Which manufacturers and models are completely unlocked and unbranded?

[rootofjesse]

Yes, this is my first post and mostly the reason for joining HF. I have already searched the site and found little information about unbranded devices. I had hoped there would be a maintained wiki or sticky of models released for the USA but sold directly by manufacturer or through distributor/retailer, NOT carrier.

I have had a Nokia E63 for several years, purchased through Dell, and I liked the experience. Whatever features Nokia gave the phone, I get to use, and I get to choose the settings. For example, I like the native SIP functions of the E63, and was hoping for a Gingerbread or later device with native SIP, but not one from a carrier since it was probably removed. I also do not want to mess with ROMs right away, at least until warranty is up.

I find shopping online for unlocked/unbranded a very frustrating experience, trying to weed out international phones with the WRONG bands and phones that were branded for a carrier and later unlocked and sold without warranty and without original accessories.

Does anyone have tips on how to do this? Does anyone maintain a list of models that are possibly available without carrier bloatware and crippling? I know that Nexus phones are an option, and it appears to me that some of the Sony/Sony Ericsson models may be sold nonbranded, and Nokia still sells some this way, but other than that, I have seen very little. If you cannot address the general topic, my specifics are that I am in the northeast, currently using T-Mobile paygo, looking for GSM and UMTS on 1900 (not yet using data), and 1700/2100 if possible. Looking for midrange device. Thank you.

[Drillbit]

You should just look for places like Expansys USA, which brings in imported phones that are unbranded and unlocked. And yeah, you do have to look out for devices whose bands don't support the carrier. Since you are with T-Mobile, please note that international phones simply don't support 1700 band. Your best, if not only choice is to go to the Google Play store and get the Galaxy Nexus for $349.

[LouisR]

Your best bet is probably Canada. As far as I know, phones from Wind, Mobilicity and Videotron are all unbranded.

[Aurelian]

It sounds like you really want a Galaxy Nexus. It supports your 3G bands and is as unbranded and unlocked as it can get. The camera isn't very hot, but it's hard to argue against the value you get for $349 off-contract. Still the only phone running Android 4.1... and, knowing the way Android OEMs typically work, possibly the only one until 2013.

I'd suggest the iPhone as an option as well, but it'd be safer to hold off until the fall (likely October). T-Mobile is refarming spectrum so that it's running 3G on the 1,900MHz band, but it'd be safer to wait and see if there's an AWS-band model with the next generation. Some will harp on Apple's OS limits, but it's still the definitive example of a phone designer that doesn't give in to branding or forced app installs.

[rootofjesse]

Thank you for your suggestions. I find the handset state of affairs to be saddening and maddening, but hopefully that will start improving, since the big 5? manufactures should start rolling out their own Nexus phone with each major version of Android. But I am not completely thrilled with Android either and having a handset that is so reliant on one company and its constellation of products and servers, but that is the trend these days. I am sort of excited about the Mozilla phones that hopefully will be coming out soon, but of course somewhere other than US first. I have since first posting this purchased a T-Mobile Exhibit II, not so much because it was what I wanted, but because it was cheap and it does all of the UMTS bands, and for the time being I really don't see what I want. The Galaxy Nexus is nice, but I really did not want a big phone and did not want to pay that much. So, until things improve, I'll muddle with this and maybe root it. Thanks.