Best way to Unlock 1-Year old iPhone 4S GSM

[Wicked1]

I have my old iPhone 4S in Mint condition that I want to Unlock and sell to someone at work, what is the best method to unlock this phone, it is off AT&T, but not active at the time, however even though it was replaced with an iPhone 5 it is still under AT&T's contract until 12-2013.

 

[coolio93]

I have my old iPhone 4S in Mint condition that I want to Unlock and sell to someone at work, what is the best method to unlock this phone, it is off AT&T, but not active at the time, however even though it was replaced with an iPhone 5 it is still under AT&T's contract until 12-2013.

http://www.swiftunlocks.com

2 dollars. It cant get easier than this.

 

[charlituna]

I have my old iPhone 4S in Mint condition that I want to Unlock and sell to someone at work, what is the best method to unlock this phone, it is off AT&T, but not active at the time, however even though it was replaced with an iPhone 5 it is still under AT&T's contract until 12-2013.

Do you like the person you are planning to sell it to. Because these third par unlocks void all right to service via Apple. They won't even let you buy a swap if they spot that it was unlocked in such a way.

If it is someone you would rather not be a dick to then call AT&T you might find that they are willing to unlock your 4s since your contract basically transferred over to the iPhone 5

 

[coolio93]

Do you like the person you are planning to sell it to. Because these third par unlocks void all right to service via Apple. They won't even let you buy a swap if they spot that it was unlocked in such a way.

If it is someone you would rather not be a dick to then call AT&T you might find that they are willing to unlock your 4s since your contract basically transferred over to the iPhone 5

I have no idea where you got that from as I have personally unlocked multiple iPhone 4 and 4s's and have had some of them replaced at apple under warranty with no problems. And the replacements I got from apple were always factory unlocked.

 

[Applejuiced]

Do you like the person you are planning to sell it to. Because these third par unlocks void all right to service via Apple. They won't even let you buy a swap if they spot that it was unlocked in such a way.

The post above is incorrect and full or false assumptions.
Warranty repairs will not be a problem either if you're under AppleCare coverage or want to pay for an out of warranty replacement.

 

[hexonxonx]

Since swiftunlocks and any other unlocking service unlocks the same exact way a carrier does there would be no way to tell if the phone was carrier unlocked so using these services would never be a problem.

Not sure why people think this would void the warranty. You have an iPhone unlocked you will get an unlocked phone under warranty.

 

[charlituna]

The post above is incorrect and full or false assumptions.
Warranty repairs will not be a problem either if you're under AppleCare coverage or want to pay for an out of warranty replacement.

Read the terms and conditions of the limited warranty and AppleCare and you will see that both include statements that modified phones are NOT covered and not eligible for OOW priced repairs.

Apple knows the state the phone was sold in and whether it was unlocked by the authorized carrier. If you bring in a phone that is unlocked that says it should be locked they will send you away with said phone, over and done.

Yes some of these companies claim to have access to the IMEI whitelists by the carriers. But you can't be sure they have access to that system reporting properly to Apple the change in state. So the BEST way is to be sure it was done correctly and call the actual carrier who would do it for free and correctly, not some third party that will charge you and possibly screw it up.

 

[hexonxonx]

Read the terms and conditions of the limited warranty and AppleCare and you will see that both include statements that modified phones are NOT covered and not eligible for OOW priced repairs.

Apple knows the state the phone was sold in and whether it was unlocked by the authorized carrier. If you bring in a phone that is unlocked that says it should be locked they will send you away with said phone, over and done.

Yes some of these companies claim to have access to the IMEI whitelists by the carriers. But you can't be sure they have access to that system reporting properly to Apple the change in state. So the BEST way is to be sure it was done correctly and call the actual carrier who would do it for free and correctly, not some third party that will charge you and possibly screw it up.

There is no way for Apple to know if the phone was carrier unlocked or not. The phone simply shows as unlocked and will not stop a warranty replacement plain and simple.

 

[charlituna]

There is no way for Apple to know if the phone was carrier unlocked or not. The phone simply shows as unlocked and will not stop a warranty replacement plain and simple.

The point isn't so much Carrier v purchased unlock as that they know it was originally locked and if its not done correctly it will still show as locked but the phone is on a network not the one it was bought for which tells them it's been unlocked by a means other than calling the original carrier. And that voids all service rights per the terms.

So again, the BEST way is to call the carrier first before doing anything else. Folks need to stop assuming that they won't unlock anything, particularly when it was replaced by a newer model that picked up the contract. Because typically they will and its totally legit, done properly and keeps you within all the appropriate terms

 

[mrbrown]

Read the terms and conditions of the limited warranty and AppleCare and you will see that both include statements that modified phones are NOT covered and not eligible for OOW priced repairs.

An unlocked phone is not a modified phone. An unlock is not a modification, as long as it is not done with something like a gevey unlock or a software modification (i.e. replacing the iPhone's baseband with the iPad's).

Apple knows the state the phone was sold in and whether it was unlocked by the authorized carrier.

