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avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

[iPhone] IPhone 6 Unlocked from Apple Store?

Hi

If I wanted to get an UNLOCKED iPhone 6, will I able to get one from a Apple store or a similar store that sells iPhones?

I want to get one with no contract at all, just an Unlocked version and insert a SIM card and get like a monthly plan or something with Voice and Text only. For Data services, most of it would be on Wi-Fi

Preferably, I would want to choose T Mobile as my carrier.

BTW, I am very new to the iPhone. Please explain. Thanks!


koolman2
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK

koolman2

Premium Member

The iPhones are all locked upon release. There have been some reports of contract-free T-Mobile models being unlocked, but I wouldn't trust it to be permanent.

iPhone 6/6+ should be available unlocked from Apple eventually. Historically, it's been 2-3 months after launch.
Daemon
Premium Member
join:2003-06-29
Washington, DC

Daemon

Premium Member

said by koolman2:

The iPhones are all locked upon release. There have been some reports of contract-free T-Mobile models being unlocked, but I wouldn't trust it to be permanent.

iPhone 6/6+ should be available unlocked from Apple eventually. Historically, it's been 2-3 months after launch.

All Verizon models are unlocked, whether subsidized or not, per an agreement with the FCC Verizon signed when purchasing spectrum some years ago. T-Mobile phones purchased directly from Apple are unlocked, but phones purchased from a T-Mobile store are locked to T-Mobile. (For T-Mobile, this has been confirmed many times over on MacRumors, as well as via my own personal experience.)

With the iPhone 6, the CDMA radio can be enabled later, so all unlocked AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon phones work on each other's networks. Sprint, aside from refusing to unlock phones for any reason, also uses a separate model that may or may not be compatible with the other networks--I'm not sure.

koolman2
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK

koolman2

Premium Member

Right. Sprint's phones were also unlocked, but they locked them months later. The same might happen to the T-Mobile models.

As for Verizon, yes, they're unlocked, but I honestly think it's best to wait for Apple to sell the phones direct as unlocked if you're going to buy it outright anyway.
drslash (banned)
Goya Asma
join:2002-02-18
Marion, IA

drslash (banned) to avze

Member

to avze
As a follow up question about unlocked phones, an unlocked iPhone bought directly from Apple will work with any carrier that sells and and provides phone and data service for iPhones? In other words I should be able to freely move the unlocked iPhone to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and any of the smaller regional carriers that service iPhones?

koolman2
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK

koolman2

Premium Member

Any GSM carrier, yes. CDMA carriers won't activate it even if the hardware is present in the device.

Thinkdiff
MVM,
join:2001-08-07
Bronx, NY

Thinkdiff

MVM,

said by koolman2:

Any GSM carrier, yes. CDMA carriers won't activate it even if the hardware is present in the device.

You can apparently use an unlocked iPhone on Verizon if you get your hands on the SIM card from another LTE Verizon phone, or somehow convince the sales rep at a Verizon store to set you up with one.

I don't think that trick works on Sprint, though.

»forums.macrumors.com/sho ··· =1784285
DarkSithPro (banned)
join:2005-02-12
Tempe, AZ

DarkSithPro (banned) to avze

Member

to avze
I heard Verizon will not add any phone to their network, under any circumstances, unless you buy the phone directly from Verizon, or designed for Verizon from Apple Store, or a previous owner under Verizon.
Daemon
Premium Member
join:2003-06-29
Washington, DC

Daemon to koolman2

Premium Member

to koolman2
said by koolman2:

The same might happen to the T-Mobile models.

It might, but chances of that are extreme slim, at best. T-Mobile phones purchased from Apple have always been unlocked.
drslash (banned)
Goya Asma
join:2002-02-18
Marion, IA

drslash (banned) to koolman2

Member

to koolman2
said by koolman2:

Any GSM carrier, yes. CDMA carriers won't activate it even if the hardware is present in the device.

