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Apple Begins Offering Unlocked iPhone 4S in U.S. Online Store
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T-Mobile. They have a new set of monthly plans without a subsidy, on two lines it saves $40 per month or $960 over two years.
That's similar to what I just got. 1000 shared minutes, unlimited text, 2 gigs data per line (and slowed data after that as opposed to overages). $79 per month without the subsidy, with it it's $119. Bump that up to unlimited minutes and it's $99/139.
That is with a two year contract but we went with it because it's cheaper than their offerings without contract, and includes things like free minutes between T-Mobile phones and free nights and weekends. I would have loved to get an iPhone but even the monthly options for it are way more than what we're paying. We have the Samsung Exhibit II for $199 each (no-contract cost), which is shockingly good for that price, I couldn't believe how nice it is for such a cheap phone.
I'm sure an iPhone is nicer but going that route would probably be thousands more over two years. I can't imagine it's that much nicer, and I couldn't be happier with what we have.
That seems high considering you could be getting unlimited calls for $99 per month.
I'm pretty sure that most folks who want an iPhone also want a data plan for it. However, if you are in the camp where you don't want data on your iPhone (except for WiFi) then I can see the value here. I actually do the reverse of what you do where I always have data on my iPhone, but only sometimes buy an iPad data plan.
Yes, that's how I purchased my iPhone. I reserved one at the 5th Avenue store (since the other Apple Stores were out of stock) and then when it came time to purchase, directed the sales associate to process the sale as "device only" for the full purchase price ($749 for the 32GB version).
A colleague also purchased a phone from a store in New Jersey in the same way, and it worked out the same way.
If you are staying in NYC, I'd recommend going to one of the other stores besides 5th Avenue, since that store gets a lot of tourists and is quite a bit busier than the other stores. The Upper West Side, 14th Street, and SOHO stores are all relatively close to the tourist areas (and easily accessible by subway), and get less traffic. The New Jersey stores are even less crowded, but unfortunately are too far away except by car (and an expensive toll crossing).
Thanks man. But unfortunatelly all the store I find in the site says that is Unavailable. =/
Could anyone please confirm that this procedure is correct to get an unlocked iPhone 4s in the states: I go to an apple store, ask for an iPhone 4s with AT&T plan and precise that I want it as "device only". Upon activating (in the store or at home) with iTunes it will be unlocked. I just want to make sure not to end up with an AT&T locked phone in Europe 
Could anyone please confirm that this procedure is correct to get an unlocked iPhone 4s in the states: I go to an apple store, ask for an iPhone 4s with AT&T plan and precise that I want it as "device only". Upon activating (in the store or at home) with iTunes it will be unlocked. I just want to make sure not to end up with an AT&T locked phone in Europe
This is exactly what I'm going to do tomorrow if I can make a reservation tonight. So, please, cross your fingers, because I can end with a locked iPhone in Brazil.
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You know what, I was reading about the audio issues and I have decided to go with the iPhone 4 instead of the 4S, because the iPhone limited warranty is not valid in Brazil so that I wouldn't be able to get a replacement in my country. I hope I don't have the same issues with the 4, because I used to have the same kind of problems with my old iPhone 3GS. If it happens again, it will be my last iPhone.
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You need to log on right at 9:00PM Eastern Time, or preferably a few minutes early. They tend to last only a few minutes each evening. New York is 5 hours behind London. Otherwise, you can take your chances waiting at the store, but the weekend after Thanksgiving is about the worst time to shop anywhere in the US (at least if avoiding long lines is a priority).
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In general, Apple honors warranties worldwide. I haven't had an issue with the audio in mine. My advice would be to take your chances, and make a few calls before you go back. If the phone works well, then you can keep the 4S. Note that only the 8GB iPhone 4 is available in stores now. All the higher capacity models are the 4S.
Unfortunately, Apple has a deal with Brazilian carriers. Warranty is up to them so that Apple doesn't have technical support for iPhones in Brazil.
Anyway, I've followed your advice and made my reservation, but I don't have a social security number or an American ID. Do you think it would be an issue?
The procedure is walk into an Apple store and ask for a full price, unlocked iPhone. Or order it from Apple.com and select the unlocked models.Could anyone please confirm that this procedure is correct to get an unlocked iPhone 4s in the states: I go to an apple store, ask for an iPhone 4s with AT&T plan and precise that I want it as "device only". Upon activating (in the store or at home) with iTunes it will be unlocked. I just want to make sure not to end up with an AT&T locked phone in Europe
No, it shouldn't be an issue. Since you aren't signing up for a wireless plan, they won't run a credit check, etc. I had a colleague pick up my iPhone using my reservation and it worked just fine. He didn't need anything except a printout of my reservation e-mail.
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Are you coming in from Europe? Perhaps wake up early on Tuesday and log in at 9:00PM Eastern time. Alternatively, log in at 8:55pm on Tuesday night. Next Wednesday will likely be as empty as you'll ever see Manhattan since Americans are at the airport trying to leave. You might be able to snare one at one of the NYC stores.
The reservation site is here:
http://reserve.apple.com/WebObjects...roduct?lang=en&country=US&prelaunch=MC918LL_A
The stores will be closed on Thursday, and jam-packed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
I found a (non Apple) store that sells the phone without activation. But i'm not sure that means unlocked. do you know anything about that?
Officially unlocked iPhones are not yet available in Apple stores and online orders can take up to 2 weeks.
Seriously? You bought it as "device only" and it was locked after all?
You're scaring me here
Seriously? You bought it as "device only" and it was locked after all?
You're scaring me here
Yes, I'm serious. The Apple girl at the store told me she has activated a lot of iPhones and there was never a message like that ("congratulations..."). She told me people buy the device only iPhone in order to unlock it illegally, but it's not possible that it's unlocked by Apple. I insisted, I brought the device home to test with my iTunes, I went to a T-Mobile store and asked them to test for me... It was locked... I hope you are lucky, but I wasn't.
From what I have heard, right now only Apple is selling unlocked phones, and only "unofficially" since they are technically AT&T phones that Apple is selling unlocked as "device only." If it's purchased at an AT&T store, it will definitely be locked since AT&T orders them from Apple locked (even if they sell them at full price). If it's a non-authorized reseller, my guess is that they are locked.
The best bet is to get it from an Apple store. Keep trying to reserve one at 9:00PM Eastern. If you can't reserve one, it's worth a shot in the store. I think the lines are a lot shorter now since the phone has been out for over a month now.
True, but device-only AT&T phones should be unlocked if purchased from the Apple Store. That's how a lot of us got our "unlocked" phones.
It's possible that the person at the Apple Store didn't process the phone properly. Mine is definitely unlocked, and I got the "congratulations" message the first time it activated, though not when the 5.0.1 update was applied (which is not uncommon).
Really? That is so stupid. It's a database entry not a device limitation. I wonder why they are doing that.
No, it's not possible. I repeated "device only" one hundred times when I asked for my phone, activation was a simple proccess that I do by myself (no options to select about the kind of device), and, when I returned the phone, they made sure it was "device only" before they accepted the device back, since I couldn't break a contract with AT&T.
Have you see this?
http://jurenas.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/como-desbloquear-el-nuevo-iphone-4s/
sorry it's in spanish.
http://jurenas.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/como-desbloquear-el-nuevo-iphone-4s/
sorry it's in spanish.