Can I use an unlocked pixel from any US carrier? (newb, go easy on me)

grace

My android phone bit the dust, for replacement I want to go with graphene. I'm stokes, it's been way too long in coming.

Decided on either used 8a or used 7a. Looking on ebay and elsewhere for used units, but of course I need to be sure that whatever used phone I buy will actually be able to take graphene. Does it matter which US carrier the phone was sold by? I mean, can I just buy any old used 8a or 7a and be confident that installing will be easy as pie?

Are there any US carriers that lock their phones down so tight that I won't be able to install graphene? Any US carriers that do anything tho their phones that will require me to jump through extra hoops in order to just install graphene? Any US carriers whose phones I should just steer clear of?

Thanks for helping a newb out. I feel less wet behind the ears already

PS, I'm certain my question has been answered before so I apologize for asking folks to answer it yet again. I did try to figure it out be doing general internet searches but I came up empty. If there's a wiki or knowledge base etc where my question has already been answered really well I'd love to know about it so please let me know, thanks again

Dumdum

grace
https://grapheneos.org/install/web#prerequisites

To make sure that the device can be unlocked to install GrapheneOS, avoid carrier variants of the devices. Carrier variants of Pixels use the same stock OS and firmware with a non-zero carrier id flashed onto the persist partition in the factory. The carrier id activates carrier-specific configuration in the stock OS including disabling carrier and bootloader unlocking. The carrier may be able to remotely disable this, but their support staff may not be aware and they probably won't do it. Get a carrier agnostic device to avoid the risk and potential hassle. If you CAN figure out a way to unlock a carrier device, it isn't a problem as GrapheneOS can just ignore the carrier id and the hardware is the same.

grace

Thanks @Dumdum, I really appreciate it. So just to make sure I understand correctly, what I should be looking for is not a "carrier unlocked" phone, I should be looking for a "factory unlocked" phone, correct?
Thanks very much.

Dumdum

grace
Technically both, but ideally the phone wouldn't be a carrier device in the first place (and thus no need for "carrier unlocked"). This particularly applies to the US which is particularly bad regarding carrier locked devices. Other places may fare better.

grace

Dumdum CueHD thanks for great info, really appreciate your knowledge and I'll follow your advice. Thanks for heading off some potential problems.

I'd tag this question solved but apparently editing the tag at this point isn't allowed

CueHD

Verizon branded Pixels are known to be unable to be unlocked. Avoid those for GrapheneOS.

Unknown-Phallus

grace grace His High-DefinitioCUE succinct and Mostly accurate! It is a HUGE pain in my namesake's experience to get Verizon to go ahead with unlocking the phone as They have to quite literally be compelled via civil legal action, only acquiescing after a date has been set, So Definitely steer clear of Verizon versions.

My Namesake has had EXCELLENT Experiences with T-Mobile as it relates to Carrier Unlocking.