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Apple Begins Offering Unlocked, SIM-Free iPhone 5s Models in U.S. with 1-2 Week Shipping
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Nah, the unlocked iPhone 5s was available on day one, the T-Mobile model at full retail.
The only difference here is that one has a SIM, the other doesn't.
All Apple has done here is to give the buyer the option to not receive a SIM.
That said, I don't know why anyone would choose the latter. If you resell the iPhone in a couple of years, just reset to factory settings and put the original unactivated SIM in the tray.
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A word of warning: If you get a SPRINT phone, and later want to unlock it for use on AT&T or T-Mobile domestically, they WILL NOT unlock it for you regardless of if you are still under 2 year contract or not.
What's more, if you get an unlocked phone and then bring it to Sprint for their network, you are now PERMANENTLY locked to Sprint and CANNOT get it unlocked for AT&T/T-Mobile.
They will unlock it for INTERNATIONAL use, but not domestic use.
What's more, if you get an unlocked phone and then bring it to Sprint for their network, you are now PERMANENTLY locked to Sprint and CANNOT get it unlocked for AT&T/T-Mobile.
They will unlock it for INTERNATIONAL use, but not domestic use.
Exactly. I bought the Tmobile contract free version and using it with AT&T even though the Apple store employee argued with me that it won't work on AT&T. According to them it will work on any GSM carrier outside US but not on any other GSM carrier within US, which I don't know why would they say that or why apple would ask them to say that.
A week too late. Needed this to happen a week ago. Now, must wait until March to make purchase - Ugh!
I don't know where you're getting your information from, but once a phone is unlocked it cannot be re-permanently locked to a carrier. Other than that, your statement is correct.
Don't worry. I'm in North America and I don't get it either and I think I'm in the majority here.
Except unsubsidized, full-price iPhone 5S/5C were available at initial release. So it appears the monopoly was true, but is no longer.
I'm planning to buy my wife an iPhone 5S for Christmas for use on T-Mobile (which she is currently on, using an 3GS, so she'll need a new SIM card). I am intending to order from Apple and pay full price to ensure it is an unlocked phone (we're not completely committed to T-Mobile and like the idea of being able to switch to another provider). I already ordered a nano SIM card from T-Mobile when they had a $0 deal for it. Not sure if I should order the iPhone 5S unlocked SIM-free or if I should order the T-Mobile one to ease the switch from her 3GS. If I'm already going to have a T-Mobile nano SIM, can they transfer her account to it? Or is that going to be more of a hassle? I guess I should just give T-Mobile a call and figure this out 
called apple about this and the guy said because of limited available quantity.
would think that its at least partly to stop the gray market
The shipping time on the T-Mobile version is less than the "official" unlocked 5s. Order the T-Mobile. It's the same unlocked phone.I'm planning to buy my wife an iPhone 5S for Christmas for use on T-Mobile (which she is currently on, using an 3GS, so she'll need a new SIM card). I am intending to order from Apple and pay full price to ensure it is an unlocked phone (we're not completely committed to T-Mobile and like the idea of being able to switch to). I already ordered a nano SIM card from T-Mobile when they had a $0 deal for it. Not sure if I should order the iPhone 5S unlocked SIM-free or if I should order the T-Mobile one to ease the switch from her 3GS. If I'm already going to have a T-Mobile nano SIM, can they transfer her account to it? Or is that going to be more of a hassle? I guess I should just give T-Mobile a call and figure this out
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Bought a full price T Mobile on the week of the launch, tossed the T Mobile SIM in the trash, placed my ATT SIM and have been enjoying my contract free phone since then. BTW, the Apple Store guy that sold me the phone guaranteed it would never work with ATT because it was locked to T Mobile.
You couldn't buy an officially-labeled unlocked version on the Apple Online Store, unless you chose T-Mobile. But since the description doesn't say "unlocked" for the T-Mobile version, it implied it was locked. This was probably done to control customer demand for an unlocked version.
Funny thing is, those who know better already knew T-Mobile was unlocked anyway or buy an iPhone device-only in store. And the scalpers line up every morning to buy iPhone 5s device-only as well, so it did not matter.
So my bet is that Apple needed to make the carriers happy by making it hard to get unlocked iPhones. This was proven to me when I tried to buy a device-only iPhone in the store, and was told they only sell them to people who are looking to upgrade or sign contracts. They have a separate stock for those who want to buy device-only, and only sell them every morning.
