Apple Begins Offering Unlocked, SIM-Free iPhone 5s Models in U.S. with 1-2 Week Shipping

[barkomatic]

Why pay for the phone --- full price, when you can buy the phone from ATT or who ever and pay someone to unlock the phone for you? You'll end up with money in your pocket.

My iPhone 5 was unlocked by a 3rd party last year without any issue. And the 5S can be unlocked by 3rd parties as well.

For anyone that DOES buy this unlocked phone, please post your photo on Reddit so the whole world can laugh at you.

An, for the record, Apple makes GREAT products but their Marketing is even better than the products they sell.

Signed,
PT "there's a sucker born every minute" Barnum

The cheap, third party unlocks are a thing of the past. They cost around $100 now and they often don't go through. Also, even if you manage to get your subsidized iPhone unlocked you are still tied to a carrier with a contract and you can't cancel service without paying an ETF.

Some people don't like carrier contracts.

 

[elgrecomac]

Well then...

you are living in a closed shell. People who travel need unlocked phones! Just cause you are stuck in USA yourself doesn't mean that others are fine with locked phones!

Apparently you didn't read my post. Of us who live in the USA, buy a GMS iphone and get it unlocked by a 3rd party. It is simple and it works and you save money rather than buying one at full price.

And, for the record, I'd rather pay $100 to unlock than full price for the phone.

I use my 3rd party unlocked iphone in Europe all the time. No biggy.

 

[typ993]

Isn't it simply incredible how expensive this stuff is?

Isn't it simply incredible that the 5S you're holding in your hand is as powerful as the MacBook Pro of a couple of years ago (according to benchmarks)?

 

[Ramio]

Well then, just buy the T mobile phone. But for the rest of us here in the usa, just get it unlocked by a 3rd party.

3rd party unlocks don't work anymore regardless of location

 

[SolRayz]

Those are awesome prices during this tough economic climate...I guess we should petition our corporate masters for a few more shekels.

 

[mpantone]

Can the SIM-less versions be sent (and used) to a T-Mobile store in the US?
- If yes, then I'm not sure why they make them...
- If no, then is there is a difference between the actual T-Mobile unlocked and the other unlocked? (besides the SIM).

Gary

Sure.

However, the activation process is streamlined if the proper SIM is already in the handset. This is probably less of an issue at a T-Mobile retail store, where SIMs are handy and plentiful, but at a third-party retailer (Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc.) this is more of an issue.

"Oh, I need to go find a SIM. They're in the back. Please wait right here."
"Oh, you wanted T-Mobile, not AT&T? Sorry, I'll be right back."
"They're in a locked cabinet. I need to find a manager with keys."
"Sorry, we ran out of SIMs; we'll get some next week. How about a Verizon iPhone?"

 

[boondocks]

Why pay for unlocking?

Apparently you didn't read my post. Of us who live in the USA, buy a GMS iphone and get it unlocked by a 3rd party. It is simple and it works and you save money rather than buying one at full price.

And, for the record, I'd rather pay $100 to unlock than full price for the phone.

I use my 3rd party unlocked iphone in Europe all the time. No biggy.

Why pay for unlocking services at all when you can ask your carrier to unlock your phone for free (after 1-2 months)?
For me - I'd rather have a fully usable/unlocked phone from the beginning without having to ask or pay anyone (even if that means paying full price initially).

 

[polymersayb]

Isn't it simply incredible that the 5S you're holding in your hand is as powerful as the MacBook Pro of a couple of years ago (according to benchmarks)?

To be fair Apple makes a huge margin on these phones (50%ish, and more for the larger capacity models because the price increments are obscenely out of proportion with the flash costs), but because most people buy it with contract they don't realize it.

 

[nilk]

The shipping time on the T-Mobile version is less than the "official" unlocked 5s. Order the T-Mobile. It's the same unlocked phone.

Thanks, good point. I ended up ordering the T-Mobile one.

