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Using Verizon unlocked on ATT here is what Apple Says

C

cc999

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2008
477
190
Just got done chatting:

Hello! Welcome to Apple. How can I assist you today?

question will a unlocked Tmobile iphone 6 work on Verizon?

Verizon is actually a CDMA network and T Mobile is a GSM network so they would not be compatible.

ok another question and this is verified in the newsgroups - Will a off contract Verizon iphone 6 work on ATT (unlocked)?

Verizon is CDMA and ATT is GSM so what we have been told is that would not be compatible.

that is contrary to what I am reading, supposedly the Verizon version of the iphone 6 has ALL the radios inside. You cannot verify this?

I cannot. There are GSM and CDMA models of each phone and they are intended for those networks.

for overseas (England) is the Tmobile version the better choice (unlocked)

Yes definitely.

ok thanks for the help


I could swear I read in these forums that an unlocked Verizon phone can be used with ATT. Who is correct?

CC
 
T

terraphantm

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2009
3,814
663
Pennsylvania
cc999 said:
Just got done chatting:

Hello! Welcome to Apple. How can I assist you today?

question will a unlocked Tmobile iphone 6 work on Verizon?

Verizon is actually a CDMA network and T Mobile is a GSM network so they would not be compatible.

ok another question and this is verified in the newsgroups - Will a off contract Verizon iphone 6 work on ATT (unlocked)?

Verizon is CDMA and ATT is GSM so what we have been told is that would not be compatible.

that is contrary to what I am reading, supposedly the Verizon version of the iphone 6 has ALL the radios inside. You cannot verify this?

I cannot. There are GSM and CDMA models of each phone and they are intended for those networks.

for overseas (England) is the Tmobile version the better choice (unlocked)

Yes definitely.

ok thanks for the help


I could swear I read in these forums that an unlocked Verizon phone can be used with ATT. Who is correct?

CC
Click to expand...

Apple reps don't know anything.

The Verizon phone will work fine on ATT, and an ATT/T-Mobile iPhone 6/6+ will work fine on Verizon. The hardware is identical
 
C

cc999

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2008
477
190
Thats what I thought

Can you verify that the Verizon phone actually has more LTE bands that the Tmobile unlocked or are they identical?

Thanks
CC
 
S

Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
I purchased a Verizon 6 Plus and I'm using it on AT&T network just fine. I even get LTE.

However, it is not to say that Verizon network will not work on the T-mobile/AT&T device because they will work on T-mobile/AT&T and I have tested this myself with an AT&T device that is unlocked. The only problem is while it does work, if you take AT&T/T-mobile iphone to Verizon, they will not activate a new sim because they will say that the device is not on their whitelist. You will need an active sim card to work.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
 
Last edited:
T

terraphantm

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2009
3,814
663
Pennsylvania
Not. True.

Despite what Apple claims, the T-mobile and ATT iPhone 6 and 6+ have CDMA enabled. All the LTE bands are the same between the three. As are the gsm bands. As are the CDMA bands. Not a single hardware difference exists.

Only the Sprint version has a few extra LTE bands, which have little consequence outside of Asia.
 
C

cc999

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2008
477
190
ok

OK so from what I am reading it makes NO difference to purchase the Verizon or the T-Mobile unlocked phone they are exactly the same. Correct?

CC
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,030
7,870
terraphantm said:
Not. True.

Despite what Apple claims, the T-mobile and ATT iPhone 6 and 6+ have CDMA enabled. All the LTE bands are the same between the three. As are the gsm bands. As are the CDMA bands. Not a single hardware difference exists.

Only the Sprint version has a few extra LTE bands, which have little consequence outside of Asia.
Click to expand...

The T-Mobile and AT&T iPhone 6 have the CDMA radio enabled, but since they aren't whitelisted, you can't use them to activate service on Verizon. If you have a SIM card from a phone that has been activated on Verizon, you can put it into an unlocked T-Mobile or AT&T iPhone 6 and it will work. I've personally confirmed this.

I can also personally confirm that I used a "Verizon" iPhone 5s on AT&T last year. That's all the store had in stock when I went there on launch weekend. This year I pre-ordered the T-Mobile version, but then after the fact did an assumption of liability on a Verizon account with unlimited data. I needed to activate the SIM on a "Verizon" phone, but after that, I could use the SIM in my "T-Mobile" iPhone 6.
 
C

Chatter

macrumors 6502a
Jun 10, 2013
724
479
Uphill from Downtown
cc999 said:
OK so from what I am reading it makes NO difference to purchase the Verizon or the T-Mobile unlocked phone they are exactly the same. Correct?

CC
Click to expand...