Now that production is catching up to demand, Apple has fulfilled their end and can afford to release this officially-labeled unlocked version.
Evil carriers.
Funny thing is, those who know better already knew T-Mobile was unlocked anyway or buy an iPhone device-only in store. And the scalpers line up every morning to buy iPhone 5s device-only as well, so it did not matter.
So my bet is that Apple needed to make the carriers happy by making it hard to get unlocked iPhones. This was proven to me when I tried to buy a device-only iPhone in the store, and was told they only sell them to people who are looking to upgrade or sign contracts. They have a separate stock for those who want to buy device-only, and only sell them every morning.
Now that production is catching up to demand, Apple has fulfilled their end and can afford to release this officially-labeled unlocked version.
Evil carriers.
Verizon version is better
The Verizon version is even better (unlocked and works on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile too). And it ships immediately (with free 2 day Fedex).
See how to get it here (device only, full price):
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1675136/
The Verizon version is even better (unlocked and works on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile too). And it ships immediately (with free 2 day Fedex).
See how to get it here (device only, full price):
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1675136/
Can you describe how you do this check? I'm suddenly very confused about this situation since I just assumed that the T-Mobile full-price phone was unlocked. Thanks!
T-Mobile vs. no SIM. Aren't they the same?
Why are they even making a T-Mobile and a No SIM version both unlocked?
Am I missing something? Regardless of what carriers allow from moving from one network to another, aren't they all electronically capable of running the all the same networks the same way (supporting all the same call and data)?
Gary
Why are they even making a T-Mobile and a No SIM version both unlocked?
Am I missing something? Regardless of what carriers allow from moving from one network to another, aren't they all electronically capable of running the all the same networks the same way (supporting all the same call and data)?
Gary
That doesn't matter. When I lined up, on 2 separate occasions at 2 different stores, majority of the people in line were scalpers. The first time, there was a scalper leader who hired 6 people to buy 2 iPhones each. Then I heard her tell the group to come back the next day to do the same. A few weeks later at another store, each person would buy 2 iPhones, then line up again to buy 2 more. They would essentially buy out the store's stock. The manager said they can't do anything about it because it would be "profiling" which is illegal according to California law. But they knew what was going on. So I don't know why they have to limit the quantities of these unlocked iPhones when scalpers have better ways of getting them.
OK. Anyone who buys this phone from Apple is a Chowderhead
Why pay for the phone --- full price, when you can buy the phone from ATT or who ever and pay someone to unlock the phone for you? You'll end up with money in your pocket.
My iPhone 5 was unlocked by a 3rd party last year without any issue. And the 5S can be unlocked by 3rd parties as well.
For anyone that DOES buy this unlocked phone, please post your photo on Reddit so the whole world can laugh at you.
An, for the record, Apple makes GREAT products but their Marketing is even better than the products they sell.
Signed,
PT "there's a sucker born every minute" Barnum
Why pay for the phone --- full price, when you can buy the phone from ATT or who ever and pay someone to unlock the phone for you? You'll end up with money in your pocket.
My iPhone 5 was unlocked by a 3rd party last year without any issue. And the 5S can be unlocked by 3rd parties as well.
For anyone that DOES buy this unlocked phone, please post your photo on Reddit so the whole world can laugh at you.
An, for the record, Apple makes GREAT products but their Marketing is even better than the products they sell.
Signed,
PT "there's a sucker born every minute" Barnum
It's really an inventory management issue.
The SIM-less version can be sold in other markets where unsubsidized handsets are the norm.
The version with the T-Mobile SIM installed can be shipped to T-Mobile USA retail stores. At that point, the T-Mobile sales associate can lock the phone to the carrier if the customer does not pay for the phone outright. As mentioned earlier in this thread, T-Mobile will unlock that handset after 40 days on an account with good standing.
It "saves the environment" of throwing out the T-Mobile SIM if you won't be using it.
you are living in a closed shell. People who travel need unlocked phones! Just cause you are stuck in USA yourself doesn't mean that others are fine with locked phones!
Why even pay the subsidized price from AT&T when you can simply steal the phone?
Cost of subsidized phone + cost of breaking contract + cost of unlocking + first month's service (which you can't refund) is usually = or > to the unsubsidized cost and the unsubsidized phone saves all the hassle.
Can the SIM-less versions be sent (and used) to a T-Mobile store in the US?
- If yes, then I'm not sure why they make them...
- If no, then is there is a difference between the actual T-Mobile unlocked and the other unlocked? (besides the SIM).
Gary