So I decided on getting the iPhone 5 (and I couldn't be happier), and what I want to do is sell my old iPhone 4S and get some money back from it, but of course I'd want to sell it unlocked. Since the phone isn't on a contract anymore, will Verizon allow me to unlock the phone? Can I do it online, over the phone, or do I have to take it into the store? I've never unlocked a phone before and I've never dealt with how to do this, so please let me know!
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Will Verizon Unlock my iPhone?
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Even if they unlock your old Verizon 4S it can only be used with GSM carriers outside the US.
It wont function inside the US with another carrier.
It wont function inside the US with another carrier.
Because the CDMA carriers Sprint and Verizon have blocked their 4S from accessing other networks in fear of people leaving the carrier.
AFAIK, Verizon doesn't unlock anything. Verizon phones don't work on other carriers.
You have to sell your 4S as a "Verizon phone."
The iPhone 5 is "unlocked" as such because it is a "world phone" and can be used with a sim card anywhere in the world EXCEPT within the US, where it will only work on Verizon.
Except the iPhone 4S is also a world phone, as said by the person above me. My iPhone 5 works on AT&T just as it does on Verizon. That's why I'm now curious why the iPhone 5 is like that, but not the 4S.
Has to do with an agreement verizon has with the government to have the LTE iPhone unlocked out of the box for any gsm carrier including for US use.
It's all politics. Give me this I will do that etc...
It's all politics. Give me this I will do that etc...
Ahh, all right then. Fair enough.
Since I have to sell it as a Verizon model, do I still have to have them do any specific to make it re-sellable?
Oops, my mistake. Yes, the Verizon iPhone 5 can run on GSM networks in the US too (for some reason, I was thinking about something else).
It has something to do with the bands the carriers need to run on, and the bands actually installed in the phone.
You know what... I don't feel 100% confident that I'm giving you the correct information here, so I'm just going to bow out and let someone with more experience/knowledge step in.
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Oh, a quick google search found this thread:
https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/696707
May be worth a read.
all you have to do is find another Verizon user to buy it and youre all set. Just have verizon verify the MEID/ESN or whatever is unassociated from your account so the next person can use it.
Will Verizon Unlock my iPhone?
The best way to contact someone from version and clear all your doubts.
The best way to contact someone from version and clear all your doubts.
thanks, albeit late to the thread. but the doubts were taken care of by our replies.
a 4S can be unlocked, but only for foreign SIM use. it cannot be used with at&t or t-mobile in the states.....only Verizon.
the verizon iphone 5 comes fully unlocked and can be used right out of the box with any carriers SIM here or overseas.
if the OP has an iphone 4S, his best bet is to just sell it to another Verizon CDMA user then purchase the phone of his choice after that.
The iPhone 5 used Verizon's LTE network. The condition for Verizon to purchase the C Block 700 MHz spectrum was that there could be no restriction on devices that use the network.
Its not just iPhone...Verizon all LTE phones are unlocked due to FCC ruling...
Recently played around with a Q10, S4 and Z10...all Unlocked...iPhone 5 we already know
The thing with Verizon LTE phones being unlocked though is that I believe they can only use 2G or edge, maybe 3G. I'm pretty sure it can't use HSPA+ or LTE on a different carrier. Could be wrong though.
OP, you should be able to sell the 4S on Craigslist or something like that as a Verizon phone and then transfer it in a store. Otherwise there are those websites like gazelle where you can send the phone in and they cut you a check.
OP, you should be able to sell the 4S on Craigslist or something like that as a Verizon phone and then transfer it in a store. Otherwise there are those websites like gazelle where you can send the phone in and they cut you a check.
they can use HSPA+, at least on US frequencies, but only LTE on Verizon and parts of Europe due to the frequencies they have.
an unlocked verizon iphone 5 on at&t will get HSPA+ at best. when i was in Iceland, i only got 3G on the local Siminn network as they dont have 4G there.
Locked iPhone 5, Verizon, out of US.. Locked?!?
Read all about all iphones from Verizon supposedly being unlocked. So... I bought a Verizon iPhone 5 in the US, second-hand. Did not even verify the ESN. Traveled to Brazil. Now, it will not accept a SIM card, seems to be locked. Insert the SIM, and iTunes and Iphone keep saying:
"The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone.Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information."
The person selling me the phone seemed very conservative, careful, sold me the phone in mint condition, with the box, all cables, manual, etc. So I really doubt it is stolen. I suspect the phone is still on-contract, but someone stopped paying the contract and sold the phone. What's a reliable site to check out the ESN/IMEI for the phone?
Read all about all iphones from Verizon supposedly being unlocked. So... I bought a Verizon iPhone 5 in the US, second-hand. Did not even verify the ESN. Traveled to Brazil. Now, it will not accept a SIM card, seems to be locked. Insert the SIM, and iTunes and Iphone keep saying:
"The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone.Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information."
The person selling me the phone seemed very conservative, careful, sold me the phone in mint condition, with the box, all cables, manual, etc. So I really doubt it is stolen. I suspect the phone is still on-contract, but someone stopped paying the contract and sold the phone. What's a reliable site to check out the ESN/IMEI for the phone?
It has to do with their agreement with the FCC they made not to "restrict LTE devices"
That means verizon cannot throttle LTE devices. The real reason why verizon forced people off their unlimited data if they upgraded their phones with subsidized phone.
U can use ur unlimited phone lte sim in any device u want (tablet, midi lte device). As long as its am lte (verizon certified device ) u can use it.
I'm pretty sure Verizon have the same service, but I asked AT&T to unlock my iphone 5 because I needed to spend 2 months in china, and they did it very gladly and hassle-free. For AT&T I just had fill out an online form and submit it and that was it. Calling customer service works as well. I'm in china and using china mobile as my carrier and it works perfectly. There are some prerequisite such as having been a customer for x amount of time, and you can't unlock more than 5 phones in one year, which shouldn't be a problem.
Anyways I recall seeing maybe the same option for Verizon, maybe dig around? Hope this works
Anyways I recall seeing maybe the same option for Verizon, maybe dig around? Hope this works
A quick question, did you complete the unlock process with iTunes in the US? I am trying to sell a new phone that has been unlocked by att and I am not sure if I should the restore via iTunes myself or let the buyer do this.
Also how do I advertise a never used iphone 5 unlocked by att? I don't understand all this gam CDMA etc... crap.