a full price, unsubsidized verizon phone...

[LapsangSouchong]

Would work on AT&T? I've officially lost track.

 

[Obscurelight]

I believe they only sell AT&T iPhones at full price.

 

[LapsangSouchong]

I believe they only sell AT&T iPhones at full price.

Hmm. this makes it sound otherwise...but I've been known to wishful-read.


http://osxdaily.com/2011/10/25/buy-iphone-4s-without-contract-unlocked/

 

[LapsangSouchong]

Just checked verizon's website. They will begin selling unsubsidized ones Nov4. But will still require a data plan.

 

[Obscurelight]

I wonder if it's actually unlocked though

 

[LapsangSouchong]

I wonder if it's actually unlocked though

Yeah, I wonder.... I'd be tempted to buy my unlocked iPhone from Verizon, since I intend to move my accounts there next year.

 

[NathanA]

Hmm. this makes it sound otherwise...but I've been known to wishful-read.


http://osxdaily.com/2011/10/25/buy-iphone-4s-without-contract-unlocked/

I don't think that article is correct. I believe the Apple stores are only set up to unlock AT&T models sold at full-price. (In theory, they should be able to do this for any SKU, but I don't think they have programmed the point-of-sale system to do so, at least yet.)

I actually have first-hand experience with this, because I went to the closest Apple Store to me in order to buy an unlocked iPhone using the "Device Only" AT&T model trick. It turns out that I walked out the door having paid full-price for a *Verizon* phone, not an AT&T one...they grabbed the wrong model from the stock room! I didn't realize what had happened until I got home and looked at the receipt, which plainly said "Verizon" on it. I know the sales clerk rang it up as "Device Only" because I saw her do it, and I paid full-price, and they never asked me for any account information.

I tried putting my AT&T SIM in it, and it told me I couldn't activate the phone without a valid SIM.

I returned it the next day in exchange for an AT&T one. When I powered that one on, I was given the "Congratulations, you're unlocked" screen on iTunes. So paying full-price for the Verizon model did not work, but paying full-price for the AT&T one did.

-- Nathan