 3G/3.5G networks (one band sends data, the other band receives). I don't see support for the 1700MHz band for the Droid Razr phones, so that would make it incompatible. The Droid's LTE radio supports the 750MHz band, but T-Mobile's LTE network also operates on the 1700MHz and 2100MHz bands, but it doesn't specify if the device needs to support both. However, T-Mobile's 2G network runs on the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands, and the Droid Razr supports both; the phone only needs to support one or the other, not necessarily both unlike the 3G/3.5G networks. To sum up:
So, you can voice, texting, and about the slowest, unreliable data ever. Think of 2G data as a 30KB/s dial-up connection (really only suitable for text-based sites).
I thought i'd give you a heads up, but it should be compatible with AT&T's network. While I don't recommend AT&T per say, you could look into one of the MVNO's (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), such as Net10, which offers unlimited talk, text, and data for $45/mo, though there is a little clause for the data that basically states you get 2.5GB of high-speed data (3G, 3.5G, 4G LTE) and after that they will throttle you to 2G speeds. Not bad for $45 imo though.
As of now, the Droid razr series phones are not compatible with Tmobile. I have one, I've looked into it.