Posted 1 day ago

Buying Phone on holiday in USA

Has anyone bought their smartphone from USA whilst on holiday there? Was charging and warranty all seamless to bring over to UK?

Thanks
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  1. Amaise's avatar
    Author
    How about a Samsung? Not an Apple user myself
    KodaBear's avatar
    If you're buying a Samsung phone, you MUST switch it on and connect with a local SIM Card to make a 5+ minute phone call before you take it home as Samsung devices are region locked to stop unlicensed imports.

    Additionally you must make sure that it isn't network locked since phones don't have to be sold unlocked in the US like they must be here. Additionally it may have regional custom firmware with branding and preloaded apps and features you can't remove.

    Warranty is generally not valid in the UK. Specifications on flagships will vary from the US model to the UK Model too so repairs even out of warranty may be difficult if it needs it.

    But it should connect to the UK networks just fine and will charge just fine in any country you take it to provided you have the suitable USB Power supply for it.
  2. KodaBear's avatar
    Warranty often isn’t transferable. Also make sure it’s a totally unlocked model that supports all UK frequency bands. Additionally if it’s an iPhone remember that some new models there are eSIM only now.
    dipsylalapo's avatar
    I was looking at the iPhone 14 when it launched and buying it in the states. I spoke to Apple support. Their limited warranty is worldwide but Apple Care is country specific.

    If OP is looking at the iPhone. Agree with your other points though.
  3. Matthew_mcm's avatar
    try in buy in a state like oregon with no sales tax to save even more
    Amaise's avatar
    Author
    Good point, thanks
  4. bozo007's avatar
    Charging is not a problem, other than having to buy a UK plug pin converter. But don't forget US prices do not show sales & other local taxes which can add another 5-10% depending on where you buy. There are a few jurisdictions with no tax though.
  5. The2Time's avatar
    You think different countries use different types of electric?
    Matthew_mcm's avatar
    i think they were refering to the voltage ie uk use 240 v usa 110 volts

    another thing to remeber resale value will be significantly lower than for a uk sourced phone .
    if buying phones etc remeber the resale value will be lower than for uk sourced phones
  6. Pandamansays's avatar
    Don't forget to factor VAT and duty.
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