Apple to Begin Selling Unlocked iPhone 5 Models in U.S. as Soon as Later Today

metaa said:

I bought a full-price off-contract AT&T iphone for $699 ($750 w/ taxes) 3 days ago from BestBuy.

Do you think I should return it and go for the one from an Apple Store?

Also, I should mention that I live outside of the Unites States and haven't gotten the chance to test the AT&T iPhone 5 with my country's operators sim cards (so I don't know how iphone works with them).

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several apple employees that i've spoken to confirmed that while the full-price off-contract att phones should be unlocked, they may be locked by att at any point, should they choose to do that, as they are still "att phones". i'm sure the chances of that are quite slim, but i've been waiting for that reason. i don't want to take any chances.

It's LIVE!
Unlocked iPhone 5 available to purchase through apple's website with shipping estimate of 1 week.

Interesting... They didn't have to take the store down first.

So the only difference between these now unlocked iPhone 5's versus the ones people bought off contract full price (AT&T or Verizon) is that they don't come with a SIM card preinstalled. But the Verizon iPhone 5 by default is unlocked at the gate but AT&T's iPhone 5 isn't.

So those that bought a full price off contract Verizon iPhone 5. It's no different than the ones that are being offered now. It's just the one you bought at the Apple Store before Apple started selling unlocked iPhone 5's tonight, simply came with a Verizon SIM preinstalled.

So those that buy these now unlocked iPhone 5's that went live tonight will HAVE to get a nanoSIM from a carrier for them to have service.

xlost6 said:

So the only difference between these now unlocked iPhone 5's versus the ones people bought off contract full price (AT&T or Verizon) is that they don't come with a SIM card preinstalled. But the Verizon iPhone 5 by default is unlocked at the gate but AT&T's iPhone 5 isn't.

So those that bought a full price off contract Verizon iPhone 5. It's no different than the ones that are being offered now. It's just the one you bought at the Apple Store before Apple started selling unlocked iPhone 5's tonight, simply came with a Verizon SIM preinstalled.

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Wrong. There are two models of iPhone 5. The Verizon one won't work with AT&T LTE (or T-Mobile future LTE). http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

It's not clear to me yet which model the Apple unlocked one is. I just bought one so I am interested in finding out

So those that buy these now unlocked iPhone 5's that went live tonight will HAVE to get a nanoSIM from a carrier for them to have service.

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Right.

Aero Leviathan said:

Wrong. There are two models of iPhone 5. The Verizon one won't work with AT&T LTE (or T-Mobile future LTE). http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

It's not clear to me yet which model the Apple unlocked one is. I just bought one so I am interested in finding out

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Wrong about what? I know off contract full price Verizon's iPhone 5 model will not be able to use AT&T LTE but it will be able to use their 3G if I was to put a AT&T SIM in Verizon's model.

xlost6 said:

Wrong about what?

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These phrases in particular:

the only difference

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It's no different

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xlost6 said:

So the only difference between these now unlocked iPhone 5's versus the ones people bought off contract full price (AT&T or Verizon) is that they don't come with a SIM card preinstalled. But the Verizon iPhone 5 by default is unlocked at the gate but AT&T's iPhone 5 isn't.

So those that bought a full price off contract Verizon iPhone 5. It's no different than the ones that are being offered now. It's just the one you bought at the Apple Store before Apple started selling unlocked iPhone 5's tonight, simply came with a Verizon SIM preinstalled.

So those that buy these now unlocked iPhone 5's that went live tonight will HAVE to get a nanoSIM from a carrier for them to have service.

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The official unlocked iPhone 5 will have the CDMA disabled. So it appears that this version has less bands unlocked than the Verizon version.

htpw16 said:

The official unlocked iPhone 5 will have the CDMA disabled. So it appears that this version has less bands unlocked than the Verizon version.

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Your right about that. I was just about to edit my post but I just seen that. I purchased a off contract, full price Verizon iPhone 5 and it came preinstalled with a Verizon nanoSIM. So the unlocked versions that are offered tonight will not work on CDMA carriers as you said.

htpw16 said:

The official unlocked iPhone 5 will have the CDMA disabled. So it appears that this version has less bands unlocked than the Verizon version.

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Correct. But it will work with AT&T LTE while the Verizon one will not, if that is important to you.

Well, actually, I am not sure it has fewer bands. It has different bands enabled.

SkoshOfSean said:

Correct. But it will work with AT&T LTE while the Verizon one will not, if that is important to you.

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Are you just guessing on this, or have you been able to find any official information that the Apple unlocked US iPhone 5 is model A1428?

In Canada, they sell unlocked A1428s, but in Europe, they sell unlocked A1429s.

It makes sense that it would be A1428, but I still think there should be official confirmation somewhere. Kind of ridiculous that the store page doesn't say (as far as I can tell).

Aero Leviathan said:

Are you just guessing on this, or have you been able to find any official information that the Apple unlocked US iPhone 5 is model A1428?

In Canada, they sell unlocked A1428s, but in Europe, they sell unlocked A1429s.

It makes sense that it would be A1428, but I still think there should be official confirmation somewhere. Kind of ridiculous that the store page doesn't say (as far as I can tell).

