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Are all 7's & 7 Plus' unlocked?

J

JLEW700

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2008
353
0
Hi guys,

Im a little behind the times so sorry if this is a really stupid question but are all iphone 7's & 7 Plus' carrier unlocked as long as you buy for full price? Meaning it doesn't matter if I buy a tmobile, sprint, verizon, or att phone; as long as I buy it off contract and pay full price I can pop whatever sim in it and it will work?

Thanks
 
Thanks for the quick responses and clarification on "world iPhone"! Much appreciated!
 
I bought a sprint 7+ model at full price from Apple Store. put in att sim and haven't had any problems!
 
So, if I purchase an AT&T iPhone outright with cash today from the Apple Store it will be unlocked for use on T-Mobile?
 
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rambo47 said:
All Verizon 4G phones are factory unlocked out of the box. They've been doing that for a year or more now.
Click to expand...
They have been doing this since September 21, 2012 at the very least. That date was the launch day for the iPhone 5, the first LTE-capable iPhone. Since the agreement with the FCC is that all Verizon LTE capable phones come unlocked out of the box - then this would be the date it all started for Verizon iPhones.

No idea if there were LTE phones on Verizon before the iPhone 5.
[doublepost=1474677827][/doublepost]
rambo47 said:
No. Last I heard, Sprint phones are still locked. Sprint is pretty good about providing unlock codes as long as you're a customer in good standing and have been so for six months.
Click to expand...
Sprint iPhones are unlocked if you pay full price from Apple.

If you buy from a Sprint store you need to have the phone active on an account in good standing for 50 days - even if you pay full price.

As a general note - iPhones do not use unlock codes. The IMEI is simply submitted to the unlock database by the carrier.
 
wannabelean said:
No. The world/global phone is with A1778 and the A1784 which are unlocked tmobile/att phones. Check here - http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...iphone-7-att-t-mobile-global-a1778-specs.html and http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...e-7-plus-att-t-mobile-global-a1784-specs.html.
Click to expand...

That website has inaccurate information because it claims that A1660 (Verizon/Sprint) won't work with at&t or T-Mobile and doesn't even mention that it supports GSM.

From https://www.techwalls.com/iphone-7-plus-model-differences/

1. A1660: The iPhone 7 A1660 is considered the global phone as it is compatible with both GSM and CDMA networks. This model is available in the United States, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong and China. In the US, you can get the A1660 on Sprint and Verizon, or when you buy the SIM-free version.

Cellular bands:

  • FDD-LTE bands 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 12 (700 a MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 27 (800 SMR), 28 (700 APT MHz), 29 (700 de MHz), 30 (2300 WCS)
  • TD-LTE bands 38 (TD 2600 MHz), 39 (TD 1900 MHz), 40 (TD 2300 MHz), 41 (TD 2500 MHz)
  • TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
  • CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
  • GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
  • UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
 
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I talked with an apple store employee today. They told me I would have to buy an iPhone 7 and register it with the designated carrier before it could be unlocked.
I'm not sure what the unlock procedure is.
If you compare the purchase screens with the iPhone 6s, it makes me think the iPhone 7 is not unlocked but unlockable.
MacRumors post about 6s SIM-Free option.
 

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Last edited:
Hello All Im new here and need some URGENT advise i just bought the iPhone 7 Plus Sprint from and apple store at full price basically unlocked. Just need to know if this is fully unlocked and can be used on Vodafone India. Would highly appreciate for a quick response as I am flying back tomorrow afternoon and if its not gonna work back home i still have the option for a return before i leave.. Thanks a lot in advance
 
LaidBack said:
I talked with an apple store employee today. They told me I would have to buy an iPhone 7 and register it with the designated carrier before it could be unlocked.
I'm not sure what the unlock procedure is.
If you compare the purchase screens with the iPhone 6s, it makes me think the iPhone 7 is not unlocked but unlockable.
MacRumors post about 6s SIM-Free option.
Click to expand...

I don't know what Apple Store you walked into and who u spoke with but I wouldn't talk to that same person, ever, again, because they must not have rung out an iPhone 7 purchase and didn't think to ask someone else for the fact before telling you that.

If you buy online, you have no choice but to pick a designated carrier and they will force you to prove you have an account with them and so it will be "locked" like another poster on here with their Verizon and T-Mobile example.

If you buy in store, the employee can ring it out and not activate the phone, therefore selling it to you 'unlocked'. You can't do this on financing and you can't do this with subsidized plans. It must be paid in full, credit or cash, at time of ring out.

