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Again, the carrier has to submit the unlock request once they verify that you paid full price and the device is not under contract.
You have to go to them not Apple directly.

Why would anybody buy a carrier-locked(Best Buy or otherwise) iPhone at full price?
Doesn't it make more sense to just buy the unlocked version from Apple directly? :)
 
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Why would anybody buy a carrier-locked(Best Buy or otherwise) iPhone at full price?
Doesn't it make more sense to just buy the unlocked version from Apple directly? :)

I hear you, I would go to Apple directly if possible.
But usually around release dates its hard to find them in stock and sometimes people get lucky at best buy or other retailers.
 
Why would anybody buy a carrier-locked(Best Buy or otherwise) iPhone at full price?
Doesn't it make more sense to just buy the unlocked version from Apple directly? :)
Sometimes Best Buy would offer some pretty decent deal, like $200 gift card or something
 
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Sometimes Best Buy would offer some pretty decent deal, like $200 gift card or something

Has Best Buy ever offered deals on smartphones at full retail prices?
I have only seen deals on DPP or 2-year contract pricing at Best Buy.
 
Has Best Buy ever offered deals on smartphones at full retail prices?
I have only seen deals on DPP or 2-year contract pricing at Best Buy.
True, straight discount seldom offered on full price, unlocked phones at Best Buy. There're always some tricks about it
 
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True, straight discount seldom offered on full price, unlocked phones at Best Buy. There're always some tricks about it

althoguh Best Buy has been offering pretty steep discounts off the full prices of unlocked version of Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in the last couple of month. Usuallya $200 gift card or just a straight $150 off.
 
Why would anybody buy a carrier-locked(Best Buy or otherwise) iPhone at full price?
Doesn't it make more sense to just buy the unlocked version from Apple directly? :)

Several reasons.
  • Availability - Apple store is out of stock or there isn't an Apple store close by.
  • Points - People may want to collect Best Buy points on their purchase.
  • Financing - People can use their Best Buy credit card and have 18 months of no interest.
  • Discounts - Best Buy has discounted iPhones in the past.
I have purchased all of my iPhones every year from Best Buy since the 3G for the reasons listed. I just purchased the SIM free 7 and 7+ a few days ago and just went through the AT&T unlocked process. It took less than an hour to process. It saved me the trouble from going to the Apple store and dealing with the holiday craziness.
 
I am going to use it not selling it. I activated it with verizon and it's unlocked

Thank you all for the amazing thread
I just bought an iphone 7 from bestbuy and i am planning to use it internationally..canada and europe.
I haven't activated it yet. You suggest that i use a verizon sim card to activate it and it will be unlocked? Im a tmobile customer.
Shall i just use anyone's verizon simcard and thats it?
Please let me know
 
Thank you all for the amazing thread
I just bought an iphone 7 from bestbuy and i am planning to use it internationally..canada and europe.
I haven't activated it yet. You suggest that i use a verizon sim card to activate it and it will be unlocked? Im a tmobile customer.
Shall i just use anyone's verizon simcard and thats it?
Please let me know
Yes, you must insert a verizon sim card first to activate it. Once activated it will remained unlocked permanently. So you can then take the verizon sim card out and insert the t-mobile and it will work.
 
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Thank you guys. Tried it today and it worked perfectly.
My question is if i reset the phone will it re-lock again to the first carrier? Lets say i use tmobile sim the next time?
 
Thank you guys. Tried it today and it worked perfectly.
My question is if i reset the phone will it re-lock again to the first carrier? Lets say i use tmobile sim the next time?
Nope it's unlocked for good. I've DFU restored mine a few times and I always get the Congratulations your phone is unlocked at the end.
 
Why not buy Apple gift card from Best Buy and use the gift card to buy sim free iPhone directly from Apple?
 
new to here and still confused about this problem with my terrible English ability. So I read the unlock policy of Verizon, it has one is about the prepaid phone, looks like it will lock the cell phone unless you use their network for a year? I just got one from Walmart (I'm not sure it's a prepaid phone or not, but I just got the device only in full price without any contract) and they gave me a Verizon SIM card, so I can use it for initially activate and the device is automatically unlocked then I can use other carriers?
 
new to here and still confused about this problem with my terrible English ability. So I read the unlock policy of Verizon, it has one is about the prepaid phone, looks like it will lock the cell phone unless you use their network for a year? I just got one from Walmart (I'm not sure it's a prepaid phone or not, but I just got the device only in full price without any contract) and they gave me a Verizon SIM card, so I can use it for initially activate and the device is automatically unlocked then I can use other carriers?

if you activate it with Verizon for the very first time, it will stay unlocked forever. If the one which you bought is refurbished then this means that it might be already activated before.
 
if you activate it with Verizon for the very first time, it will stay unlocked forever. If the one which you bought is refurbished then this means that it might be already activated before.
Is that means I just need a Verizon SIM card no matter the SIM card is activate or not right ? Because the sim card is come with the cellphone and I saw the sellsperson sacn the device's and sim card's barcode at the same time ,just afraid it has some special policy with this when I use that SIM card to active iPhone .
 
new to here and still confused about this problem with my terrible English ability. So I read the unlock policy of Verizon, it has one is about the prepaid phone, looks like it will lock the cell phone unless you use their network for a year? I just got one from Walmart (I'm not sure it's a prepaid phone or not, but I just got the device only in full price without any contract) and they gave me a Verizon SIM card, so I can use it for initially activate and the device is automatically unlocked then I can use other carriers?

Im not 100% about those phones sold at Walmart though and their lock policy.
This discussion was about phones bought at Best Buy.
Phones sold for walmart prepaid wireless services are cheaper and most of the times locked and dont work the same as just sticking a verizon sim and its done.
So find out for sure before you waste any money.
 
Im not 100% about those phones sold at Walmart though and their lock policy.
This discussion was about phones bought at Best Buy.
Phones sold for walmart prepaid wireless services are cheaper and most of the times locked and dont work the same as just sticking a verizon sim and its done.
So find out for sure before you waste any money.
Just tried to activate last night with Verizon Sim card. Before that, I checked the initially activate policy of the phone and it's 4000 US reseller flex policy so I think that situation is as same as Bestbuy, and I checked the activation policy again after initially activate shows current policy and next time policy are: US Verizon LTE Unlocked policy! right now works perfectly in any others carriers include international SIM card as well!
 
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Just tried to activate last night with Verizon Sim card. Before that, I checked the initially activate policy of the phone and it's 4000 US reseller flex policy so I think that situation is as same as Bestbuy, and I checked the activation policy again after initially activate shows current policy and next time policy are: US Verizon LTE Unlocked policy! right now works perfectly in any others carriers include international SIM card as well!

Sweet, glad it worked out!
 
My sister has been a Sprint customer for 14 years- She bought a 7plus 70 days ago when BB had a $300 gift card for the 256gb promo. Since I have Verizon and picked up her iphone - when I activated it I used my sim first.

Fast forward to last week she finally got tired of Sprints terrible service and ported over to T-Mobile under the carrier freedom promo. The T-Mobile sales guy kept telling her that her iPhone was locked to Sprint. My sister called me - the salesman then tried to tell me the difference between locked/unlocked until I said put a T-Mobile sim in it. Then he wanted to know how I knew to activate it first with my Verizon sim

My sister ended up paying 3 payments on her 7 plus total and really they paid her to take the phone when you factor in the $300 card she got
 
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