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It does state in the description that this will work with AT&T and not Verizon. So this may imply that this is in fact the AT&T version just unlocked. Could be wrong though...

SunnyRenegade33 said:

What's the catch to using Straight Talk, though? Other than having to pay for a phone upfront?

Slower network speeds? Data throttled sooner? No insurance?


Straight Talk, from what you both imply seems too good to be true!

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no LTE (my 4s doesn't have it anyways)
no visual voice mail though I use youmail for that ability and works great
no mms without hacking (for me, not a big deal)

the data is unlimited within reason. I have heard softcaps for 2 gigs but then again I usually never went over 200mb a month with att

WannaGoMac said:

Uh you realize Straight Talk is re-branded AT&T cell service provided by Walmart?

lol, nice move switching to the same provider for more money...

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I don't think you get access to AT&T roaming partners, so the coverage footprint is smaller than all AT&T contract. Same with AT&T prepay GoPhone: it's a smaller footprint than post pay.

So be alert that the coverage can be less for you on StraightTalk. AT&T is not foolish.

From GoPhone WiKi:

'Network coverage is less compared to AT&T postpaid plans.'

Plus you can see that by comparing maps.

AT&T's extensive network is made by roaming partners, and not native coverage.

Compare GoPhone vs 'Voice' coverage here. I bet GoPhone = StraightTalk.

And that may be fine for you. Minus LTE too.
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/#?type=gophone&opt=payg

futbalguy said:

well you wont get LTE speeds right?

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Nope. Some of us don't need it. HSPA+ is fine for my needs.

Tiger8 said:

You are preaching to the choir. I think it's a psychological thing, people seem to be ok paying $90+ a month as long as they don't pay $650 for a phone upfront. Also, family plans are cheaper, and most big companies offer significant monthly discounts (i saw 30%) through one of the big 3

Some companies are also getting iPhones to their employees rather than a blackberry, so that's a free phone and a free monthly service for the employee.

I think the person that gets ********* is the average Joe who needs a single plan, as usual.

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Yup. I'm on a shared plan with my wife and we'd save ~$30 a month if we were both on StraightTalk. Not to mention we'll be out of the country for half the year which would require paying AT&T for data not used.

usarioclave said:

No LTE.
There are reports of throttling/data termination after 2GB of data use.
MMS may not work (depends on the model/how you enable it).
No visual voicemail.
FaceTime over 3G works, needs hack.
Tethering requires a jailbreak and a 3rd party package.

You apparently can turn MMS, FaceTime, and Tethering via plists w/o jailbreaking. I haven't done that, info here:

http://wiki.howardforums.com/index.php/Straight_Talk_iPhone

I occasionally have problems with my data connection when moving from tower to tower. Togging airplane mode fixes the problem.

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Accurate post summarizing what I've heard. 2GB of data is plenty for me. I have heard horror stories of people loosing their precious phone number. To guard against that pay $20 and port your phone number to Google Talk. Then forward to your current cell phone wherever/whatever it is.

AT&T is price gauging us. I'm so over this company.

Why the heck would anyone buy this? It's cheaper to take the subsidy from AT&T, and then buy a Nexus 4 as a roamer phone. And then you have two phones, and get to play with Android.

BiggAW said:

Why the heck would anyone buy this? It's cheaper to take the subsidy from AT&T, and then buy a Nexus 4 as a roamer phone. And then you have two phones, and get to play with Android.

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Because not all of us want to be in a 2 year contract and we want to use our iPhone 5 when we travel overseas. Not an android dumb phone. I have no interest in android devices.

I Purchased my last 3 iPhones full priced unlocked.

Coleman2010 said:

Because not all of us want to be in a 2 year contract and we want to use our iPhone 5 when we travel overseas. Not an android dumb phone. I have no interest in android devices.

I Purchased my last 3 iPhones full priced unlocked.

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If you knew how to do math, you would know that even if you break the contract a month in, you still come out ahead with the contract. Not to mention, you can still sell the device.

Secondly, Android is just as capable as the iPhone, if not more capable, and it is certainly not a "dumb phone" as your patently false statement claims. Also, with the Nexus 4, you'd get to use the latest version of Android and Google Maps when roaming, so you'd get to use both, which is always better than having just one.

In case you haven't noticed, iPhones also don't work well in NYC, yet for some reason every freaking person on the street seems to have one.

BiggAW said:

If you knew how to do math, you would know that even if you break the contract a month in, you still come out ahead with the contract. Not to mention, you can still sell the device.

Secondly, Android is just as capable as the iPhone, if not more capable, and it is certainly not a "dumb phone" as your patently false statement claims. Also, with the Nexus 4, you'd get to use the latest version of Android and Google Maps when roaming, so you'd get to use both, which is always better than having just one.

In case you haven't noticed, iPhones also don't work well in NYC, yet for some reason every freaking person on the street seems to have one.

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I use an iPhone because it fits perfectly into my work and home computer ecosystem. iTunes, iCloud, iMessage, everything synch between more than 15 Apple computers and iDevices. One of my devices is an iPod Touch running iOS 5 so I still have Google Maps. An Android device would not work seamlessly as an Apple device does for me.

