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Carrier Are ATT iPhone 6's abile to work with VZ when unlocked?

B

biosci

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 16, 2010
750
36
Chicagoland, IL
I keep finding threads about the VZ and TMobile iPhone 6's being unlocked or being able to work back and forth. But I was just looking for confirmation that if an AT&T iPhone 6/Plus were unlocked, it would be able to take a VZ SIM card/account.

Thanks and sorry if this was answered in the past, I've been searching and couldn't find a direct answer.
 
Yes will work but not under a brand new activation. You would already need an active SIM card to move your sim to

Verizon doesn't have those AT&T and T-Mobile branded iPhone IMEI's in their database, and will refuse to activate the phone or a new line of service
 
Here's my experience with the iPhones:

The Verizon model sold by Apple has both the GSM and the CDA radios installed in them. Additionally Apple sends the associated SIM card number and Phone id to Verizon when you purchase it. The Verizon phones are always unlocked and can use a sim card from almost any competitor out there. I regularly travel to different countries and purchase a local sim to use rather than pay for the expensive international service.

ATT phones might me able to be used with Verizon if they have both radios in them. What you will need t do is first get a Verizon Micro Sim card and then register both the phone and the card number with Verizon for all the features to work correctly.

Here is a link which explains it really well:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/activate-4g-sim-card/
 
biosci said:
I keep finding threads about the VZ and TMobile iPhone 6's being unlocked or being able to work back and forth. But I was just looking for confirmation that if an AT&T iPhone 6/Plus were unlocked, it would be able to take a VZ SIM card/account.

Thanks and sorry if this was answered in the past, I've been searching and couldn't find a direct answer.
Click to expand...

Negative. An ATT phone will not work on VZW. However, a VZW phone will work on ATT.
 
mr99 said:
Negative. An ATT phone will not work on VZW. However, a VZW phone will work on ATT.
Click to expand...

That was correct up to a few months ago before the iphone 6 came out with all previous iphone models iphone 5S/5C and below.
Now if the AT&T or Tmobile iphone 6 is unlocked it will work on Verizon.
On both their CDMA and LTE network.
 
So I should be able to take a Verizon nano SIM and put it into an unlocked ATT iP6 without having to have "registered" the IMEI right?
 
from what I understand is
Verizon Cellphone can work on Vz, ATT and Tmobile and etc with no issues and get LTE and everything with no issues.

a ATT and or Tmobile phone unlocked will work on other carriers but will only have 3g not true LTE or etc.
 
Sulten said:
from what I understand is
Verizon Cellphone can work on Vz, ATT and Tmobile and etc with no issues and get LTE and everything with no issues.

a ATT and or Tmobile phone unlocked will work on other carriers but will only have 3g not true LTE or etc.
Click to expand...

It all depends on the radio bands your carrier uses. A Verizon iPhone 5 and newer can work and be activated on any GSM networks and Verizon (iPhone 5 LTE is limited to VZW). An unlocked AT&T and T-Mobile iPhone 6 and 6 Plus can be used on any GSM carrier and Verizon, however it cannot be activated on Verizon. You have to have an existing SIM card and account.
 
iamMacPerson said:
It all depends on the radio bands your carrier uses. A Verizon iPhone 5 and newer can work and be activated on any GSM networks and Verizon (iPhone 5 LTE is limited to VZW). An unlocked AT&T and T-Mobile iPhone 6 and 6 Plus can be used on any GSM carrier and Verizon, however it cannot be activated on Verizon. You have to have an existing SIM card and account.
Click to expand...
Exception to the activation rule appears to be Genius Bar replacements. All of those seem to be in the Verizon database.
 
BTW, when you get a phone unlocked, does it always pop up (in iTunes) that the phone is unlocked? Or does that only happen in certain cases like when the carrier themselves unlock the phones (usually happens after updating carrier settings)?
 
biosci said:
BTW, when you get a phone unlocked, does it always pop up (in iTunes) that the phone is unlocked? Or does that only happen in certain cases like when the carrier themselves unlock the phones (usually happens after updating carrier settings)?
Click to expand...

Only when the phone is unlocked by the carrier. If you buy unlocked, you don't get a message.
 
Model numbers are the same for VZW ATT T-Mobile and Sprint. But ATT locks their phones to their network. You will need to unlock.
 
Brdl04 said:
Model numbers are the same for VZW ATT T-Mobile and Sprint. But ATT locks their phones to their network. You will need to unlock.
Click to expand...

So does T-Mobile if bought from one of their stores or on JUMP!. If you buy your iPhone full priced from Apple, it's factory unlocked TMK. If you buy full priced from AT&T stores, it's locked but can be unlocked by calling AT&T.

Also, it doesn't matter if it's the same model. The "Verizon" iPhones have their IMEI/ESN sent to Verizon so it can be activated with no problem. The AT&T and TMO phones don't.
 
iamMacPerson said:
So does T-Mobile if bought from one of their stores or on JUMP!. If you buy your iPhone full priced from Apple, it's factory unlocked TMK. If you buy full priced from AT&T stores, it's locked but can be unlocked by calling AT&T.

Also, it doesn't matter if it's the same model. The "Verizon" iPhones have their IMEI/ESN sent to Verizon so it can be activated with no problem. The AT&T and TMO phones don't.
Click to expand...

Yes, but If you place an already active VZW SIM into any unlocked iPhone 6 it will work.
 
Brdl04 said:
Yes, but If you place an already active VZW SIM into any unlocked iPhone 6 it will work.
Click to expand...

That is correct. It sounded like you were saying that you would be able to use an AT&T iPhone on Verizon, activation and all. The only caveat is you need an activate SIM card.
 
Applejuiced said:
Don't you need an active sim to use any gsm phone?
This is pretty much the same as any unlocked phone.
You stick in a valid and active sim and it will work.
Click to expand...

The point is that with AT&T or T-Mobile you can open an account without a phone and just a SIM card. Verizon, even though they are increasingly an LTE network with a legacy CDMA network being phased out, still insists that an actual phone be "linked" to an account when you open it up. You can't just ask them to open up a line and give you a SIM card. However, once you have that SIM card you can then put it in whatever device you want, provided it is compatible with Verizon's network.
 
KPOM said:
The point is that with AT&T or T-Mobile you can open an account without a phone and just a SIM card. Verizon, even though they are increasingly an LTE network with a legacy CDMA network being phased out, still insists that an actual phone be "linked" to an account when you open it up. You can't just ask them to open up a line and give you a SIM card. However, once you have that SIM card you can then put it in whatever device you want, provided it is compatible with Verizon's network.
Click to expand...

Interesting.
My guess is probably within time they will be up to par with the rest of the carriers where you could just get a sim from them without the hardcoded device link.
 
From what I've learned. Verizon still has a lot of networks in cdma. You need to have some sort of device id to make the system work. It is not a true gsm network that's why they insist on having a device. Most if not all Verizon's phone never had a SIM card, the only way the network recognize the phone is by imei or other identification number.
 
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