They know whether or not it was locked when it was sold. There is no way to tell whether or not an unlock is authorized or unauthorized because presumably, these people who are unlocking iPhones on the cheap are doing it in some clandestine way -- in other words, a carrier's employee is putting your phone into the database. As far as Apple knows, it appears to be an unlock authorized by the carrier.

If you bring in a phone that is unlocked that says it should be locked they will send you away with said phone, over and done.

See above. As far as Apple knows, the unlock is authorized by the carrier.

 

[hexonxonx]

The point isn't so much Carrier v purchased unlock as that they know it was originally locked and if its not done correctly it will still show as locked but the phone is on a network not the one it was bought for which tells them it's been unlocked by a means other than calling the original carrier. And that voids all service rights per the terms.

So again, the BEST way is to call the carrier first before doing anything else. Folks need to stop assuming that they won't unlock anything, particularly when it was replaced by a newer model that picked up the contract. Because typically they will and its totally legit, done properly and keeps you within all the appropriate terms

No, that is not always the best choice. I bought a new 4S in January and had it unlocked two weeks later so I could cancel my contract and move to T-Mobile. Being that I had just used my upgrade to buy the 4S, AT&T would not have unlocked it.

 

[charlituna]

in other words, a carrier's employee is putting your phone into the database. As far as Apple knows, it appears to be an unlock authorized by the carrier.

IF it was done correctly.

The OPs question was what is the BEST way to unlock a phone. Not the quickest, not the sneakiest but the BEST. And the best way is the one that insures that it is done properly, doesn't risk borking your phone or voiding your warranty and that is calling the carrier.

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No, that is not always the best choice. I bought a new 4S in January and had it unlocked two weeks later so I could cancel my contract and move to T-Mobile. Being that I had just used my upgrade to buy the 4S, AT&T would not have unlocked it.

Did you call them and ask them or are you falsely assuming they would say no.

Because you're wrong. If you cancel your contract and pay the ETF they will indeed unlock the phone. As has been pointed out by AT&T several times with all this DMCA stuff

In a similar vein the OP bought a full priced iPhone 5 because he owed AT&T for his contract. Which then likely transferred to the iPhone 5 meaning his deactivated iPhone 4s is no long on contract and thus eligible for unlocking by the carrier

 

[mrbrown]

IF it was done correctly.

The OPs question was what is the BEST way to unlock a phone. Not the quickest, not the sneakiest but the BEST. And the best way is the one that insures that it is done properly, doesn't risk borking your phone or voiding your warranty and that is calling the carrier.

Well, the best way in this instance, since the phone is still under contract, is to pay the $2 to some grey market unlock provider rather than paying the AT&T ETF, which is nearly the cost of a brand new unlocked iPhone 4.

Thousands of people have done it, 0 have had their warranty voided for doing so. If you know of somebody that has had their warranty voided, we'd all love to know.

 

[hexonxonx]

IF it was done correctly.

The OPs question was what is the BEST way to unlock a phone. Not the quickest, not the sneakiest but the BEST. And the best way is the one that insures that it is done properly, doesn't risk borking your phone or voiding your warranty and that is calling the carrier.

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Did you call them and ask them or are you falsely assuming they would say no.

Because you're wrong. If you cancel your contract and pay the ETF they will indeed unlock the phone. As has been pointed out by AT&T several times with all this DMCA stuff

In a similar vein the OP bought a full priced iPhone 5 because he owed AT&T for his contract. Which then likely transferred to the iPhone 5 meaning his deactivated iPhone 4s is no long on contract and thus eligible for unlocking by the carrier

They would not have unlocked my phone because I had planned on canceling the contract and not paying the ETF and still haven't. I could not handle not having data at home on AT&T and had planned on all along, buying the phone with my upgrade, unlocking and then moving to T-Mobile.

Don't care about my credit, it's been messed up for years and i have a bankruptcy that will be discharged in three months.

Nice thing about AT&T is they forget about money owed previously every 1.5 years. I've done this 3-4 times in the past so I know.

 

[Applejuiced]

Read the terms and conditions of the limited warranty and AppleCare and you will see that both include statements that modified phones are NOT covered and not eligible for OOW priced repairs.

Apple knows the state the phone was sold in and whether it was unlocked by the authorized carrier. If you bring in a phone that is unlocked that says it should be locked they will send you away with said phone, over and done.

Yes some of these companies claim to have access to the IMEI whitelists by the carriers. But you can't be sure they have access to that system reporting properly to Apple the change in state. So the BEST way is to be sure it was done correctly and call the actual carrier who would do it for free and correctly, not some third party that will charge you and possibly screw it up.

You are incorrect.
It's not a modified iPhone. It's imei is entered in the official unlocked database.
Nothing more or less.
Do what you want but you're posting false assumptions. Everyone gets their imei unlocked iPhones swapped and replaced with no probs.

 

[firedept]

I have my old iPhone 4S in Mint condition that I want to Unlock and sell to someone at work, what is the best method to unlock this phone, it is off AT&T, but not active at the time, however even though it was replaced with an iPhone 5 it is still under AT&T's contract until 12-2013.

