Any difference at all between Verizon and T-Mobile 6s?

[Broadus]

I use a prepaid carrier on Verizon towers, so I obviously need a phone that possesses those CDMA radios. Bot Verizon and T-Mobile are the same model: A1688.

I can preorder a T-Mobile full price which comes unlocked to my house, or I drive 45 miles to an Apple Store to see if they will sell me a full-price Verizon 6s I've reserved without a Verizon contract.

Is there any reason not to preorder the full-price T-Mobile 6s that doesn't require an account?

 

[pudcraft]

My $0.02 - They are different model numbers I believe, but the internals are the same. There is a slight difference in radios in the AT&T version, but nothing that will prevent either from working on either network.

I do not think Verizon will sell an unlocked iPhone off contract, on launch. I have had this issue before with them. What I did instead, was open a line, sign a 2 year contract and pay the ETF. Fortunately, I can still do that because I have a grandfathered older plan that permits 2 year contracts.

Apple WILL sell you a full price iPhone, which is probably the best thing to do. However, you can just do T-Mobile version and ship it to you, and be done with it.

Either way, you can't really go wrong from the sounds of it.

 

[Broadus]

My $0.02 - They are different model numbers I believe, but the internals are the same. There is a slight difference in radios in the AT&T version, but nothing that will prevent either from working on either network.

I do not think Verizon will sell an unlocked iPhone off contract, on launch. I have had this issue before with them. What I did instead, was open a line, sign a 2 year contract and pay the ETF. Fortunately, I can still do that because I have a grandfathered older plan that permits 2 year contracts.

Apple WILL sell you a full price iPhone, which is probably the best thing to do. However, you can just do T-Mobile version and ship it to you, and be done with it.

Either way, you can't really go wrong from the sounds of it.

The only full-price iPhone which is not locked to a carrier is the T-Mobile model, right? I've read differing opinions whether the Apple Store will see a full-price device only Verizon 6s at launch.

BTW, according to this, the Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint 6s's (I guess there is a label on the box designating them) are all Model A1688. I wonder is a phone's particular IMEI will designate it as Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint. If so, I may not be able to use the T-Mobile on my prepaid carrier because ti will not be whitelisted by Verizon. In that case, the best thing may be to wait till I can get a Verizon full-price account-free 6s.

 

[sum1else]

The only full-price iPhone which is not locked to a carrier is the T-Mobile model, right?

The upgrade program says that the phones are all unlocked regardless of carrier.

 

[Broadus]

The upgrade program says that the phones are all unlocked regardless of carrier.

Right, but I'm not doing the upgrade program. I will buy one outright and use it for several years. Folks at the Apple Store tell me that they won't sell a phone even full price unless it is activated to the phone's carrier, but some on the forums here say that's not true.

I wish I knew for sure because it will take my morning next Friday to deal with the Apple Store, not to mention the 90-mile round trip.

 

[T5BRICK]

I've walked into an Apple store two years in a row and bought full price, unlocked iPhones. In 2013 I bought an unlocked AT&T iPhone 5s and in 2014 I bought an unlocked Verizon iPhone 6+. I will note that I did not do this on launch day, but within a month after launch.

 

[Broadus]

I've walked into an Apple store two years in a row and bought full price, unlocked iPhones. In 2013 I bought an unlocked AT&T iPhone 5s and in 2014 I bought an unlocked Verizon iPhone 6+. I will note that I did not do this on launch day, but within a month after launch.

That may be a difference.

I'm not dying to get one on launch, but I didn't want 6s availability to get pushed back a couple of months. I don't think it will since it the 6s preorder page on apple.com still shows a 9/25 delivery date for the 64GB 6s on all four carriers, whereas the 6s Plus is pushed 3 to 4 weeks back.