Can unlocked GSM 5s be used on Sprint?

[meandmyiphone]

Just bought earlier this year and am on TMobile which, mysteriously, now seems to have nearly no service at my house or at my office (10 miles apart). Crappy service in between.

Need lots of data so ATT is very expensive.

Like Sprint plans.

Thanks

 

[markyr17]

Just bought earlier this year and am on TMobile which, mysteriously, now seems to have nearly no service at my house or at my office (10 miles apart). Crappy service in between.

Need lots of data so ATT is very expensive.

Like Sprint plans.

Thanks

No,

Sprint will only allow you to activate a device that was bought FOR their network. Verizon is the same way. Though the unlocked phone technically have the frequencies to work on the CDMA carriers, they won't work unless you buy the "right" version.

 

[juanrp]

Nope, Sprint won't allow it.
You can buy one straight from Sprint and activate it on their network.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

Try Cricket. It's prepaid but uses the AT&T network. Your phone won't be allowed on Sprint.

 

[eyoungren]

Sprint is CDMA. A GSM phone will not work on a CDMA network, just like a CDMA phone will not work on a GSM network.

As has been said, you'll need to buy a new phone.

 

[sjperformance]

Can unlocked GSM 5s be used on Sprint?

Never. Need a sprint only CDMA iPhone for that.

 

[juanrp]

Sprint is CDMA. A GSM phone will not work on a CDMA network, just like a CDMA phone will not work on a GSM network.

As has been said, you'll need to buy a new phone.

I thought I'd see you here.

Buy a new phone, OP, then move on with your life.

 

[markyr17]

Sprint is CDMA. A GSM phone will not work on a CDMA network, just like a CDMA phone will not work on a GSM network.

As has been said, you'll need to buy a new phone.

That's not entirely true. CDMA phones and GSM phones all have the same internals. A Sprint iPhone which is CDMA will work just fine with all GSM networks, except it's carrier locked to Sprint. You can request an unlock for international use, which will allow the phone to work internationally on GSM networks, but never in the USA on other GSM networks.

All of Verizon's LTE phones are unlocked. As of the iPhone 5s, all iPhones are world phones, meaning they all have the required frequencies. A Verizon iPhone 5s works perfectly on all GSM carriers. The kicker here really is the fact that Sprint and Verizon won't allow "other" phones to be activated on their network.

 

[eyoungren]

That's not entirely true. CDMA phones and GSM phones all have the same internals. A Sprint iPhone which is CDMA will work just fine with all GSM networks, except it's carrier locked to Sprint. You can request an unlock for international use, which will allow the phone to work internationally on GSM networks, but never in the USA on other GSM networks.

All of Verizon's LTE phones are unlocked. As of the iPhone 5s, all iPhones are world phones, meaning they all have the required frequencies. A Verizon iPhone 5s works perfectly on all GSM carriers. The kicker here really is the fact that Sprint and Verizon won't allow "other" phones to be activated on their network.

Got you. Was thinking of the 5 and below and not the 5s, even though this thread is about the 5s. Thanks for the catch!

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I thought I'd see you here.

Where? In a Sprint thread? No, you must have me confused with someone else?

OP, you're stuck with a new phone. By the way, Sprint has a draconian unlock policy so your new phone will be locked to Sprint.

 

[meandmyiphone]

Thank you all for your insights.

I am not (and dont know who is) OP.

I was afraid this was the answer despite the 5s being capable.

May mean Sprint doesnt get me and my 4 phones as customers.

 

[Tthomas612]

Thank you all for your insights.

I am not (and dont know who is) OP.

I was afraid this was the answer despite the 5s being capable.

May mean Sprint doesnt get me and my 4 phones as customers.

I will tell you that I do have an unlocked iPhone 5s on the Sprint network. However it was bought at the Apple Store. It's a long story, but it does work with GSM AND CDMA.

 

[meandmyiphone]

My 5s' came unlocked from Apple store. So, please share the long story.

 

[eyoungren]

I am not (and dont know who is) OP.

Just to clarify, OP is shorthand for (O)riginal (P)oster. You started the thread, therefore you are the original poster.

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My 5s' came unlocked from Apple store. So, please share the long story.

I'll let him tell it, but it's a story of woe and despair, punctuated by frequent visits to Apple, lengthy phone conversations with Apple managers and at one point a garage door.

But he'll tell it better than I will because it happened to him, not me.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

That's not entirely true. CDMA phones and GSM phones all have the same internals. A Sprint iPhone which is CDMA will work just fine with all GSM networks, except it's carrier locked to Sprint. You can request an unlock for international use, which will allow the phone to work internationally on GSM networks, but never in the USA on other GSM networks.

All of Verizon's LTE phones are unlocked. As of the iPhone 5s, all iPhones are world phones, meaning they all have the required frequencies. A Verizon iPhone 5s works perfectly on all GSM carriers. The kicker here really is the fact that Sprint and Verizon won't allow "other" phones to be activated on their network.

The Verizon 5 is also GSM unlocked, although I think it doesn't have as many bands and so doesn't quite get perfect service on all GSM carriers. It is true that Verizon won't activate other phones though. Probably because the CDMA portion is permanently locked in AT&T and T-Mobile iPhones anyway.