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Cancelled my contract and paid charges: is my iPhone now unlocked?

H

hallaisen

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 28, 2006
209
0
I was on a 3 year contract, but am moving abroad so I cancelled my contract and paid off all my charges. Will that unlock my iPhone, or do I have do anything else to it to get it "ready to go" for foreign use? I would call my cell company, but my phone was under my girlfriend's contract and I don't know the PIN number they request to get specific information about our account.

Edit:

More relevant info:

Carrier: Telus (Canada)
Phone: iPhone 4
iOS: 5.01
Contract: 3 years starting February 2011
 
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hallaisen said:
I was on a 3 year contract, but am moving abroad so I cancelled my contract and paid off all my charges. Will that unlock my iPhone, or do I have do anything else to it to get it "ready to go" for foreign use? I would call my cell company, but my phone was under my girlfriend's contract and I don't know the PIN number they request to get specific information about our account.
Click to expand...

carrier?
 
If by abroad you mean you're moving from the US to elsewhere, it's possible you can use it for international use.

The iPhone 4S is a true world phone that is unlocked for international use at your previous carrier's discretion.

Both the CDMA and GSM phones allow you to place in a GSM SIM Card from a European Carrier, for example, and use their network.

The "lock" really only applies to US Domestic Carriers; you can't go from Sprint to T-Mobile or Verizon or AT&T, etc.

Now, the reason I say it's unlocked at your previous carrier's discretion because it depends on your carrier. I know that Sprint locks theirs now but they shipped several with the international SIM slot unlocked for the users.

Now, you need to have an account in good standing for at least 90 days I think in order for Customer Service to unlock your international sim slot.

Hope this helps clarify.

If you had to call the carrier (or have your aforementioned girlfriend call the carrier to unlock it), they should be able to unlock it if it is actually locked.

Worst case scenario, you can sell it on eBay or Craigslist and then spend the money on an officially unlocked iPhone from Apple and use that.
 
If its a US carrier probably not. I think in Europe they do provide that type of service, but here in the US, AT&T does not unlock phones and I think (I could be wrong) Verizon will not either. I have no idea what sprint will or won't do, so I'll leave them out of the mix
 
AT&T will actually unlock any phone other than the iPhone. Sprint and Verizon will unlock the iPhone 4S for international use only if you've been in good standing on your contract for more than 60 days, and you may or may not have to pay a small one time fee.
 
pilot1226 said:
If by abroad you mean you're moving from the US to elsewhere, it's possible you can use it for international use.

The iPhone 4S is a true world phone that is unlocked for international use at your previous carrier's discretion.

Both the CDMA and GSM phones allow you to place in a GSM SIM Card from a European Carrier, for example, and use their network.
Click to expand...
Not by default. Firstly, iPhones sold through AT&T will only ever accept AT&T SIM cards, even if you travel overseas. Only unauthorized "hacking" can change that.

Secondly, iPhones sold through Verizon or Sprint will, by default, only accept special SIM cards, carrying Verizon or Sprint branding (respectively), whose sole purpose is to connect to their specially negotiated roaming partners internationally. (There was apparently an exception, where the first several shipments were delivered without this restriction - but they are the exception rather than the rule.)

If you are a customer in good standing for a certain minimum period of time, then you can pay a fee to Verizon or Sprint and they will remove the restriction on international SIM cards, so that you can roam internationally using local SIM cards rather than being forced to use the special Sprint or Verizon-branded SIM cards. However, as soon as you travel back to the USA, these phones will recognize the fact that a native CDMA service is available, and they will go back to only working on their home Sprint or Verizon services, regardless of whatever 3rd-party SIM card you may have installed.

So, unless you're willing to perform unauthorized hacks, the summary is:
1) AT&T customer? AT&T SIM card only, both domestically and internationally.

2) Verizon or Sprint customer?
2a) Native CDMA signal detected? SIM card is totally ignored (under default settings), whether you're in the USA or in one of the handful of foreign countries where Verizon/Sprint's roaming partners are CDMA-based.
2b) No native CDMA coverage detected?
2bI) Not unlocked? Verizon or Sprint SIM card only, for international roaming. Back to Verizon/Sprint CDMA service (under default settings) as soon as a native CDMA signal is detected.
2bII) Is unlocked? International SIM cards permitted, for domestic rates in each of your international destinations. Back to Verizon/Sprint (under default settings) as soon as a native CDMA signal is detected.
 
hallaisen said:
I was on a 3 year contract, but am moving abroad so I cancelled my contract and paid off all my charges. Will that unlock my iPhone, or do I have do anything else to it to get it "ready to go" for foreign use? I would call my cell company, but my phone was under my girlfriend's contract and I don't know the PIN number they request to get specific information about our account.
Click to expand...