Correct. The only difference is that the TMo phone is sold for full price online. Its easier to buy and then pick up when you have time. The Verizon phone is only sold online as a contract but in the Apple store you can buy it out for full price.
 
C

cc999

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2008
477
190
You are right

You are correct Applejuiced. This is why I love these forums and all the great people who are here. Its unbelievable that the Apple reps are so misinformed!

CC
 
U

uptownnyc

macrumors 6502a
Mar 28, 2011
754
1,071
Chatter said:
Correct. The only difference is that the TMo phone is sold for full price online. Its easier to buy and then pick up when you have time. The Verizon phone is only sold online as a contract but in the Apple store you can buy it out for full price.
Click to expand...

That's the problem I've been having. I've wanted to buy the Verizon device so I could activate it on the Verizon network without an issue, but as you said - you can't just order the device online.

So if I buy the T-Mobile device, and get a Verizon SIM card, would I be able to activate that SIM using a friend's Verizon device then pop it into the T-Mobile iPhone6 to use on the Verizon network without any issues?
 
D

dcharleyultra

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2013
397
1
uptownnyc said:
That's the problem I've been having. I've wanted to buy the Verizon device so I could activate it on the Verizon network without an issue, but as you said - you can't just order the device online.



So if I buy the T-Mobile device, and get a Verizon SIM card, would I be able to activate that SIM using a friend's Verizon device then pop it into the T-Mobile iPhone6 to use on the Verizon network without any issues?
Click to expand...


I think you would then have your friend's phone number.

Like has already been said, buy Verizon on contract from Apple.com, pick up at Apple Store, have the Store complete and then cancel the transaction, and finally pay full price at the Apple Store for the original phone.
 
U

uptownnyc

macrumors 6502a
Mar 28, 2011
754
1,071
dcharleyultra said:
Like has already been said, buy Verizon on contract from Apple.com, pick up at Apple Store, have the Store complete and then cancel the transaction, and finally pay full price at the Apple Store for the original phone.
Click to expand...

Ultimately I'll be porting a # from Sprint. I'm assuming I shouldn't port that as part of the original purchase, correct?
 
K

kepler20b

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2014
483
411
the only carrier that will give you trouble getting an iphone to work on is sprint.


everyone else, assuming your phone is not blacklisted will work guaranteed 100% regardless where it came from or how it got into your hands (again, irrespective of blacklist)
 
C

Chatter

macrumors 6502a
Jun 10, 2013
724
479
Uphill from Downtown
uptownnyc said:
That's the problem I've been having. I've wanted to buy the Verizon device so I could activate it on the Verizon network without an issue, but as you said - you can't just order the device online.

So if I buy the T-Mobile device, and get a Verizon SIM card, would I be able to activate that SIM using a friend's Verizon device then pop it into the T-Mobile iPhone6 to use on the Verizon network without any issues?
Click to expand...

Aaah damn Verizon and their device lists. I honestly dont know how it works with porting numbers. I do know that a Verizon sim works in the "unlocked/TMo" phone with no issue. Sorry - this is not very helpful to you.
 
D

dcharleyultra

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2013
397
1
Using Verizon unlocked on ATT here is what Apple Says

uptownnyc said:
Ultimately I'll be porting a # from Sprint. I'm assuming I shouldn't port that as part of the original purchase, correct?
Click to expand...


I wouldn't port over the number until I had the phone I wanted. The Verizon Store can port the number for you.

I came from Sprint to Verizon this summer. You can bring your own phone to Verizon Edge if:
o the phone is a Verizon phone
o the phone has never been activated

I had this done at a Verizon reseller. The Edge program requires the phone to be financed. The store had me finance my own phone for $1. Worked like a charm. I did this with a 5s I got off Craig's List. I was lucky that it had never been activated. I bought my 6 Plus from the Apple Store, using the method I mentioned earlier. I then just swapped SIMs.
 
A

Allthings-I

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2014
390
58
cc999 said:
Just got done chatting:

Hello! Welcome to Apple. How can I assist you today?

question will a unlocked Tmobile iphone 6 work on Verizon?

Verizon is actually a CDMA network and T Mobile is a GSM network so they would not be compatible.

ok another question and this is verified in the newsgroups - Will a off contract Verizon iphone 6 work on ATT (unlocked)?

Verizon is CDMA and ATT is GSM so what we have been told is that would not be compatible.

that is contrary to what I am reading, supposedly the Verizon version of the iphone 6 has ALL the radios inside. You cannot verify this?

I cannot. There are GSM and CDMA models of each phone and they are intended for those networks.

for overseas (England) is the Tmobile version the better choice (unlocked)

Yes definitely.

ok thanks for the help


I could swear I read in these forums that an unlocked Verizon phone can be used with ATT. Who is correct?