So I can buy a phone from my regional CDMA carrier, use it for a time, have it unlocked, move it to a GSM carrier but then not be able to move it back to my original regional CDMA carrier? I know this is convoluted and I won't be doing this but I am curious.

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean to DarkSithPro

MVM

to DarkSithPro
said by DarkSithPro:

I heard Verizon will not add any phone to their network, under any circumstances, unless you buy the phone directly from Verizon, or designed for Verizon from Apple Store, or a previous owner under Verizon.

Aren't theRe MVNO's that use the Verizon network,.......?

koolman2
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK

koolman2 to drslash

Premium Member

to drslash
The CDMA carrier that sold the phone will allow activation.
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

MaynardKrebs to avze

Premium Member

to avze
You can buy unlocked iPhone 6 in the Canadian Apple stores .... and in Hong Kong - elsewhere I sure as well) .... just not in the land of the free.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

This is really really complicated and confusing to me....

If I go into my local Apple store and get a T-Mobile version of the iPhone 6, will it be unlocked?

I just want to pay the FULL price of the phone and that's it.
No contract, just to be unlocked.

Can I do that?

And will I have to get the SIM card from a T-Mobile store afterwards or will the Apple store provide me with one?

Thinkdiff
MVM,
join:2001-08-07
Bronx, NY

Thinkdiff

MVM,

said by avze:

If I go into my local Apple store and get a T-Mobile version of the iPhone 6, will it be unlocked?

Yes. Some people recommend inserting a non-T-Mobile SIM card in the phone first before turning it on, but I don't think that's necessary. You must get your iPhone from an Apple store. iPhones sold at T-Mobile stores are locked.
said by avze:

I just want to pay the FULL price of the phone and that's it.
No contract, just to be unlocked.

Can I do that?

Yes.
said by avze:

And will I have to get the SIM card from a T-Mobile store afterwards or will the Apple store provide me with one?

It will come with a T-Mobile SIM card in the phone.

»store.apple.com/us/quest ··· 7HYCJPD9
»store.apple.com/us/quest ··· DHHKAFXU
»store.apple.com/us/quest ··· CUDJ7TXX
avze
join:2013-08-19

1 edit

avze

Member

@Thinkdiff - Thanks. That pretty much explains it all to me.

T-Mobile would be my perfect choice anyways since they do support GSM. And since I do travel to Europe often, I need GSM.

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean to avze

MVM

to avze
For what it's worth I was going through the same thing not too long ago. Since I just received my iPhone 6 Plus (T-Mobile via Apple online store) just yesterday and haven't had a chance to even unbox it yet I guess I am still going through it:

»T-Mobile Says Can't Sell Unlocked iPhone 6 Plus Even At Full Price
Octavean

Octavean to avze

MVM

to avze
Ok, I just unboxed my iPhone 6 Plus and set it up as a new iPhone. Before turning it on I removed the T-Mobile SIM and found that my H2O Wireless SIM (AT&T MVNO freshly removed from my iPhone 4) was the wrong size and wouldn't fit. So I pulled out a pair of sharp scissors and eyeballed it, trimming it down to fit.

Popped it in the phone, turned it on then went through the setup. It sees the SIM and works fine. Data seems to work faster too.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

So, I really need a confirmation.

If I walk into an Apple store and get a T-Mobile iPhone 6 (not the Plus), will it be unlocked?

If not, then I guess I have to accept the fact that I cannot use the phone for anything if I am in Europe....

Thinkdiff
MVM,
join:2001-08-07
Bronx, NY

Thinkdiff

MVM,

That question has been answered multiple times in this thread, with supporting evidence. The post you replied to even confirmed they're unlocked (the 6 and 6 Plus are sold with the same restrictions/policies). What kind of confirmation are you looking for exactly?
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

I just want to get a T Mobile version of the iPhone from an Apple store paying the FULL price and being unlocked. That's it.
So I can travel with it and inserting any SIM I want.

