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Unlocked same price I paid for locked

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Nick16

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
108
0
FL
So on Friday I went and bought a 32GB iPhone 5 from Apple, locked to AT&T for $749 because I don't have an upgrade on my contract. Come to find out today that Apple is now selling the unlocked iPhone 5's and the 32GB is the same price.

Obviously an unlocked iPhone has much greater resale value and if I had waited just another week I obviously would've bought the unlocked iPhone instead. Is there anything I can do to switch, or am I just stuck having to kick myself in the butt?
 
S

Silverrune

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2011
177
0
Nick16 said:
So on Friday I went and bought a 32GB iPhone 5 from Apple, locked to AT&T for $749 because I don't have an upgrade on my contract. Come to find out today that Apple is now selling the unlocked iPhone 5's and the 32GB is the same price.

Obviously an unlocked iPhone has much greater resale value and if I had waited just another week I obviously would've bought the unlocked iPhone instead. Is there anything I can do to switch, or am I just stuck having to kick myself in the butt?
Click to expand...

Return you old one and buy the new one...
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
Yes, just return it.
But you will get the same exact type of phone buying it unlocked.:D
Sold unlocked or carrier unlocked full priced AT&T iphone is the same hardware wise with the same LTE bands etc....
 
wordoflife

wordoflife

macrumors 604
Jul 6, 2009
7,564
37
Doesn't the AT&T iPhone automatically come unlocked when you buy it at that price-point?

I think so.

Regardless, the device has exactly the same hardware (cellular radios, lte radios...etc) except the unlocked one just won't say "AT&T on the bottom of the box
 
jimsowden

jimsowden

macrumors 68000
Sep 6, 2003
1,766
18
NY
wordoflife said:
Doesn't the AT&T iPhone automatically come unlocked when you buy it at that price-point?

I think so.

Regardless, the device has exactly the same hardware (cellular radios, lte radios...etc) except the unlocked one just won't say "AT&T on the bottom of the box
Click to expand...

I'm sure that this used to happen, and I know I've heard reports of it happening for "off contract" sales on all the carriers through the apple store.
 
A

andyx3x

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2011
1,349
137
Yes OP. The full price iPhone 5 you bought is the exact same phone as the unlocked version now being sold. Just restore the iPhone 5 that you bought last week in iTunes and it will unlock it. Same exact thing.
 
MuGeN PoWeR

MuGeN PoWeR

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2011
3,183
1,211
Applejuiced said:
Yes, just return it.
But you will get the same exact type of phone buying it unlocked.:D
Sold unlocked or carrier unlocked full priced AT&T iphone is the same hardware wise with the same LTE bands etc....
Click to expand...

there is a difference in model numbers.

i bought iPhone 5 Black AT&T at full price(which is factory unlocked). model number is MD634LL

and the iPhone 5 black factory unlocked on apple's site model number is MD293LL/A
 
N

Nick16

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
108
0
FL
Thanks, everyone. I wasn't sure if it would be as simple as returning/exchanging or not. I know it's the same exact device/hardware, but it's the resale value that I'm going for; when it comes time to sell my iPhone 5 it'll be easier to sell an unlocked one than one that's AT&T-only.
 
MuGeN PoWeR

MuGeN PoWeR

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2011
3,183
1,211
Nick16 said:
Thanks, everyone. I wasn't sure if it would be as simple as returning/exchanging or not. I know it's the same exact device/hardware, but it's the resale value that I'm going for; when it comes time to sell my iPhone 5 it'll be easier to sell an unlocked one than one that's AT&T-only.
Click to expand...

there is absolutely no difference in performance. once factory unlocked it doesnt matter if its AT&T or Rogers or factory unlocked they all go for almost same price.!
 
P

propalitet

macrumors member
Mar 26, 2011
77
0
Nick16 said:
So on Friday I went and bought a 32GB iPhone 5 from Apple, locked to AT&T for $749 because I don't have an upgrade on my contract. Come to find out today that Apple is now selling the unlocked iPhone 5's and the 32GB is the same price.

Obviously an unlocked iPhone has much greater resale value and if I had waited just another week I obviously would've bought the unlocked iPhone instead. Is there anything I can do to switch, or am I just stuck having to kick myself in the butt?
Click to expand...

Aren't full price iphones also unlocked (AT&T)?
And if not and you don't want to go through the hassle of returning it, just buy an unlock on ebay for 3-4$. It's the same then.

Also, I would check which version they are selling as unlocked in the US. If it is A1429 GSM then you loose LTE bands for AT&T anyways.
More here:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
 
T

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
Nick16 said:
Thanks, everyone. I wasn't sure if it would be as simple as returning/exchanging or not. I know it's the same exact device/hardware, but it's the resale value that I'm going for; when it comes time to sell my iPhone 5 it'll be easier to sell an unlocked one than one that's AT&T-only.
Click to expand...
Verify that what you have is locked first. Other threads indicate that unsubsidized devices are unlocked.
 
A

aznboi91

macrumors regular
Jul 27, 2012
173
6
Specialist told me the device only ones with carriers are still under the carriers. They are only gsm unlocked for 2 years... If you go onto the database and check your imei, it will still say that...

Say for example you want to sell it after a year, people are able to check if it is unlocked or locked under a carrier. Fully unlocked does not go into the database.
 
C

Coleman2010

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2010
1,919
164
NYC
Nick16 said:
So on Friday I went and bought a 32GB iPhone 5 from Apple, locked to AT&T for $749 because I don't have an upgrade on my contract. Come to find out today that Apple is now selling the unlocked iPhone 5's and the 32GB is the same price.

Obviously an unlocked iPhone has much greater resale value and if I had waited just another week I obviously would've bought the unlocked iPhone instead. Is there anything I can do to switch, or am I just stuck having to kick myself in the butt?
Click to expand...

Your other choice is to buy a $10 unlock off of Ebay and have your AT&T version unlocked.
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
MuGeN PoWeR said:
there is a difference in model numbers.

i bought iPhone 5 Black AT&T at full price(which is factory unlocked). model number is MD634LL

and the iPhone 5 black factory unlocked on apple's site model number is MD293LL/A
Click to expand...

Oh I see.
Same exact device, just listed as a different model number.

----------
aznboi91 said:
Specialist told me the device only ones with carriers are still under the carriers. They are only gsm unlocked for 2 years... If you go onto the database and check your imei, it will still say that...

Say for example you want to sell it after a year, people are able to check if it is unlocked or locked under a carrier. Fully unlocked does not go into the database.
Click to expand...

That the biggest bs the so called "specialist" told you.
Unlocked for 2 years:rolleyes:
 
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