Yesterday the Moto Z and Moto Z Force handsets were announced. Customers interested in them can purchase it unlocked but here’s something to take note of: the unlocked models will only work on GSM networks, meaning that if you try to use it on Verizon or Sprint you’d be out of luck, according to the folks at Droid-Life.
What this means is that if you were to buy it unlocked, you’ll only be able to use it on AT&T and T-Mobile as far as major US carriers are concerned. This is a slight change in strategy because last year’s Moto X Pure Edition worked on all carriers in terms of the unlocked version, but we guess this year they are changing things up a bit.
However it should be noted that Motorola has also announced the Droid Edition models of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. These are handsets specific to Verizon so if you have to use Verizon’s network, then these are your only options, which also means that as far as the four major US carriers are concerned, Sprint seems to be the only one left out.
That being said, there are benefits to getting the Droid Edition, such as free originals upload for Google Photos for 2 years, so if you’re an avid photographer who hates the idea of having their photos compressed, this added bonus could be rather compelling.