Now the hard part is going to be having it in my possession the whole time before Christmas and resisting the urge to make it an early present She loves Christmas day and there's just something to unwrapping things on Christmas day. If her 3GS dies before then I'll make an exception, though

 

[Freida]

Apparently you didn't read my post. Of us who live in the USA, buy a GMS iphone and get it unlocked by a 3rd party. It is simple and it works and you save money rather than buying one at full price.

And, for the record, I'd rather pay $100 to unlock than full price for the phone.

I use my 3rd party unlocked iphone in Europe all the time. No biggy.

As far as I know 3rd party unlocks are not allowed so boosting about something that is not official is not the best approach, is it?

 

[TUD]

For the money, I rather purchase the 'device only' Verizon 5S, remove the Verizon SIM, install a AT&T SIM, and continue to use AT&T until they push me to the limit that I am finally ready to leave & go to Verizon.

 

[numlock]

Why pay for the phone --- full price, when you can buy the phone from ATT or who ever and pay someone to unlock the phone for you? You'll end up with money in your pocket.

My iPhone 5 was unlocked by a 3rd party last year without any issue. And the 5S can be unlocked by 3rd parties as well.

For anyone that DOES buy this unlocked phone, please post your photo on Reddit so the whole world can laugh at you.

An, for the record, Apple makes GREAT products but their Marketing is even better than the products they sell.

Signed,
PT "there's a sucker born every minute" Barnum

does this include people going to the states for a visit where they could perhaps save up to 50% compared to the price in their own country?

or frequent travelers as listed below

 

[MJedi]

Why buy a brand new luxury car when a used lemon with 100k miles will do?

I'm glad we all have options now. When the iPhone was launched, it was only on ONE carrier, and later it was locked to AT&T. Now, it's on all major carriers, and some regional ones. And we can get it on-contract or unlocked.

If you want to sign a 2-year contract, go ahead. If you don't like contracts, then you have that choice.

Unlocked phones are great for those who travel internationally. You get to use the local carrier, at local rates. If the phone was locked to your carrier, and wanted to use it abroad, be prepared to pay for those ridiculous roaming fees. Or pay for that very expensive, highway-robbery, international data plans.

For example, this is AT&T's international data plan:

$30 - 120MB
Overage: $30/120MB

$60 - 300MB
Overage: $30/120MB

$120 - 800MB
Overage: $30/120MB

Amazing, isn't it? A few trips abroad and roaming charges will make up for the "savings" you get from getting the phone subsidized.

 

[vmachiel]

called apple about this and the guy said because of limited available quantity.

would think that its at least partly to stop the gray market

Limited quality was an issue were I live too but still: unlocked available from day one.

 

[boondocks]

Full price: Cheap domestically too, for the light user!

...
I'm glad we all have options now. When the iPhone was launched, it was only on ONE carrier, and later it was locked to AT&T. Now, it's on all major carriers, and some regional ones. And we can get it on-contract or unlocked.

If you want to sign a 2-year contract, go ahead. If you don't like contracts, then you have that choice.

Unlocked phones are great for those who travel internationally. You get to use the local carrier, at local rates. If the phone was locked to your carrier, and wanted to use it abroad, be prepared to pay for those ridiculous roaming fees. Or pay for that very expensive, highway-robbery, international data plans.
...

Even if you don't travel internationally, if you are a light user it makes much more sense to pay full price then get on one of the MVNO's cheap (pay-as-yo-go) plans.
E.g.:
Verizon: $399 (iPhone 5s/64GB on 2year contract) + $90/month*24 + fees (?) ~= $2560
With MVNO (on AT&T's GSM network): $849 (iPhone 5s/64GB) + $80 (minimum price for 2 years of service)* ~= $930
Quite a savings for the (very) light user (~$1630 over 2 years)!

*From that $80 it is 5c/minute to talk, 10c/MB for data and 5c/text. Which fits with my usage (I do not text, use wifi nearly exclusively for data and do not use more than 20-30 minutes a month to talk, if even that). But of course would someone need more, they can always "refill" their balance at $10 increments...

