AppleCare replaced at&t iPhone 6 is able to activate on Verizon

[ineel]

I tried looking for this online and on macrumors, but i found nothing. I recently had my unlocked at&t iPhone 6 replaced at the apple store due to receiver issues. I know through these forums that Verizon and Sprint doesn't activate iPhones unless they are their own version of the phone. Just for the hell of it, I went to Verizon's ESN checker page (http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/nso/enterDeviceId.do?&&zipRdr=y&zipRdr=y) and entered in my MEID number found in settings. To my surprise it said my device is compatible with the verizon network and ready to be activated as soon as I get a sim card for it. I tried doing the same thing for sprint, but they don't have a ESN checker, but one of the MVNO carriers do (RingPlus) and I was given the green light there as well.

I thought that maybe verizon simply just started activating all iPhones, but I still had the box my original iPhone 6 came in and i entered the MEID of that phone and both verizon and sprint mvno declined the MEID as compatible.

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear everyones input on this

 

[hockeyman94]

From my experience when I replaced my iPhone 5 it asked me which carrier i would like to select from a list but it was on iOS 6 though and when I replaced my 6 plus it didn't ask me it just activated right away to Verizon although I would like to know what happens

 

[eyoungren]

I recently had my unlocked at&t iPhone 6 replaced at the apple store due to receiver issues.

Uhm…unlocked is unlocked. It means your phone has the potential to be activated on any network.

 

[AndrewR23]

Uhm…unlocked is unlocked. It means your phone has the potential to be activated on any network.

Correct But Sprint will not activate an iPhone 6 unless its either the Sprint version or sim free version right?

 

[0007776]

With the iPhone 6 at least Verizon, and maybe Sprint will activate factory unlocked iPhones on their networks. Other ones will work if you already have an active Verizon SIM from a different phone.

 

[terraphantm]

With the iPhone 6 at least Verizon, and maybe Sprint will activate factory unlocked iPhones on their networks. Other ones will work if you already have an active Verizon SIM from a different phone.

At least with Verizon, if an AT&T or T-Mobile phone is replaced by AppleCare or the genius bar, the replacement can be activated on Verizon as if it was a native Verizon phone.

 

[eyoungren]

Correct But Sprint will not activate an iPhone 6 unless its either the Sprint version or sim free version right?

I'm not so certain that's true any more. Sprint can't afford to turn away customers and as of February a lot of their restrictive, draconian policies in regards to unlocking and activation have gone away.

There certainly is no guarantee they will, but again I'm not sure it's actual policy any more.

 

[AndrewR23]

I'm not so certain that's true any more. Sprint can't afford to turn away customers and as of February a lot of their restrictive, draconian policies in regards to unlocking and activation have gone away.

There certainly is no guarantee they will, but again I'm not sure it's actual policy any more.

The sprint model is A1586. All the other models are A1459. So even if sprint activated one of those phones, it won't support all the other LtE bands internationally right?

 

[eyoungren]

Well, it will support whatever bands it was designed for (based on the carrier). The SIM free model of course has the most bands but it's not like the Verizon or AT&T phones can't be used on a foreign carrier at all.

 

[AndrewR23]

Well, it will support whatever bands it was designed for (based on the carrier). The SIM free model of course has the most bands but it's not like the Verizon or AT&T phones can't be used on a foreign carrier at all.

True. Any phone unlocked will work with foreign carrier. Although my friend has a Verizon iPhone 6 that didn't work in China. So things are a bit weird.

 

[ineel]

Yup, I know my iPhone is unlocked. The back story is that Verizon and Sprint do not activate iPhones (even if they are unlocked) unless they were bought from them or sold by apple as branded phones. It looks like Sprint has started accepting any unlocked iPhone 6, but Verizon still has the policy of not activating unlocked iPhone 6 unless it was white listed for their network. My intent of this post is to confirm/educate the community that AppleCare replacement phones are white listed for Verizon/Sprint even though I have at&t as my carrier.

Thanks for everyones input!

 

[eyoungren]

Yup, I know my iPhone is unlocked. The back story is that Verizon and Sprint do not activate iPhones (even if they are unlocked) unless they were bought from them or sold by apple as branded phones. It looks like Sprint has started accepting any unlocked iPhone 6, but Verizon still has the policy of not activating unlocked iPhone 6 unless it was white listed for their network. My intent of this post is to confirm/educate the community that AppleCare replacement phones are white listed for Verizon/Sprint even though I have at&t as my carrier.