I could go on about why this is the way it is, but frankly no one wants to read an essay on here.
 
Makatak9777 said:
Hello All Im new here and need some URGENT advise i just bought the iPhone 7 Plus Sprint from and apple store at full price basically unlocked. Just need to know if this is fully unlocked and can be used on Vodafone India. Would highly appreciate for a quick response as I am flying back tomorrow afternoon and if its not gonna work back home i still have the option for a return before i leave.. Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
verify if the following is true for India...

e36a1e95e5c26819e44b12c7d9422bf3.jpg


then cross reference it with the info in my previous post.
 
Which carrier?


Aircel - 40 Airtel - 3, 40 Idea - 3 Jio - 40 Telenor - 3 Vodafone - 3

Then look at http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/#iphone-7-iphone-7-plus
[doublepost=1474767503][/doublepost]
Makatak9777 said:
Hello All Im new here and need some URGENT advise i just bought the iPhone 7 Plus Sprint from and apple store at full price basically unlocked. Just need to know if this is fully unlocked and can be used on Vodafone India. Would highly appreciate for a quick response as I am flying back tomorrow afternoon and if its not gonna work back home i still have the option for a return before i leave.. Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
^
[doublepost=1474767596][/doublepost]
Makatak9777 said:
Hello All Im new here and need some URGENT advise i just bought the iPhone 7 Plus Sprint from and apple store at full price basically unlocked. Just need to know if this is fully unlocked and can be used on Vodafone India. Would highly appreciate for a quick response as I am flying back tomorrow afternoon and if its not gonna work back home i still have the option for a return before i leave.. Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
merging posts, thanks
 
tallazzPilipino said:
verify if the following is true for India...

e36a1e95e5c26819e44b12c7d9422bf3.jpg


then cross reference it with the info in my previous post.
Click to expand...

Thank You so much for the quick response but Im extremely bad at this and the network i use back home is Vodafone India so i dont even know how to check regarding this :(
 
Makatak9777 said:
Thank You so much for the quick response but Im extremely bad at this and the network i use back home is Vodafone India so i dont even know how to check regarding this :(
Click to expand...
Vodafone is lte band 3

All phones (sprint, Verizon, att & tmobile) have it

You're fine
 
rainafterthesun said:
Vodafone is lte band 3

All phones (sprint, Verizon, att & tmobile) have it

You're fine
Click to expand...

Thank you so much you just made my last night in LA a happy one... I do travel a lot on business and now wondering if this is a good move for me.. cant be checking bandwith every time i visit a new country... why cant apple just release a fully unlocked phone on launch is beyond me...
 
eyoungren said:
They have been doing this since September 21, 2012 at the very least. That date was the launch day for the iPhone 5, the first LTE-capable iPhone. Since the agreement with the FCC is that all Verizon LTE capable phones come unlocked out of the box - then this would be the date it all started for Verizon iPhones.

No idea if there were LTE phones on Verizon before the iPhone 5.
[doublepost=1474677827][/doublepost]
Sprint iPhones are unlocked if you pay full price from Apple.

If you buy from a Sprint store you need to have the phone active on an account in good standing for 50 days - even if you pay full price.

As a general note - iPhones do not use unlock codes. The IMEI is simply submitted to the unlock database by the carrier.
Click to expand...
The 4s came to Verizon. It wouldn't of mattered on either the 4s or 5 neither of them had a GSM chip on it.
 
Makatak9777 said:
Thank You so much for the quick response but Im extremely bad at this and the network i use back home is Vodafone India so i dont even know how to check regarding this :(
Click to expand...
I can't confirm anything for you other than provide info from online...

https://www.frequencycheck.com/countries/india

your phone model is on the back on your iPhone. should be A1661. just match up the Bands/frequencies.
 
rainafterthesun said:
I don't know what Apple Store you walked into and who u spoke with but I wouldn't talk to that same person, ever, again, because they must not have rung out an iPhone 7 purchase and didn't think to ask someone else for the fact before telling you that.

If you buy online, you have no choice but to pick a designated carrier and they will force you to prove you have an account with them and so it will be "locked" like another poster on here with their Verizon and T-Mobile example.

If you buy in store, the employee can ring it out and not activate the phone, therefore selling it to you 'unlocked'. You can't do this on financing and you can't do this with subsidized plans. It must be paid in full, credit or cash, at time of ring out.

I could go on about why this is the way it is, but frankly no one wants to read an essay on here.
Click to expand...
Remember that IUP qualifies as cash and is unlocked out of the box.
 
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