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doxielover

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2011
972
166
CA
I just returned my two 6s plus rose gold to the Apple Store, guy said they are getting a bunch of returns today because everyone wants the sim free with band 30 lol.
 

randian

macrumors 6502a
Jan 15, 2014
780
354
Hopefully it's causing Apple enough of a loss that they just sell the SIM free from launch next year and/or stop selling phones with missing bands.
More likely they just release the sim-free model after the free return window has expired, like they've done in past years.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,024
7,867
I just returned home from my trip to the Apple Store with my SIM-free 6s, model A1633. I sent an email to the online dealer handling my Selectel account with the info he requested. Hopefully tomorrow the ESN change takes effect and the 6s is on Verizon towers.
Just put the SIM card from your old phone into the new one. If you don't have a nano-SIM get one from a Selectel retailer.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,024
7,867
Is band 30 the only difference on the one phone? If so, why make 2 models? Wouldn't it be more cost effective to just make the one with band 30 for everyone?

Good question. I would think so, but I guess not since Apple bothered making the different versions

Apple has gradually reduced the number of models over the years. With the iPhone 4s there were separate versions for Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Europe, and Asia. Now we are down to essentially two models, one with Band 30 and one without. AT&T is the only carrier world wide who uses it, and they are just now rolling it out. Next year it would not surprise me if there is just a single model.

Contrast this with Samsung, who still produces separate versions of the Galaxy S6 for Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
 

Broadus

macrumors 65816
Oct 26, 2011
1,108
649
Upstate SC
Just put the SIM card from your old phone into the new one. If you don't have a nano-SIM get one from a Selectel retailer.

Unfortunately, it seems a little more complicated because the SIM is not yet associate with my account, I guess. I have a new Selectel nano SIM. My 4S was on 3G and didn't need a Selectel SIM. They have to do something with their system and one's account if you move to a 4G phone.
 

Silver Idaten

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2015
578
882
Stratford, CT
Looks like I made the right call opting for the AT&T model. If god forbid I ever need to get it on Verizon, I have a Verizon 5S I can go through first or I can just demand the bastards whitelist my perfectly capable phone.
 

mpeterson78

macrumors member
Jan 17, 2008
33
7
Washington, DC
OK, so now I'm confused. I bought an ATT 1633 at full price last week, and was never asked any carrier info. I popped my ATT SIM into the phone and it worked fine. Then a few days after I made the purchase the SIM free model was released, and I thought, ok, no big deal, I already have that. Now I am hearing about this "whitelist" thing and now I'm wondering if I need to return my ATT phone and get the SIM free. I will be traveling internationally frequently and want the ability to just drop in any local SIM. Can I do this with the phone I have now? What is the whitelist that I'm hearing about?
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,024
7,867
OK, so now I'm confused. I bought an ATT 1633 at full price last week, and was never asked any carrier info. I popped my ATT SIM into the phone and it worked fine. Then a few days after I made the purchase the SIM free model was released, and I thought, ok, no big deal, I already have that. Now I am hearing about this "whitelist" thing and now I'm wondering if I need to return my ATT phone and get the SIM free. I will be traveling internationally frequently and want the ability to just drop in any local SIM. Can I do this with the phone I have now? What is the whitelist that I'm hearing about?

The whitelist is only for CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint. If you are traveling internationally, just drop in a SIM card and you are good to go. Actually, you can drop in a Verizon or Sprint SIM and it would work, too. However, if your phone isn't on their "whitelist" you might have a hard time getting Verizon or Sprint to give you that SIM card in the first place.
 

mpeterson78

macrumors member
Jan 17, 2008
33
7
Washington, DC
The whitelist is only for CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint. If you are traveling internationally, just drop in a SIM card and you are good to go. Actually, you can drop in a Verizon or Sprint SIM and it would work, too. However, if your phone isn't on their "whitelist" you might have a hard time getting Verizon or Sprint to give you that SIM card in the first place.

Ah ok so that is only if I ever want Verizon or Sprint service domestically. It doesn't affect any other CDMA or GSM carriers around the world? Also, what if I do want Verizon or Sprint service in the future, how would I get on that whitelist? And what is the point of it in the first place?
 

terraphantm

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2009
3,814
663
Pennsylvania
OK, so now I'm confused. I bought an ATT 1633 at full price last week, and was never asked any carrier info. I popped my ATT SIM into the phone and it worked fine. Then a few days after I made the purchase the SIM free model was released, and I thought, ok, no big deal, I already have that. Now I am hearing about this "whitelist" thing and now I'm wondering if I need to return my ATT phone and get the SIM free. I will be traveling internationally frequently and want the ability to just drop in any local SIM. Can I do this with the phone I have now? What is the whitelist that I'm hearing about?
Whitelist is only relevant to Verizon and Sprint. Otherwise both phones are identical.

And last year, AT&T and T-mobile phones were eventually added to the whitelist; I predict that will happen with the 6s too. So unless you want to use Verizon or Sprint right now, it's not a big deal
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,024
7,867
Ah ok so that is only if I ever want Verizon or Sprint service domestically. It doesn't affect any other CDMA or GSM carriers around the world? Also, what if I do want Verizon or Sprint service in the future, how would I get on that whitelist? And what is the point of it in the first place?
White lists are an anachronistic holdover from the days when CDMA carriers didn't use SIM cards. The phone's serial number had to be linked to a customer account in the carrier's database for the phone to communicate with the network. GSM carriers, by contrast, linked the customer account to the SIM card, which is why they never needed white lists. Now that all the main carriers are using SIM cards (a requirement of LTE) white lists aren't really necessary but Sprint and Verizon still use them.

It's possible Verizon will eventually white list all unlocked iPhone 6S models like they eventually did with the iPhone 6. However, until then, the only way is to ask their national office to add the phone when you switch. That said, an already active SIM card will work.
 

mpeterson78

macrumors member
Jan 17, 2008
33
7
Washington, DC
White lists are an anachronistic holdover from the days when CDMA carriers didn't use SIM cards. The phone's serial number had to be linked to a customer account in the carrier's database for the phone to communicate with the network. GSM carriers, by contrast, linked the customer account to the SIM card, which is why they never needed white lists. Now that all the main carriers are using SIM cards (a requirement of LTE) white lists aren't really necessary but Sprint and Verizon still use them.

It's possible Verizon will eventually white list all unlocked iPhone 6S models like they eventually did with the iPhone 6. However, until then, the only way is to ask their national office to add the phone when you switch. That said, an already active SIM card will work.

Great, thank you for the info and background history!
 

randian

macrumors 6502a
Jan 15, 2014
780
354
Now that all the main carriers are using SIM cards (a requirement of LTE) white lists aren't really necessary but Sprint and Verizon still use them.
More control and greater ability to extract junk fees on changes of phone. What's not to like if you're a carrier?
 

viperGTS

macrumors 68000
Nov 15, 2010
1,560
941
So is it confirmed that the SIM free version contains Band 30 plus all CDMA support? Is this the model to get?
 
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