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x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
5,576
3,234
is it possible to unlock my phone for selling purposes when the new one comes out by myself? how do i go about doing this?
 

akapaul

macrumors member
Feb 23, 2009
75
0
Chicago, IL
is it possible to unlock my phone for selling purposes when the new one comes out by myself? how do i go about doing this?

Definitely! Contact AT&T and they will give you the steps. I think the only prerequisite is that you have to be off contract.
 

Mac.World

macrumors 68000
Jan 9, 2011
1,819
1
In front of uranus
i am off contract. first day iPhone 4 buyer. :D

If you are off contract and in good standing with at&t, they will unlock it for you. Just dial 611 and tell the CSR that you want to unlock your phone. They do a quick check, tell you ok, send the info to Apple, everything is confirmed and anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 day, you plug in your iphone to your pc/mac and load up itunes and a "Congrats, your phone is unlocked" message will appear. Done.
 

minik

macrumors demi-god
Jun 25, 2007
2,117
1,560
somewhere
I chatted with AT&T online rep for over an hour and she submitted my request. It's been 3 business days and according to the email.

iPhone Unlock Request
Thank you for contacting AT&T Customer Care about unlocking your iPhone.
Your unlock request is presently under review. You will receive an “Issue Tracking Number” email within the next five to seven days indicating your issue has been resolved.

I was frustrated since she though I was still in contract since the system showed that I had an iPhone 4S. In fact, I bought a factory unlocked iPhone 4S at the Apple Store, but the IMEI nor AT&T system didn't care.
 

Mac.World

macrumors 68000
Jan 9, 2011
1,819
1
In front of uranus
I chatted with AT&T online rep for over an hour and she submitted my request. It's been 3 business days and according to the email.



I was frustrated since she though I was still in contract since the system showed that I had an iPhone 4S. In fact, I bought a factory unlocked iPhone 4S at the Apple Store, but the IMEI nor AT&T system didn't care.

AT&T system can't tell if you bought it unlocked or not. That part falls upon Apple. AT&T just makes the request for you after they ensure you aren't on a contract with them. I think you are mixing up unlocked and off-contract. Just because a phone is off contract, does not mean it is unlocked.

If you bought the phone unlocked, you can put any sim card in and it will display the carrier and signal info. You can make emergency calls, but no data on those other sims. I have a UK sim card from O2 that I use to ensure a phone is unlocked here in the US. Sounds to me like your phone either isn't unlocked or because it is already unlocked you have confused the system. :D
 

minik

macrumors demi-god
Jun 25, 2007
2,117
1,560
somewhere
AT&T system can't tell if you bought it unlocked or not. That part falls upon Apple. AT&T just makes the request for you after they ensure you aren't on a contract with them. I think you are mixing up unlocked and off-contract. Just because a phone is off contract, does not mean it is unlocked.

If you bought the phone unlocked, you can put any sim card in and it will display the carrier and signal info. You can make emergency calls, but no data on those other sims. I have a UK sim card from O2 that I use to ensure a phone is unlocked here in the US. Sounds to me like your phone either isn't unlocked or because it is already unlocked you have confused the system. :D

Sorry for the confusion. I bought a subsidized iPhone 4 and it re-uped my AT&T contract for another 2 years till 7/28/2012. Last year, I bought a factory unlocked iPhone 4S online, called AT&T for the correct 4S data plan and gave them the 4S IMEI.

Days ago, I requested to unlock my iPhone 4. The AT&T CS rep automatically assumed I want to unlock the 4S. She didn't ask which device and even wanted me to renew the contract in order to unlock a device :confused: . 40 mins after, I simply gave her my iPhone 4 IMEI and that took another 25 mins.
 

kevink2

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2008
1,842
294
i am off contract. first day iPhone 4 buyer. :D

I believe I bought mine either the 3rd or 4th of July, 2010.

And I unlocked my old 3G and 4 this last week. Backed up and restored. Though only tested the 3G with a non ATT SIM since the SIM was full sized.

I may give my 4 away in the next few weeks to my brother in law who I'm trying to convince my sister to have him upgrade from straight Prepaid to the iPhone with Straight Talk. Then he could do some email and web, and not have to sign a 2 year contract unless he wants to for a subsidized phone. I can live with the 3G as a slow phone for a month or so until a new iPhone comes out since I have an iPad for running my apps that need 5.
 

ineel

macrumors regular
Jul 8, 2010
211
11
At&t

Call AT&T and they will give apple
Permission to unlock your phone. You'll have to restore your phone and youll get a message in iTunes your phone has been unlocked
 

fullmanfullninj

macrumors regular
Dec 30, 2009
232
0
Be clear with them. You are off contract now. Tell them specifically you bought your iPhone 4 two years ago, your contract expired recently and you would like to unlock the 4. Explain that the 4S on your line is a phone you bought from Apple factory unlocked.
 

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
5,576
3,234
well called them and took them a while but they unlocked it said i should restore it for it to be unlocked but i wont be able to tell its unlocked. anyway to tell that is it?
unlocked phones sell for more right?
 

minik

macrumors demi-god
Jun 25, 2007
2,117
1,560
somewhere
I finally received an email 2 days ago, so the whole process took them 14 days. However, I have a regular size T-mobile SIM card and don't feel like trimming it to fit my iPhone 4.
 

x-evil-x

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
5,576
3,234
so i called att and they told me i can unlock it to restore the phone. This was two weeks ago. i did that never got an your device is unlocked message.
checked online to see if it was still locked and it says it was.
called again today and att told me my phone is unlocked. i dont know if it is or not honestly. The other site is telling me its not and Att is telling me it is.
 
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