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iPad mini AT&T iPad with Verizon
- Thread starter heath223
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IIRC, no.
Verizon has a "policy" of where they will not activate devices that originated from other networks.
Although Verizon uses LTE for data (which uses a SIM card, like on AT&T and T-Mobile), when there is no LTE coverage, Verizon uses a technology called CDMA for their 3G data networks. This is the part that requires your device to be "approved" (and activated) to use their network, and I haven't seen anyone post any success with that (in terms of phones/tablets that came from other carriers).
On the flip side, AT&T and T-Mobile have no problems with letting devices that came from other networks (even Verizon) work on theirs, assuming the device is unlocked and supports their frequencies.
Verizon has a "policy" of where they will not activate devices that originated from other networks.
Although Verizon uses LTE for data (which uses a SIM card, like on AT&T and T-Mobile), when there is no LTE coverage, Verizon uses a technology called CDMA for their 3G data networks. This is the part that requires your device to be "approved" (and activated) to use their network, and I haven't seen anyone post any success with that (in terms of phones/tablets that came from other carriers).
On the flip side, AT&T and T-Mobile have no problems with letting devices that came from other networks (even Verizon) work on theirs, assuming the device is unlocked and supports their frequencies.
So it may work on LTE but when it goes to 3G is where the system would see it's not one of theirs and kick it out. I may just try it I found a mini for a good deal wifi will always work just thought it would be a bonus if it worked with Verizon.
I don't think it's quite that simple. In order to use iPad on Verizon, even just for LTE, you have to sign up for their service. And my understanding is that they won't let you sign up unless your iPad is in their system.
I've heard conflicting stories about this. If you call Verizon customer support, you can ask them to activate it for you. Of course the iPad won't be in their system, but if you keep insisting it's a Verizon iPad and that it must be a glitch with their system, you can have them transfer you to a superior who will manually input your iPad's info. I don't guarantee this will work though.
Second-Generation iPad minis (otherwise known as "iPad mini with Retina Display") and iPad Airs are compatible with all of the other LTE providers as Apple only has one model of cellular versions of each.
All you'd have to do is pop out the AT&T SIM card, pop in a Verizon SIM card and sign up for service.
This, however, does not apply to the first generation iPad mini, fourth generation iPad, or third generation iPad.
It's got nothing to do with the technology though. That's what the above people were saying. Even though there's only one model of the Air and Mini Retina, Verizon refuses to activate any iPads on their network that were not originally bought as VERIZON iPads. Even though the device itself is identical, if you buy an AT&T model, Verizon will refuse to activate it. It's really quite idiotic. Verizon likes to control everything (as does Sprint, they have the same policy for iPad activations), and their policies reflect this asinine attitude.
Yes, you can pop in a VZW SIM card, but what happens when you sign for VZW and they say no, you cannot use that iPad. Its a business decision, not an issue with technology.
To the both of you:
I'm saying that it's literally the same device. What's to tell Verizon that you bought that iPad Air/mini with retina with a different SIM in tow? They don't question where you buy the device compatible with their network unless you are bringing to them a device that is not compatible with their network.
Apparently Verizon keeps a database of which iPads they've sold. When you sign up for their service! they ask for your device ID. If your device ID is not in their database, they won't let you sign up for their service.
ATT IPAD with Verizon
That's why i believe you can activate the Verizon sim using another devices Meid. Then just pop it into the Verizon iPad after the sim is activated
That's why i believe you can activate the Verizon sim using another devices Meid. Then just pop it into the Verizon iPad after the sim is activated
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Yes, but do they keep a database of the iPads that Apple sells? I find it unlikely as this would have to account for every iPad sold through Apple, third party channels, as well as all refurbished units and in-warranty replacement units in AppleCare's possession. If you do an in-warranty swap of a Verizon iPad Air/mini with retina, they pop out your SIM card, take your old iPad, give you the replacement iPad and then pop your SIM card back in. Again, there is only one model of cellular iPad; therefore for all Verizon/Sprint/whoever knows, you are using a compatible iPad.
Where did you hear that?
I've been a member of HowardForums (which is the MacRumors of the cell phone community) and it seems like both Verizon and Sprint have had "policies" since at least the early 2000s that prevent devices compatible with their networks from being activated if the devices unique ESN/MEID isn't in their database. Devices from other carriers are not in their database.
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Companies like Apple manufacture devices for Verizon that roll off the line with a Verizon-specific ESN/MEID.
(a) Verizon has had a policy since 2009 of activating any compatible device on their network. I was pretty sure that this was common knowledge. In any event, the Air and the retina mini are the first iOS devices that are fully cross-carrier compatible and thusly only exist with one model. (For first generation minis and fourth gen iPads there were two different cellular models.)
(b) I've activated Verizon iPads that were not purchased from Verizon nor were new.
(c) Think about it. Which identifying piece of info present on the iPad itself would flag to Verizon "this isn't a Verizon iPad"? Take the in-warranty replacement scenario as an example. You are replacing your cellular iPad Air/retina mini; they're giving you a generic replacement model (as there is only one hardware model anyway) and you're transferring your existing SIM card into that generic replacement model as the generic replacement model doesn't come with a replacement SIM card.
