Will the Lumia 950 work on Verizon?

[T-BoneStallone]

Will Lumia 950 work on Verizon?

[47seijar · Accepted solution]

No. And it's not Verizon's fault. Microsoft never bothered to get CDMA certification from the FCC so they locked down the CDMA radio. And you cannot unlock it as the locking is in the hardcoded firmware - not user configurable.

The 950 was released as a place holder for the Surface Phone. And honestly, with all the complaints about the 950 it was a good one to miss. Hold out for the Surface Phone if you're a Windows Mobile diehard. The SP should be released on ALL carriers.

[dexman]

To take it one step further, none of recent Lumia phones (550, 650, 950 & 950XL) were submitted for CDMA certification. Sadly, from what I have seen, the HP Elite x3 is GSM only.

Unless HP pivots, Microsoft will be the only hope for a high end Windows phone for Verizon Wireless, Sprint and any other CDMA based carrier.

[MrGecko]

How can you say it's not Verizon's fault. I believe they own some of the blame. The Lumia Icon was a flagship phone that Verizon took down in less than a year. Would you invest in CDMA Certs if the major CDMA carrier doesn't promote your phone?

Switch to AT&T, you have a better chance on getting the latest Windows Phone.

[Tidbits]

It's not Verizon's fault. The 5X and 6P are not advertised by Verizon. Yet they work. The Moto X 2015 as well. HTC A9 too. Be serious here. If Microsoft wanted to make it work they could, but chose not to. There is nothing stopping them.

[dexman]

In addition to what Tidbits has said, Microsoft admitted that it was taking a limited approach short term with an eye to wider availability long term. It is thought that "short term" is a veiled reference to the Lumia line while "long term" is a reference to what is going to be the Surface Phone.