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Can i buy an iphone 7 unlocked preorder on the 9th

M

michael31986

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 11, 2008
4,590
704
I was looking at the iPhone 7Plus on apple.com and when i click on att it says i can buy it unlocked for 869. I thought apple didn't allow the buying of unlocked phones on preorder day? or is that only for unlocked phones with no carrier plan attached to it.

Basically i get the iphone unlocked, but i still use it with ATT.
 
michael31986 said:
I was looking at the iPhone 7Plus on apple.com and when i click on att it says i can buy it unlocked for 869. I thought apple didn't allow the buying of unlocked phones on preorder day? or is that only for unlocked phones with no carrier plan attached to it.

Basically i get the iphone unlocked, but i still use it with ATT.
Click to expand...

Clearly, it does say unlocked on Apple.com
[doublepost=1473278541][/doublepost]I assume preorder starts tomorrow night (Thursday) at midnight which is the start of Sept 9th. Is that right?
 
StarShot said:
Clearly, it does say unlocked on Apple.com
[doublepost=1473278541][/doublepost]I assume preorder starts tomorrow night (Thursday) at midnight which is the start of Sept 9th. Is that right?
Click to expand...
I always heard Apple did not sell unlocked iPhone for preorder until after.

But it looks like I can buy it unlocked but I picked att as my carrier. Anyone do this for pre order for the 6s
[doublepost=1473278746][/doublepost]
noobinator said:
I do not see what you are seeing.
Click to expand...

go to this link.. hit continue and it offers you at the bottom a one time payment for an unlocked iphone on att.
 
michael31986 said:
I always heard Apple did not sell unlocked iPhone for preorder until after.

But it looks like I can buy it unlocked but I picked att as my carrier. Anyone do this for pre order for the 6s
[doublepost=1473278746][/doublepost]

go to this link.. hit continue and it offers you at the bottom a one time payment for an unlocked iphone on att.
Click to expand...

No link.
 
michael31986 said:
I was looking at the iPhone 7Plus on apple.com and when i click on att it says i can buy it unlocked for 869. I thought apple didn't allow the buying of unlocked phones on preorder day? or is that only for unlocked phones with no carrier plan attached to it.

Basically i get the iphone unlocked, but i still use it with ATT.
Click to expand...
Not the "SIM-Free" version. n the US Apple always holds back that model for a few weeks. You can get the T-Mobile version without an existing mobile account, but there is a possibility it won't work on Verizon (it will work on AT&T just fine, though). It will be unlocked as long as you buy it from Apple.
 
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I'm confused which one to buy too - I'm currently on Ting (technically Sprint because I have a CDMA phone) but I want the maximum compatibility for travel or possible switching to another carrier.
 
KPOM said:
Not the "SIM-Free" version. n the US Apple always holds back that model for a few weeks. You can get the T-Mobile version without an existing mobile account, but there is a possibility it won't work on Verizon (it will work on AT&T just fine, though). It will be unlocked as long as you buy it from Apple.
Click to expand...
What's difference between sim free and when I click att as the carrier and it says one time payment unlocked
 
michael31986 said:
But j thought they didn't allow them on preorder day. Only much later on. Unless that's something else.
Click to expand...

Though it doesnt show as a "unlocked model" any iPhone fully paid purchased directly from apple.com or in a apple store is unlocked. I will go for a verizon model personally, as i do every year.
 
bmms8 said:
Though it doesnt show as a "unlocked model" any iPhone fully paid purchased directly from apple.com or in a apple store is unlocked. I will go for a verizon model personally, as i do every year.
Click to expand...
Ah okay. So sim free and unlocked paid in full for att are actually different. Sim free is if you don't have either of those carriers I guess
 
michael31986 said:
Anyone have experience with buying the unlocked att versions on preorder day?
Click to expand...

Michael you won't be able to buy a "unlocked" from a carrier. Only apple sells those phone.

You will be perfectly fine purchasing the ATT version. I personally buy the Verizon because it has the verizon bands and gsm bands. It was in the past tmu a more "world phone"

Im sure apple is trying to make less phones with the same bands included.

Other than my long post, you'll be fine with an ATT phone from apple (unlocked) :)
 
bmms8 said:
Michael you won't be able to buy a "unlocked" from a carrier. Only apple sells those phone.

You will be perfectly fine purchasing the ATT version. I personally buy the Verizon because it has the verizon bands and gsm bands. It was in the past tmu a more "world phone"

Im sure apple is trying to make less phones with the same bands included.

Other than my long post, you'll be fine with an ATT phone from apple (unlocked) :)
Click to expand...
Sorry I meant from Apple unlocked but associated with att. I would buy the Verizon one but I don't have. Verizon account.
 
Question, i dont have any carrier right now, and i want to buy(preorder) an iphone7 from the Apple homepage. Is it possible to use any of the phones without a plan or carrier account?
 
michael31986 said:
Sorry I meant from Apple unlocked but associated with att. I would buy the Verizon one but I don't have. Verizon account.
Click to expand...

You don't need to show proof of any carrier when purchasing outright att or Verizon etc
 
michael31986 said:
I was looking at the iPhone 7Plus on apple.com and when i click on att it says i can buy it unlocked for 869. I thought apple didn't allow the buying of unlocked phones on preorder day? or is that only for unlocked phones with no carrier plan attached to it.

Basically i get the iphone unlocked, but i still use it with ATT.
Click to expand...
Technically any iPhone bought outright at apple.com or any apple store will be unlocked. So if you order an iPhone on apple.com and choose to get the att model at full price, it will be unlocked.

Yes you still get to use it on AT&T.

I might wait and see if the sim-free model will be available but I'm going to guess not at launch. I know that for the 6S/6S Plus models, the sim-free model was released 2 weeks after initial launch. We'll see what Apple will do with the 7.
 
Shadowbech said:
Technically any iPhone bought outright at apple.com or any apple store will be unlocked. So if you order an iPhone on apple.com and choose to get the att model at full price, it will be unlocked.

Yes you still get to use it on AT&T.

I might wait and see if the sim-free model will be available but I'm going to guess not at launch. I know that for the 6S/6S Plus models, the sim-free model was released 2 weeks after initial launch. We'll see what Apple will do with the 7.
Click to expand...
Sim free is different how? As long as I can use the unlocked att phone in Europe with any sim. I'm good.
 
The only difference is that when you buy the sim-free model, it does not come with a sim card. When you buy a carrier based phone on apple.com (i.e AT&T) it does come with a sim card, even if you choose to pay outright, it will still come with a sim card but i'm sure you can remove that and insert your current one and you are good to go and should be unlocked, ready to use overseas.
 
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Has SIM free even been announced for the 7? They are using two different modem chips between zgSM and CDMA models so I'm not sure they will have an "all networks" phone, perhaps only "all GSM" or "all CDMA" which could block those who want to be able to go back and forth between Verizon and AT&T for instance.

Also, re OP's question on Unlocked. It does seem new/different from previous releases I remember that carrier unlocked options are most of what is available.

E whole reason for Locking the phones in the US I the first place was because your 24month contract with AT&T for the $300 phone you bought included about another $300 baked into your services with the carrier. Now that most carriers have moved away from subsidizing the cost of the phone to different payment plans... Your phone doesn't need to be locked anymore.

You buy from Apple and finance through their citizens bank for $40/month - Apple gives you an unlocked phone because it's yours now, not yours and the carrier. And what your paying for with the carrier now is just the plan, they aren't charging you extra for the phone so they don't need to lock in until it's paid. (Except for AT&T next where they Are financing the phone for you)
 
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