You can give them your first born and it will still be locked.
 
ok, so an update from me:

my carrier is telus (in canada).

i couldn't immediately get the pin since my gf was at work and unable to take a call. i got it now though and called telus. they told me they are not able to unlock the phone and that i have to go to an apple store or any other phone store that knows how to do it.

they also said my phone will be active until the end of this month as I have to finish off the last billing cycle. my questions are then:

-Can I unlock it myself without jail breaking or doing any hacking? If I can avoid going to town to hit up a store to unlock it I would prefer it. I also have a feeling they will charge me for it, which is ridiculous. I'm on iOS 5.01.
-After I unlock it, am I free to take out the current sim and sell the phone, even though my contract is active? There will not be any problems for the new owner, even though my contract keeps running until the end of the month?

Cheers.
 
Apple has to unlock it? This makes no sense. This should be some type of software push from the carrier side. PHYSICALLY unlocking it, you'd use the Sim Card ejector that came with your iPhone or otherwise a slim paper clip.
 
hallaisen said:
ok, so an update from me:

my carrier is telus (in canada).

i couldn't immediately get the pin since my gf was at work and unable to take a call. i got it now though and called telus. they told me they are not able to unlock the phone and that i have to go to an apple store or any other phone store that knows how to do it.

they also said my phone will be active until the end of this month as I have to finish off the last billing cycle. my questions are then:

-Can I unlock it myself without jail breaking or doing any hacking? If I can avoid going to town to hit up a store to unlock it I would prefer it. I also have a feeling they will charge me for it, which is ridiculous. I'm on iOS 5.01.
Click to expand...

If you want it to be unlocked without hacking, then the unlock has to come through Telus, who would then forward the request to Apple, who would then push the unlock through iTunes. If you attempt to go directly to Apple for the unlock, you will fail. Apple will not unlock an iPhone without the carrier's consent.

Telus announced in February last year that they would start unlocking all their SIM-based devices, for post-paid customers only, for a $50 fee.

However, it appears that they haven't actually put this policy in action: According to Apple's international carrier listing, in Canada only Fido and Rogers actually have an iPhone unlocking program in operation.
-After I unlock it, am I free to take out the current sim and sell the phone, even though my contract is active? There will not be any problems for the new owner, even though my contract keeps running until the end of the month?

Cheers.
Click to expand...
Regardless of whether the phone is unlocked or not, you can theoretically take your SIM out of the phone and resell the phone to anybody at any time. That other person will be at perfect liberty to open up their own service plan using their own SIM card inserted in that equipment. (But if it's still locked, then they will have no choice but to use Telus as their service provider.) While that other person has their SIM card inserted in the phone, they will be responsible for any usage fees that are incurred using the phone.

After removing your SIM card from the phone, and up until Telus formally closes your account, you will continue be responsible for paying the regular monthly fees and additional usage fees associated with the account. But only the usage incurred using the SIM card attached to the account -- if your SIM card has been removed from the phone, then there cannot be any such usage fees.
 
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http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1937

Looking at this, Telus does not authorize unlocking of any iPhone. So, this means that the only way to unlock it would be to Jailbreak/Unlock it, which is not possible for any iPhone on 5.0.1 unless you have the baseband preserved from an earlier firmware that is able to be unlocked. Additionally, although the Dev team has made some headway in creating an unlock for the 4S, it is in no way possible yet.
 
pilot1226 said:
Apple has to unlock it? This makes no sense. This should be some type of software push from the carrier side. PHYSICALLY unlocking it, you'd use the Sim Card ejector that came with your iPhone or otherwise a slim paper clip.
Click to expand...

The iPhone is an incredibly locked down device.

It will only work if it is "activated" using Apple's servers.

They will only perform that activation if you insert a valid SIM for your device (i.e. if it's locked to a carrier, you must use that carrier's SIM to activate it) and connect it to iTunes (or with iOS 5.0+ on the device itself in some scenarios). CDMA carriers don't usually use SIMs, so this requirement doesn't apply to their phones.

Without the activation process, the device is useless. You can't even use it for iPod touch-style functionality.

As part of the activation process, Apple sets the device's lock status. For most people, that'll be to the carrier they purchased it from.

The lock status is derived from a database held by Apple of every iPhone they have sold.

