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You Can Pre-Order an Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III for $800—But Should You?

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By all accounts the Samsung Galaxy S III looks like a monster of a smartphone—the next king of Android mountain. And now there are unlocked versions of the 4.8-inch, quad-core beasts for sale on Amazon—for the whopping sum of $800. What, for serious? It gets worse.

https://gizmodo.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-meet-the-new-android-emperor-5907416

Here’s the other problem with the “liberated” phones for sale on Amazon right now—they might not work with your carrier. AllThingsD reports:

…As the Amazon listing notes, the unlocked phone – which means its not tied to a wireless network – is “compatible with 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and/or 3G UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/900/1900/2100 wireless networks.”

What does all that gibberish mean? Basically that compatibility with certain wireless networks will be an issue. The Samsung Galaxy S III being sold through Amazon is a GSM phone, which means it won’t work on Verizon or Sprint’s networks. It’s not fully supported by T-Mobile, and while it will work with AT&T’s HSPA+ network, this device won’t work with LTE or 4G networks. (Even the Amazon listing encourages buyers to check with their network providers before purchasing.)

Not only is this $800 phone colossally expensive, it doesn’t work with several major carriers, and when it does, won’t work with 4G/LTE. What the hell is the point? You’re better off waiting for the lightly used phones that show up on eBay shortly after the Samsung Galaxy S III hits stores this summer. [Amazon via AlltThingsD]

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