AT&T Will Unlock Off-Contract iPhones Starting Sunday, April 8

MacRumors · Apr 6, 2012, 12:52 PM

AT&T has announced it will begin unlocking customers' iPhones once their 2-year contracts have expired. The move will free up the currently-locked devices to use a micro-SIM from any carrier offering a network compatible with the device.

AT&T issued this statement to MacRumors:

Quote:

Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their AT&T iPhones. The only requirements are that a customer's account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.

Last month, 9to5Mac reported that AT&T had agreed to unlock a user's off-contract iPhone 3GS under a "special one-time exception" after the user sent an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook about the issue. AT&T had previously refused to unlock the device, which the customer wanted to continue to use after moving to Canada, but relented after being contacted via Cook's office.

There have been many different hacks to unlock iPhones over the years, but this policy change will make it extremely easy for AT&T customers to legitimately and permanently unlock their iPhones for use on any network.

Article Link: AT&T Will Unlock Off-Contract iPhones Starting Sunday, April 8

tray3 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:55 PM

Finally!!

brendu · Apr 6, 2012, 12:55 PM

AT&T you just kept my business for doing the right thing.

petrucci666 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:55 PM

My fellow Americans, the day has come.

skellener · Apr 6, 2012, 12:56 PM

About time.

Bring on the LTE iPhone! Can't wait to ditch AT&T!

AJH1993 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:56 PM

Thank god, now I can take my iPhone and RUN.

DJsteveSD · Apr 6, 2012, 12:57 PM

and I was gonna take my old 3gs to a local business today that unlocks iphones! I can wait 2 more days!!

djvic · Apr 6, 2012, 12:57 PM

Woohooooo~

mike5411 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:57 PM

Late April Fools from AT&T?

SDub90 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendu

AT&T you just kept my business for doing the right thing.

I've been hassling them every week for the past 6 weeks trying to get them to unlock my iPhone for my trip this summer. I was willing to leave my unlimited data plan to switch to verizon, but now I'll be sticking with them for a while.

I just hope they're flexible with the contract date - my trip starts in the end of june, but my contract doesn't end until mid July. Worst case, I bring my iPhone 3G with me instead of iPhone 4.

daxomni · Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendu

AT&T you just kept my business for doing the right thing.

Five years later?

appletowns · Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM

This is great news, but now I'm wondering if there is anyway to get my 3GS back to normal since it has the ipad baseband on it...

Any gurus have insight about that? :/

outphase · Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM

The ground feels cold.

markyr17 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM

Finally

lozanoj83 · Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM

The day has finally come!
Hell is freezing over and ATT is actually doing something people have been asking since forever!
Hell is really freezing over!

Kilamite · 02:37 PM

I always thought it was a legal requirement for them to unlock it once you had completed your agreed contract. Or is that just in Europe?

EDIT: Surprised it wasn't a legal requirement, since you've seen your agreed contract and you now own the device. Why isn't it a legal requirement in the US?

bedifferent · Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM

Great! So for an iPhone 3GS device that I have laying around not on contract can be unlocked? No more jailbreaking and unlocking?

britboyj · Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM

Going to need some details on this before I jump into it.

My contract expires on June 24th of this year. I have an iPhone 4S that my Mum bought on her upgrade and gave to me, I gave her my iPhone 4. Did all the AT&T jazz where they updated everything etc.

So here's the question - Is it my CONTRACT that determines whether I can unlock a phone or is it the purchase date of the phone bought on-contract, even though it wasn't mine?

Hope says option A, since AT&T still have my Mum in on a contract and therefore still making up the subsidy they paid to Apple.

Pessimism says option B, since it's still AT&T.

3bs · Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM

I'm not in the US but I'm excited to hear they're finally going to unlock them! I'm happy for you guys

flyingember · Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilamite

I always thought it was a legal requirement for them to unlock it once you had completed your agreed contract. Or is that just in Europe?

that's not a law in the US, that's for sure

viperGTS · Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM

Never thought I'd see the day.
EDIT= too bad i'm a tmobile customer so i cant just walk into an AT&T store and have my 3GS unlocked

it'd be nice to finally be able to update iOS without going through a custom FW. Or even a jailbreak

balamw · Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM

Well now at least I should be able to get them to unlock my 3G and my wife's 3GS. Will have to wait until June for them to unlock my 4.

B

Mr Fusion · Apr 6, 2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendu

AT&T you just kept my business for doing the right thing.

While I applaud them for doing this, they'll still be losing my business with the next iPhone for the throttling of my unlimited data plan.

djdover · Apr 6, 2012, 01:03 PM

About f***in time!!

Maybe my gf's iPhone will be able to work in Australia without a gevey at some point in the future after all!

FrauHasSpoken · Apr 6, 2012, 01:03 PM

All phones should have been unlocked after the contract is finished.

smh.