But according to this thread, I seems that T Mobile does not sell unlocked iPhones from Apple store anymore.
»T-Mobile Says Can't Sell Unlocked iPhone 6 Plus Even At Full Price

Sorry, but I am still confused here.

I just want to pay the full price of the handset and be unlocked.

gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine to avze

Member

to avze
"Cutting through, if you buy the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile iPhone 6/6 Plus models (A1549/A1522, respectively), and unlock them, you will be able to enjoy them not only on all major US carriers, save for Sprint, but also across the globe, with the notable exception of China Mobile, SoftBank in Japan, and a few others that use TD-LTE. "

»www.phonearena.com/news/ ··· _id60647

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

4 edits

Octavean to avze

MVM

to avze
Sorry, double post,....

You should be fine buying a T-Mobile iPhone 6 or 6 Plus from the Apple Store or from Apple's online store. Chances are that there won't be any available stock of either model right now regardless of where you go to make the purchase. So you'll probably have to wait a month or so after you have placed your order unless something has changed with availability

Wireless carriers like T-Mobile won't sell you an unlocked iPhone directly through their store or online and they seem to have stock issues too. If you try to buy through one of the carriers like T-Mobile it will be locked regardless if you pay full price and it won't be unlocked by the carrier until it's been on their network for something like ~47 days or so. Once it's been on their network for that allotted minimum time they will unlock it at your request.

The distinction here is that the Apple Store isn't the same store as the T-Mobile store.

What that means is you can buy a locked T-Mobile iPhone directly from T-Mobile and put it on a Prepaid T-Mobile contract free service option for the ~47 days if you wish to go that route.

It's easier to go through Apple directly and get an unlocked T-Mobile model. This is what I did and it worked fine right out of the box with my H2O Wireless (AT&T MVNO) SIM. After I cut the SIM down to size to fit that is.

avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

Thanks to all. And @Octavean, who explained it well for me.

I think its a good idea to wait for while until the dust settles with the iPhone 6. I heard that iOS 8 is very buggy now. And causes a lot of issues.

Until that's sorted out, I will wait.

But its never too bad to plan ahead

gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine

Member

said by avze:

I heard that iOS 8 is very buggy now

Not even a little let alone very.

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean

MVM

said by gjrhine:

said by avze:

I heard that iOS 8 is very buggy now

Not even a little let alone very.

Good catch,...

I haven't seen many bugs at all in iOS 8 / 8.1 and of the few that I have seen none gave me any degree of significant concern.

Perhaps older devices have more issues though. The iPhone 4 I ugraded from (to the iPhone 6 Plus) wasn't eligable for upgrade to iOS 8 / 8.1 so I have no point of reference on such older device (maybe the 4S is slow and buggy on iOS 8 / 8.1 but I wouldn't know).

Or perhaps this is in reference to the early bug when iOS 8 was released and some models lost cellular connectivity but that was short lived. It was surprising that such a thing happened at all again it was short lived.

I wouldn't worry about any of this though. If you want an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus I say go for it,........jump on in,......the water is fine,.......

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski to gjrhine

Premium Member

to gjrhine
said by gjrhine:

said by avze:

I heard that iOS 8 is very buggy now

Not even a little let alone very.

Yeah, except for the one that stopped phones from working....or wifi issues, or poor safari performance.....

gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine

Member

said by ptrowski:

the one

What does the one mean? The current one? Or are you cherry picking out an older replaced one?

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski

Premium Member

said by gjrhine:

said by ptrowski:

the one

What does the one mean? The current one? Or are you cherry picking out an older replaced one?

I used that as an example out of the gate. I can update to 8.1 with imessage issues, screen orientation problems, etc. But 8.1.1 is being seeded for beta testing so maybe they will be fixed....

gjrhine
join:2001-12-12
Pawleys Island, SC

gjrhine

Member

said by ptrowski:

I used that as an example out of the gate

No idea what that means but no iMessage issues here.