Are you thinking of getting the Pixel 3 from Verizon? If you are and if you’re the type that changes carrier from time to time, or if you travel and prefer using local carriers instead of paying for roaming, then you might want to rethink your decision. This is because customers who buy the Pixel 3 from Verizon will need to activate the device before switching carriers.
Verizon has confirmed this to The Verge citing a policy that they introduced earlier this year where according to the carrier, a rise in smartphone thefts resulted in them implementing this new policy. The idea is that should a stolen device be used on a different carrier, they would need to call Verizon to activate/unlock it, in which it would not be possible unless they have the details of the phone’s owner.
That being said, it’s not a complete deal-breaker, and if you don’t plan on switching carriers and will be sticking with Verizon, then it should not be an issue. Alternatively if you’d rather not deal with having to activate with Verizon, then you can always buy it outright from Google, although the downside is that you will need to pay full price for the smartphone instead of being able to buy it on installment.
Filed in . Read more about Google, Google Pixel 3 and Verizon.