 

[Nickerbocker]

Can you describe how you do this check? I'm suddenly very confused about this situation since I just assumed that the T-Mobile full-price phone was unlocked. Thanks!

Just goto this web site: http://iphoneimei.info/

Type in your iPhone's IMEI (should be on the box or in Settings->General->About).

 

[numlock]

Limited quality was an issue were I live too but still: unlocked available from day one.

yes but according the dutch website the 16gb costs about 700 euros with tax while the 16gb costs about 700 dollars with tax. obviously there is a big difference in the prices.

but i was purely speculating if that could be a reason because i know apple is very concerned about the gray market

 

[mac-money]

I wonder why it took months for the 5s, but the 5c it was normal.

 

[UnusedLoginID]

Just goto this web site: http://iphoneimei.info/

Type in your iPhone's IMEI (should be on the box or in Settings->General->About).

Doesn't work… Don't use…

I typed in my unlocked 5c and it said Unlock Status "unknown"… and of course asked me if I wanted to unlock the phone for a fee.
I typed in my locked Sprint 5 and it said Unlock Status "unknown" too.

Stop posting links to shady companies...

 

[TUD]

Doesn't work… Don't use…

Stop posting links to shady companies...

Worked just fine for me.

 

[Coleman2010]

so is the GSM model the same as they have in UK? So if I buy it on my trip to NY will it then work in EU the same way as if I bought it in UK?

No it is not the same. The UK model supports Band 7 LTE and the US model does not.

----------

Why pay for the phone --- full price, when you can buy the phone from ATT or who ever and pay someone to unlock the phone for you? You'll end up with money in your pocket.

My iPhone 5 was unlocked by a 3rd party last year without any issue. And the 5S can be unlocked by 3rd parties as well.

For anyone that DOES buy this unlocked phone, please post your photo on Reddit so the whole world can laugh at you.

An, for the record, Apple makes GREAT products but their Marketing is even better than the products they sell.

Signed,
PT "there's a sucker born every minute" Barnum

The 3rd party unlock services are going out of business. AT&T is blocking them from unlocking their iPhones.

----------

Can the SIM-less versions be sent (and used) to a T-Mobile store in the US?
- If yes, then I'm not sure why they make them...
- If no, then is there is a difference between the actual T-Mobile unlocked and the other unlocked? (besides the SIM).

Gary

The only difference is 1 have a T-Mobile SIM, the other does not. They're the exact same phone with the exact same unlock status.

 

[iKrl]

Why is there no in store pickup option for the unlocked models?

 

[John.B]

Yeah, I don't get why anyone in the US would get a GSM-only unlocked iPhone 5S/5C when they can get an off-contract Verizon iPhone5S/5C for the same money, which is identical in every way except that it will also work on the Verizon network with a Verizon SIM card...

 

[op1]

Why not get CDMA+GSM instead?

It seems to me that on purely technical grounds, the CDMA version may the best options for a “universal” phone in that it includes all the GSM bands of the GSM version, but then adds the CDMA radio for voice on Verizon/Sprint. Though that CDMA capability may not matter much for international use, it might be worth having if you find yourself moving and needing to change carrier within the US.

I don’t think you have to sign a contract with Verizon if you buy the phone outright and its at the same price as this GSM from Apple. So why not take that option instead? Am I missing something in the way of a CDMA version limitation for GSM use?

 

[boondocks]

Originally Posted by Freida:
so is the GSM model the same as they have in UK? So if I buy it on my trip to NY will it then work in EU the same way as if I bought it in UK?

No it is not the same. The UK model supports Band 7 LTE and the US model does not.

However (according to this Wiki) no operator in the UK is currently using LTE band 7. And since that is the only band the US iPhone 5s/5c does not support (compared to the iPhone 5c/5s sold in Europe), I would think - for the time being - you could get LTE (and everything else) just fine with the US iPhone 5s/5c in the UK.