Buying unlocked for AT&T - Nano Sim?

[jclardy]

So I am most likely going to leave AT&T after my contract is up in about a year. But I am still buying the new iPhone - unlocked.

My question is how do I get the phone on to my account? Does the phone come with a new nano-sim? Buying unlocked I assume it won't be tied to my AT&T account in any way, so how does this work?

Did anyone buy a 4S unlocked and have some experience?

 

[tbayrgs]

So I am most likely going to leave AT&T after my contract is up in about a year. But I am still buying the new iPhone - unlocked.

My question is how do I get the phone on to my account? Does the phone come with a new nano-sim? Buying unlocked I assume it won't be tied to my AT&T account in any way, so how does this work?

Did anyone buy a 4S unlocked and have some experience?

First, 'officially unlocked' phones likely aren't going to be available at launch--were made available about a month after launch for the 4s.

There was a workaround that worked for the 4s. If you bought the AT&T model at full retail from an Apple Store, it was actually already unlocked--just had to restore it through iTunes and you'd receive a popup message that it was unlocked. Unfortunately, you also cannot preorder the new iPhone 5 for full retail at launch, only new lines or subsidized upgrade (full or partial). I picked up a 4s at full retail a few days after launch at a local Apple Store and it was in fact unlocked.

Once you have the phone, just call AT&T or stop in one of their stores and they can activate the sim in the that phone for your line, since you obviously cannot swap out the new nano sim.

 

[jclardy]

First, 'officially unlocked' phones likely aren't going to be available at launch--were made available about a month after launch for the 4s.

There was a workaround that worked for the 4s. If you bought the AT&T model at full retail from an Apple Store, it was actually already unlocked--just had to restore it through iTunes and you'd receive a popup message that it was unlocked. Unfortunately, you also cannot preorder the new iPhone 5 for full retail at launch, only new lines or subsidized upgrade (full or partial). I picked up a 4s at full retail a few days after launch at a local Apple Store and it was in fact unlocked.

Once you have the phone, just call AT&T or stop in one of their stores and they can activate the sim in the that phone for your line, since you obviously cannot swap out the new nano sim.

OK interesting. I don't really care if it is "officially" unlocked, I just don't want to extend my AT&T contract any further.

If I went in line on launch day could I buy AT&T for full retail price and get it activated in an Apple store? Without extending my contract?

 

[tbayrgs]

OK interesting. I don't really care if it is "officially" unlocked, I just don't want to extend my AT&T contract any further.

If I went in line on launch day could I buy AT&T for full retail price and get it activated in an Apple store? Without extending my contract?

Won't know if you can buy one in store for full retail or not until the actual launch day but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to. However, you DO NOT want it activated by Apple. If the process works as it did for the 4s, you will need to hook it up to iTunes and restore it, I believe before activating it. Just contact AT&T and have the new phone activated for your existing line. And if you're worried about contacting AT&T because you think activating it through them will extend your contract--don't worry, it won't. They do cross upgrades (use subsidy on one line but use phone on another line on the account) all the time and the process is the same.