CC
Click to expand...

1) Apple Employees stay on topic and do not drift off topic discussing about all the possibilities because cost to educate each customer is too high (meaning too much time is needed to be spent which is not efficient and it also causes more confusion amongst people as not everyone understands the first or even second time)....even if all questions answered, most people still tend to ask the same question again and again time after time. Being in retail business my self, I can tell you this: its much easier to guide someone toward 1 thing than to talk about all the other possibilities regarding that 1 thing.

2) You could have just searched the forums here, the community has done lots to go over this exact topic more than a dozen time, Here is my thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1781868/

any many other members before me have created and explained the difference between models and which variations of the iPhone support what features on what networks etc.

3) Apple is truly hard at work taking care of this model situation, I suspect next year we possibly may only have 1 model for the entire world which will have support for CDMA + GSM although I think the 2(3) models they have are simple enough.
 
jvette

jvette

macrumors 6502
Dec 29, 2007
264
0
I purchased a Straight Talk sim card for the $45 unlimited plan and put it in the phone and its using the AT&T network and works fine on a phone I got from Verizon. LTE and everything.
 
dmk1974

dmk1974

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2008
2,389
464
So if I go to Best Buy or Apple Store to buy a phone at full price and all they have are AT&T or Verizon, either one then will work just the same no matter what SIM I drop into it? I thought Verizon was the most universal version and better than AT&T?
 
B

Belmont31R

macrumors 6502
Nov 23, 2012
387
33
dmk1974 said:
So if I go to Best Buy or Apple Store to buy a phone at full price and all they have are AT&T or Verizon, either one then will work just the same no matter what SIM I drop into it? I thought Verizon was the most universal version and better than AT&T?
Click to expand...



If you buy a phone full price only buy it from the Apple Store as a "device only" purchase. Phones sold by AT&T through an AT&T store or 3rd party like Best Buy ARE locked out of the box regardless of how much you paid. Then you will have to deal with getting it unlocked by AT&T. I bought a full price 5S from Best Buy last year, and AT&T refused to unlock it. I actually bought more than 1 but they were changing their unlocking policies around that time, and the last one I bought was after they changed their internal policies. Now they will not unlock a phone even if bought full price unless its been on their network for a period of time, and you meet all the other eligibility requirements.

Just go to the Apple Store, and get the phone you want (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T). Tell whoever helps you that you are making a device only purchase. The phone will be unlocked this way.

I am using a Verizon iPhone 6 I bought device only from the Apple Store on AT&T with no issues. Popped the SIM out of my 5S, and its been 100% fine on AT&T. I also have an active T-Mobile SIM which also works perfectly fine.
 
C

cc999

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2008
477
190
confused

Allthings-I said:
1) Apple Employees stay on topic and do not drift off topic discussing about all the possibilities because cost to educate each customer is too high (meaning too much time is needed to be spent which is not efficient and it also causes more confusion amongst people as not everyone understands the first or even second time)....even if all questions answered, most people still tend to ask the same question again and again time after time. Being in retail business my self, I can tell you this: its much easier to guide someone toward 1 thing than to talk about all the other possibilities regarding that 1 thing.

2) You could have just searched the forums here, the community has done lots to go over this exact topic more than a dozen time, Here is my thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1781868/

any many other members before me have created and explained the difference between models and which variations of the iPhone support what features on what networks etc.

3) Apple is truly hard at work taking care of this model situation, I suspect next year we possibly may only have 1 model for the entire world which will have support for CDMA + GSM although I think the 2(3) models they have are simple enough.
Click to expand...

OK now I read your thread and it states:

T-Mobile A1549 / A1522 GSM
Unlocked: If purchased from Apple Store at Full Price It will be unlocked -- EIP / contract pricing not available via Apple Store / Apple.com
Locked: If purchased from a T-Mobile retail store whether financing or at full retail price or via 3rd party store on T-Mobile contract/financing plan. Phone will be LOCKED.
Carrier: T-Mobile allows you to request an unlock for your phone after 40 days of service with the carrier. Unlock works for any GSM carrier. US and other countries.
Will it work?: Yes This model will work on AT&T / T-Mobile and all MVNO networks that use AT&T / T-Mobile towers + All other GSM networks worldwide.

So according to your information the TMobile Unlocked phone does NOT work on the Verizon CDMA network?

CC
 
bruinsrme

bruinsrme

macrumors 604
Oct 26, 2008
7,174
3,036
I have 2 Verzion 5S's and a verizon 5 running on AT&T for 6 months without any issues.
 
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