First phone your carrier and ask if they will unlock the phone. Rogers in Canada will unlock any iPhone under contract after 90 days. This does not free you from the contract, but allows you to use the phone much cheaper if you are traveling out of country. You can buy a cheap sim card abroad and save roaming fee's or sell it, as you are planning.

Read the terms and conditions of the limited warranty and AppleCare and you will see that both include statements that modified phones are NOT covered and not eligible for OOW priced repairs.

Apple knows the state the phone was sold in and whether it was unlocked by the authorized carrier. If you bring in a phone that is unlocked that says it should be locked they will send you away with said phone, over and done.

Yes some of these companies claim to have access to the IMEI whitelists by the carriers. But you can't be sure they have access to that system reporting properly to Apple the change in state. So the BEST way is to be sure it was done correctly and call the actual carrier who would do it for free and correctly, not some third party that will charge you and possibly screw it up.

Are you thinking jailbroke? As for being unlocked, I just had it done to my iPhone 5 via third party with no issues. All that was done was my imei was entered into the unlocked database. No way does it effect my warranty, as I phoned Apple directly and checked before I did it. As no software or hardware is used to unlock the phone, it leaves the warranty in tact. Apple can only tell if it is locked or unlocked, nothing else.

 

[Wicked1]

First phone your carrier and ask if they will unlock the phone. Rogers in Canada will unlock any iPhone under contract after 90 days. This does not free you from the contract, but allows you to use the phone much cheaper if you are traveling out of country. You can buy a cheap sim card abroad and save roaming fee's or sell it, as you are planning.



with AT&T unless you hit your 18 months they say they will not unlock an iPhone based on Apple's rules. I had a Samsung Note II that was 2 weeks old and they unlocked it because only Apple puts severe restrictions on their phones. I have already replaced the 4S with a 5, so all I want to do is sell the 4S to a friend who travels around and it needs to be unlocked since he is going to use it all over EU.

 

[Satnam1989]

Swift's lack of prompt communication is their major drawback, I like working with people who can respond on the go and be there almost 24/7 especially if you are that big as swift is.

Not to mention their replies are usually 1-2 words long, its almost like they don't even read emails fully

 

[Applejuiced]

=firedept;17233567
with AT&T unless you hit your 18 months they say they will not unlock an iPhone based on Apple's rules. I had a Samsung Note II that was 2 weeks old and they unlocked it because only Apple puts severe restrictions on their phones. I have already replaced the 4S with a 5, so all I want to do is sell the 4S to a friend who travels around and it needs to be unlocked since he is going to use it all over EU.

That's BS.
AT&T does not want to unlock it and tries to point the finger to Apple.
Apple does not care if you fulfilled your contract or not. They just sell a device. AT&T is the one worrying if you unlock your iPhone you can get away from them and use it elsewhere.
They don't care so much about androids cause the popular phone is the iPhone.

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Swift's lack of prompt communication is their major drawback, I like working with people who can respond on the go and be there almost 24/7 especially if you are that big as swift is.

Not to mention their replies are usually 1-2 words long, its almost like they don't even read emails fully

I did many unlocks with swiftunlocks and never had to communicate or ask them anything.
I just pay the $2 and submit them my IMEI.
Then I check about a day later to see if the unlock is complete and I'm done.
If you got thousands of unlock orders per day its obvious hard to reply to everyone with simple questions that can be easily answered by their FAQ page. Is it ready yet, when is it gonna be ready, what do I have to do now? Do I have to restore with iTunes?

 

[firedept]

with AT&T unless you hit your 18 months they say they will not unlock an iPhone based on Apple's rules. I had a Samsung Note II that was 2 weeks old and they unlocked it because only Apple puts severe restrictions on their phones. I have already replaced the 4S with a 5, so all I want to do is sell the 4S to a friend who travels around and it needs to be unlocked since he is going to use it all over EU.

I would tell AT&T to go to heII. You can get the phone unlocked at many places on the internet. A quick search will provide you with many sites. The only advice I can provide you with, is make sure it is a reputable site. Cheapest is not always the best. Just add the unlock cost to the price you plan on selling it for. Unlocked phones are always worth more anyways.

 

[KAB2010]

Does swift unlock then allow you to edit the APN yourself? As AT&T (or Apple.. not too sure) has it to where I cannot edit my APN settings.

 

[Jordan921]

Do you like the person you are planning to sell it to. Because these third par unlocks void all right to service via Apple. They won't even let you buy a swap if they spot that it was unlocked in such a way.

If it is someone you would rather not be a dick to then call AT&T you might find that they are willing to unlock your 4s since your contract basically transferred over to the iPhone 5

Where are you getting your info? I got my previous iPhone 5 unlocked on eBay by unlock fusion and then had to get it replaced and had no issues. So let me ask again where are you getting your info that Apple won't replace the phone if its unlocked by a third party.

 

[DMaki650]

Where are you getting your info? I got my previous iPhone 5 unlocked on eBay by unlock fusion and then had to get it replaced and had no issues. So let me ask again where are you getting your info that Apple won't replace the phone if its unlocked by a third party.

I just had this happen not to long ago. I had my iPhone unlocked and then a weeks later my power button became sticky and they replaced it with no questions at all.