Yes, but with only one hardware model for replacement, I find it highly unlikely that they make this incompatible.
I forwarded my work cellphone (Samsung galaxy S3 on verizon) to my iPhone, then I cut the sim and put it in my T-Mobile iPad and used it for a few months without issues.
Since then I have put the sim back in my S3 (with an adapter) and added my iPad to my AT&T mobile share plan.
So yes it works like that, but don't know if they will activate a plan for you.
Since then I have put the sim back in my S3 (with an adapter) and added my iPad to my AT&T mobile share plan.
So yes it works like that, but don't know if they will activate a plan for you.
On Verizon's network, the SIM card is only used to identify the device for the LTE segment of its network.
For Verizon's CDMA segments of the network (used for 3G (EVDO) and slower (1xRTT) data when there is no LTE coverage), a device identifies itself to Verizon by its built-in ESN/MEID number, which has nothing to do with the SIM card used for LTE.
Verizon iPads are Verizon iPads -- their device IDs are in the Verizon database, even if you don't directly buy them from Verison.
Nobody is saying they are incompatible. Just that Verizon won't activate them on their network. If you can fool them into adding the device to their database -- and some people have reported doing just that -- then they do work on Verizon.
As for when you get your iPads replaced, when replacing a Verizon iPad, Apple is supposed to give you another Verizon iPad. And ther's been cases where people have had their Verizon mistakenly replaced with a non Verizon iPad, and were subsequently unable to activate them with Verizon.
So here's a link to a page on Verizon's website that will clearly show if they'll allow a specific device to be activated on their network.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/nso/enterDeviceId.do
Guess what happens when you enter the IMEI of a device that originally came from another carrier?
Below is a screen shot of what happened when I typed in the IMEI of an AT&T iPhone 5s. I cut the last three numbers out of the screen shot for privacy reasons.
Attachments
When Apple replaces a cellular iPad Air or a cellular retina iPad mini, there's only one model that they replace it with regardless of carrier.
Of course the policy was different in previous generations where an AT&T iPad and a Verizon iPad were actually different physical models. With the iPad Air and retina mini (and ONLY those two products) the replacement units are interchangeable. The only difference is in what comes in the box when you first buy it.
The iPhone 5s and 5c (as well as any preceding iPhone) is not cross-carrier compatible in the same way that the iPad Air and retina iPad mini are and as a result, there are several different models of iPhone 5s and 5c that are otherwise the same (i.e. with the same color and capacity). That is why you'd get that message with your AT&T 5s.
Also, note the following:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/LTE/
http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
Furthermore, that's not to say that you won't have some idiot in either Verizon or Sprint's customer service that didn't get the memo that the two newest devices are the exact same on every network and that they'll look at the IMEI and say "oh, sorry sir, I cannot do that", but in most cases, with well trained customer service people, you totally can.
Again, any earlier iPad or the first generation iPad mini and that argument goes right out the window. I believe if you look at the third generation iPad on Verizon for example, Verizon is the ONLY network that model supports, whereas the fourth generation iPad on Verizon supports Sprint and a ton of other networks across the globe.
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This could be right, but I think I've also read reports of people getting an unactivated Verizon SIM, slipping it into an iPad Air or rMini that was from another carrier, and trying to sign up for Verizon service from the iPad, and they couldn't. If so, that is more than just incompetent sales people not being up to date, there is something in Verizon's system that is refusing to recognize these non Verizon iPads. I can't personally verify that this is the case, as all my iPads are Verizon.
Nobody's disputing the technical aspect of what you're saying.
Motorola, HTC, Samsung, etc have been making devices for US CDMA carriers since the early 2000s that are "cross-CDMA-carrier compatible".
Same hardware, same frequency support, etc.
My guess is that since it seems like most US CDMA carriers have roaming agreements with each other, they want the phones to work seamlessly, regardless of which US CDMA network it may happen to be native to (or roaming on).
An US Cellular-branded CDMA iPhone 5s or Galaxy S4 is the same phone as the Verizon version, but Verizon will not activate either of those devices on its network.
The fact that Verizon's self-activation web page (and from reading forum posts over the years, 9 out of 10 of their customer service reps) will not allow off-network devices to be activated seems to indicate what their actual policy on this is, no?
Next time I'm in my local Apple store, I'll jot down the various IMEIs from the Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile iPad Airs and minis and run them through the Verizon self-activation web page and see what they say.
Yep, this works. If you can get hold of a Verizon iPad (or IMEI/MEID), you can activate the SIM card using that and then pop it over to the non-Verizon iPad and it should work.
Neither Verizon nor Sprint really has to keep track of each individual iPad sold. Apple configures the carrier and installs the SIM cards in the factory so all Verizon or Sprint needs to do is get the list of IMEI/MEID from Apple. Heck, I'm guessing they don't even need a database of each individual IMEI and just go by the IMEI/MEID range. Given Verizon already keeps a database of the ESN/MEID of who knows how many phones in their system, I don't think adding a few hundred thousand more MEID's for iPad's would be too much of a burden.
