cell phone experts?

[Eric DeSilva]

I would just take it to a Verizon store and see. It isn't as easy as "GSM v. CDMA," since the phone has to be compatible with both the air interfaces (not just GSM/CDMA, but GSM, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, 1xRTT, EvDO, and LTE) and the radio bands the carrier uses. In the US, there are eight radio bands commonly used--one is specific to Verizon and two are specific to Sprint. Depending on how customized the phone was for the carrier, it may or may not work, and even if there is minimal compatibility, you may not have access to the full array of Verizon services (Verizon's main LTE deployment is in the Upper 700 MHz band, a band that only Verizon uses). Best to ask.

[Myk Rian]

Get a new phone from Verizon, transfer apps and data via Play Store, Odin or Kies, (or another BU app).
Then you restore the factory image to the old phone, and sell it.

[Jim Becker]

In addition to the "locking" thing already mentioned and transmission band/voice technology things..."which" SmartPhone will also matter. Some models will cross over all the carriers with no issue if provisioned with the proper SIM. (current iPhones are like that) They contain multiple radios and support multiple communication standards. Some Smartphones are "dedicated" to a particular carrier, either by technology or by contract. If your current phone is two or more years old, don't even bother trying to keep it if you move carriers...current phones are much better and may support technologies that an older phone can't understand. LTE, already mentioned, is one of them...and it's what all the carriers are moving to, not just for data (the initial rollout), but also for voice over the next year.

[Brian Elfert]

don't even bother trying to keep it if you move carriers...current phones are much better and may support technologies that an older phone can't understand. LTE, already mentioned, is one of them...and it's what all the carriers are moving to, not just for data (the initial rollout), but also for voice over the next year.

If they move entirely to voice over LTE they better roll out LTE everywhere then. I live in a major metro area and have no Verizon LTE service at my new house. I barely get 3G and voice service is bad too. I keep LTE turned off on my phone or my battery dies in no time.