Apr 6, 2012, 12:55 PM	#2
tray3 macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2007	Yayy!!! Finally!! __________________ Check out my Photography Site : http://www.thru-my-lens.info
	21

Apr 6, 2012, 12:55 PM	#3
brendu macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA	AT&T you just kept my business for doing the right thing.
	26

Apr 6, 2012, 12:55 PM	#4
petrucci666 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2009	My fellow Americans, the day has come.
	13

Apr 6, 2012, 12:56 PM	#5
skellener macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: So. Cal.	About time. Bring on the LTE iPhone! Can't wait to ditch AT&T! __________________ 24" iMac 2008 iPad 2 iPhone 3G S⃣
	9

Apr 6, 2012, 12:57 PM	#7
DJsteveSD macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: San Diego, CA	oh Happy day! and I was gonna take my old 3gs to a local business today that unlocks iphones! I can wait 2 more days!! __________________ iBook G4; iPhone 5, 4 & 3GS; iPad 3
	5

Apr 6, 2012, 12:56 PM	#6
AJH1993 macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2011	Thank god, now I can take my iPhone and RUN.
	4

Apr 6, 2012, 12:57 PM	#8
djvic macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2010	Woohooooo~
	1

Apr 6, 2012, 12:57 PM	#9
mike5411 macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2008	Late April Fools from AT&T?
	6

Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM	#12
appletowns macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2007	This is great news, but now I'm wondering if there is anyway to get my 3GS back to normal since it has the ipad baseband on it... Any gurus have insight about that? :/
	0

Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM	#13
outphase macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Parts Unknown	The ground feels cold.
	12

Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM	#14
markyr17 macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2010	Finally
	1

Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM	#15
lozanoj83 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California	The day has finally come! Hell is freezing over and ATT is actually doing something people have been asking since forever! Hell is really freezing over! __________________ iMac 27", 3.4 GHz i7 quad-core, 16GB RAM, 1TB Fusion MacBook Air 1.8GHz i5, 8GB, 128GB iPad 4, 32GB iPhone 5, 64GB
	1

Apr 6, 2012, 12:59 PM	#16
Kilamite macrumors G3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland	I always thought it was a legal requirement for them to unlock it once you had completed your agreed contract. Or is that just in Europe? EDIT: Surprised it wasn't a legal requirement, since you've seen your agreed contract and you now own the device. Why isn't it a legal requirement in the US? __________________ 15" MacBook Pro 2GHz i7 4GB 750GB \| Mac mini 2.3GHz i7 16GB 1TB Fusion \| OS X 10.8.3 iPhone 5 64GB \| Apple TV 3 1080p \| iOS 6.1.4 Last edited by Kilamite; Apr 10, 2012 at 02:37 PM.
	0

Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM	#17
bedifferent macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NY	Great! So for an iPhone 3GS device that I have laying around not on contract can be unlocked? No more jailbreaking and unlocking?
	1

Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM	#18
britboyj macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2009	Going to need some details on this before I jump into it. My contract expires on June 24th of this year. I have an iPhone 4S that my Mum bought on her upgrade and gave to me, I gave her my iPhone 4. Did all the AT&T jazz where they updated everything etc. So here's the question - Is it my CONTRACT that determines whether I can unlock a phone or is it the purchase date of the phone bought on-contract, even though it wasn't mine? Hope says option A, since AT&T still have my Mum in on a contract and therefore still making up the subsidy they paid to Apple. Pessimism says option B, since it's still AT&T. __________________ "No raindrop believes it is responsible for the flood."  iMac 27" 2.8 Ghz Core i5 Quad-Core 12GB RAM MacBook Pro 15" 2.0Ghz i7 8GB RAM Anti-Glare 16GB Wifi iPad 2 16GB Black Verizon iPhone "5"
	-2

Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM	#19
3bs macrumors 601 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Dublin, Ireland	I'm not in the US but I'm excited to hear they're finally going to unlock them! I'm happy for you guys
	12

Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM	#21
viperGTS macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2010	Never thought I'd see the day. EDIT= too bad i'm a tmobile customer so i cant just walk into an AT&T store and have my 3GS unlocked it'd be nice to finally be able to update iOS without going through a custom FW. Or even a jailbreak
	0

Apr 6, 2012, 01:00 PM	#22
balamw Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New England, USA	Well now at least I should be able to get them to unlock my 3G and my wife's 3GS. Will have to wait until June for them to unlock my 4. B __________________ MBA (13" 1.7 GHz 128GB), UMBP (15" SD 2.8 GHz), UMB (13" 2.4 GHz), iMac (17" Yonah), 32GB iPad 3 WiFi+LTE, 64 GB iPad WiFi, 32 GB iPhone 5, Airport Extreme
	0

Apr 6, 2012, 01:03 PM	#24
djdover macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2011	About f***in time!! Maybe my gf's iPhone will be able to work in Australia without a gevey at some point in the future after all! __________________ I blame iOS auto corect for all speiling and gamatical erors, even those not tiped on an iOS devise.
	2

Apr 6, 2012, 01:03 PM	#25
FrauHasSpoken macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2010	All phones should have been unlocked after the contract is finished. smh.
	9

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