As far as resale value an unlocked iPhone sells for a significantly higher resale value than an iPhone locked to a network. AT&T recently started allowing unlocks once the contract is over. They didn't offer it before.

I travel to Canada, Spain, Trinidad and Brazil regularly and I like being able to swap a SIM card and be able to use all of my apps and contacts where ever I am. Not swapping phones and OSes with different apps.

Either way, you don't understand why we buy no contract unlocked iPhones and nor will I try and convince you that you should. Please don't try and convince me that Android doesn't suck. Because that's my opinion from using Android and you won't change it.

Coleman2010 said:

I use an iPhone because it fits perfectly into my work and home computer ecosystem. iTunes, iCloud, iMessage, everything synch between more than 15 Apple computers and iDevices. One of my devices is an iPod Touch running iOS 5 so I still have Google Maps. An Android device would not work seamlessly as an Apple device does for me.

As far as resale value an unlocked iPhone sells for a significantly higher resale value than an iPhone locked to a network. AT&T recently started allowing unlocks once the contract is over. They didn't offer it before.

I travel to Canada, Spain, Trinidad and Brazil regularly and I like being able to swap a SIM card and be able to use all of my apps and contacts where ever I am. Not swapping phones and OSes with different apps.

Either way, you don't understand why we buy no contract unlocked iPhones and nor will I try and convince you that you should. Please don't try and convince me that Android doesn't suck. Because that's my opinion from using Android and you won't change it.

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You'd still have the iPhone in airplane mode, and the Nexus 4 or GNex as a roamer. iMessage is pointless and iCloud is junk, but that's besides the point.

They're worth a bit more, but you're not going to get your extra $450 back. You could just have apps you need on the Android phone, and your contacts would sync just fine between two devices. I just logged in on my iPhone, and after formatting all my contacts properly for the iPhone's limited contact support, they came in just fine. Going back the other way is a lot easier, since Android has full support, so yours would already be in a compatible format.

You apparently have never used even a halfway modern version of Android, because if you had you wouldn't be making arrogant and patently false statements like that. Android goes toe to toe with iOS, and in some ways is far superior. In other ways, it is far inferior. Android has a longer history of being a complete smartphone OS, since the OG DROID. iOS was a crippled piece of junk until iOS 5, and now, by many accounts, ICS and JB are pulling ahead of iOS, even with the tech media's love of iOS. Of course iOS still has its upside, like native iTunes sync, and the big one for me, a phone that actually fits in my pocket.

BiggAW said:

You apparently have never used even a halfway modern version of Android, because if you had you wouldn't be making arrogant and patently false statements like that. Android goes toe to toe with iOS, and in some ways is far superior. In other ways, it is far inferior.

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We develop for both platforms and our guys can carry any device they choose. 90% use iPhones and iPads and not Android devices.

I guess we are all just ignorami.

There are choices in this area, clearly, and though you are welcome to yours, there is really no reason to belittle someone who has made another choice simply to rationalize your own.

We buy virtually all of our phones off contract. It gives us maximum flexibility on which country and carrier to use. Resale value is not interesting to most phone purchasers.

thewitt said:

We develop for both platforms and our guys can carry any device they choose. 90% use iPhones and iPads and not Android devices.

I guess we are all just ignorami.

There are choices in this area, clearly, and though you are welcome to yours, there is really no reason to belittle someone who has made another choice simply to rationalize your own.

We buy virtually all of our phones off contract. It gives us maximum flexibility on which country and carrier to use. Resale value is not interesting to most phone purchasers.

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In another forum section we never agree, but here we do. I agree with your comment 100%. (For once!)

When is Apple going to sell the iphone 5 factory unlocked in the US?

hgrimberg said:

When is Apple going to sell the iphone 5 factory unlocked in the US?

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Trying to figure out if this is a joke.

thewitt said:

We develop for both platforms and our guys can carry any device they choose. 90% use iPhones and iPads and not Android devices.

I guess we are all just ignorami.

There are choices in this area, clearly, and though you are welcome to yours, there is really no reason to belittle someone who has made another choice simply to rationalize your own.

We buy virtually all of our phones off contract. It gives us maximum flexibility on which country and carrier to use. Resale value is not interesting to most phone purchasers.

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The point is here, that at this point in the game, you simply can't trash one platform or the other. They are both very viable competitors. They offer different experiences, but both are very good. It also depends on your area and carriers available. I'm in a strong AT&T market here in CT, so the iPhone was a strong choice, whereas in a Verizon market like NYC, Android would be the obvious choice.

Just for the record, I'm not justifying anything, as I have an iPhone 4S, and I like it, although I recognize it's strengths and shortcomings against Android. I may be switching back, although the physical size of the SGS III is probably the biggest thing (no pun intended) keeping me from doing that right now.

After iOS 5 and ICS, the playing field is highly competitive, and it pisses me off equally when people make arrogant and uneducated statements that either the iPhone or Android is so far superior to the other, or that one of the other is junk because in reality, all those statements are patently false.