Thanks for everyones input!

My understanding is that Verizon still won't activate (despite showing you the info you found). But you can get around this by using an already activated Verizon SIM.

 

[pinebeltdesign]

There are two types of technologies used for cell phones in the United States. GSM and CDMA. Even if your phone is unlocked, if you have one model of the phone and your carrier only uses the other cell technology, you can't use that carrier. For instance unlocked cell phones will not work with CDMA Carriers like Sprint, Verizon, Boost or Virgin.

 

[AndrewR23]

There are two types of technologies used for cell phones in the United States. GSM and CDMA. Even if your phone is unlocked, if you have one model of the phone and your carrier only uses the other cell technology, you can't use that carrier. For instance unlocked cell phones will not work with CDMA Carriers like Sprint, Verizon, Boost or Virgin.

thats usually true but in regards to the iPhone 6 and 6+, all of them support CDMA and GSM no matter which carrier its on. Unlocked that is.

And if you work for Applecare, you'll get fired for posting on this site, no?

 

[pinebeltdesign]

thats usually true but in regards to the iPhone 6 and 6+, all of them support CDMA and GSM no matter which carrier its on. Unlocked that is.

And if you work for Applecare, you'll get fired for posting on this site, no?

We sign an agreement, but we are free to talk about what is publically released by Apple.

 

[Attack Eagle]

Why don't you call Verizon and ask them to check if the IMEI is activate-able. Won't take you 5 minutes and you will have an answer, instead of guesses.


Also, just because your replacement is ok for VZW and you formerly had an ATT phone, doesn't mean you got a ATT IMEI. AT&T will activate any IMEI. Ergo you could have been given a VZW white listed IMEI, and since it is fully compatible with AT&T...

Your experience doesn't mean that all AppleCare IMEI are transferable between companies.

 

[ArtVandelay29]

My understanding is that Verizon still won't activate (despite showing you the info you found). But you can get around this by using an already activated Verizon SIM.

I have an unlocked AT&T iPhone 6 Plus that I want to use on Verizon. Verizon website says it's compatible. My question is really about the "using an already activated Verizon SIM." Can I borrow a friend's activated SIM, insert it in my phone and make a call or whatever, and then subsequently activate a new Verizon SIM in my phone? (hope that made sense!)

 

[eyoungren]

I have an unlocked AT&T iPhone 6 Plus that I want to use on Verizon. Verizon website says it's compatible. My question is really about the "using an already activated Verizon SIM." Can I borrow a friend's activated SIM, insert it in my phone and make a call or whatever, and then subsequently activate a new Verizon SIM in my phone? (hope that made sense!)

Yes, it makes sense. No, you can't do what you want.

The first part is right. You could put your friend's SIM in there and you would be able to use the phone under your friend's phone number because the SIM is already active.

But activating the phone itself with a new Verizon SIM after doing this is the "no" part. You are activating the SIM, not the phone.

The phone is irrelevant to this. It's the SIM that has to be active on Verizon. Some people work around this by buing the cheapest phone they can with a SIM (of the correct type), activating and then switching the now activated SIM into the actual phone they want to use it in.

 

[ArtVandelay29]

Yes, it makes sense. No, you can't do what you want.

The first part is right. You could put your friend's SIM in there and you would be able to use the phone under your friend's phone number because the SIM is already active.

But activating the phone itself with a new Verizon SIM after doing this is the "no" part. You are activating the SIM, not the phone.

The phone is irrelevant to this. It's the SIM that has to be active on Verizon. Some people work around this by buing the cheapest phone they can with a SIM (of the correct type), activating and then switching the now activated SIM into the actual phone they want to use it in.

UGH. But thanks for the info eyoungren!

 

[mattopotamus]

There are two types of technologies used for cell phones in the United States. GSM and CDMA. Even if your phone is unlocked, if you have one model of the phone and your carrier only uses the other cell technology, you can't use that carrier. For instance unlocked cell phones will not work with CDMA Carriers like Sprint, Verizon, Boost or Virgin.

As others pointed out, this does not apply to iphones as they have both GSM and CDMA technologies. All iphones work on all networks; however, verizon will only activate a new iphone on a new account if it is the verizon iphone or the SIM free version.