If your carrier unlocks the device (under their terms - that could include a waiting period, a fee to pay, meeting other requirements etc.) then they ask Apple to update their database and change the lock status.

The user of the phone must then connect it to iTunes with a SIM from a different carrier inserted to complete the unlock.
 
Yes, only Fido and Rogers will unlock iphone for $50 if it is out of contract. You can try to talk to another Telus CSR to see if they can unlock your phone at the $50 charge. If not, I guess your only option is to sell your phone on Craiglist or Kijiji and buy an unlocked one directly from Apple.
 
Wow, that is incredibly retarded. So my phone is useless for me even when I have paid all my bills and closed my account with Telus? I'm shocked at how amazingly braindead that is. Arghghghghghghghgh!!!!

I just don't understand why they told me on the phone that any phone shop would be able to unlock it for me? Two different customer representatives said this. How does that make any sense?
 
Have you physically went to a Telus store and inquired. It's going to be $50 and your 3 year contract has to have concluded.

If it's a 3GS then you're still under contract as it was out in June 09 so its contract isn't up till June 2012 (assuming you got in June 09).

Might be worth it just to buy an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple directly, your 3GS is getting near end of life.
 
blueroom said:
Have you physically went to a Telus store and inquired. It's going to be $50 and your 3 year contract has to have concluded.

If it's a 3GS then you're still under contract as it was out in June 09 so its contract isn't up till June 2012 (assuming you got in June 09).

Might be worth it just to buy an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple directly, your 3GS is getting near end of life.
Click to expand...

Its an iPhone 4 and I bought it in February 2011. I have now already moved out of Canada, and Telus does not exist where I will be living. I called Telus for the third time today and was finally told the truth: they do not unlock iPhones under any circumstances. I'm so pissed. He even said my iPhone will never be unlocked, not even after 3 years when my contract is up. He first said that no carriers can do it, but when I told him I knew he was lying he admitted that it was not the truth and then proceeded to say "we are the ONLY carrier that don't do it".

I'm so pissed. I have someone lined up to buy my iPhone 4 for $150 less than what a brand new 4S will cost me, but I need it unlocked to sell it obviously. No one will buy a Telus-locked phone here since Telus doesn't exist so it will be a major pain in the ass to sell it to someone in Canada since I'm not there. This is BS!
 
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hallaisen said:
Wow, that is incredibly retarded. So my phone is useless for me even when I have paid all my bills and closed my account with Telus? I'm shocked at how amazingly braindead that is. Arghghghghghghghgh!!!!

I just don't understand why they told me on the phone that any phone shop would be able to unlock it for me? Two different customer representatives said this. How does that make any sense?
Click to expand...

Terrible for the consumer? Yep! Total BS? Yep! Totally awesome for the carriers? Yep!

:mad:
 
blueroom said:
Why didn't the OP take care of this before they travelled out of Canada.

Yep SOL. Sell it on eBay, someone in Canada will buy it.
Click to expand...

I thought it would automatically get unlocked once I cancelled my contract and paid off my bill. When I bought a 3g I bought it at a store with a contract (in Europe) and just cancelled my contract immediately, paid all the fees and boom I was good to go. I had no idea about these issues, and they're pissing me off. I have 2 offers of $650 now for my iPhone 4 right now here in Europe, and I have to turn them down and try to sell it on eBay for $400 or something? Freaking Telus, their service is **** enough already if they don't also have to lock my phone to them for forever. Never buying from a carrier ever again in my life.
 
hallaisen said:
I thought it would automatically get unlocked once I cancelled my contract and paid off my bill. When I bought a 3g I bought it at a store with a contract (in Europe) and just cancelled my contract immediately, paid all the fees and boom I was good to go. I had no idea about these issues, and they're pissing me off. I have 2 offers of $650 now for my iPhone 4 right now here in Europe, and I have to turn them down and try to sell it on eBay for $400 or something? Freaking Telus, their service is **** enough already if they don't also have to lock my phone to them for forever. Never buying from a carrier ever again in my life.
Click to expand...

Considering it must have cost you several hundred dollars just to get out of your contract I'd think $50 wouldn't cause too much grief. And if you travel buying non contract unlocked phones is a good (but initially expensive) option.

PS how much did you have to pay in early termination fees to Telus?
 
hallaisen said:
Never buying from a carrier ever again in my life.
Click to expand...

For 3G GSM phones, these are words to live by.

Except.... for LTE phones (even GSM+LTE carriers, not just the CDMA+LTE carriers), you may not be able to use one carrier's LTE phone on another carrier's LTE service - there's multiple different frequencies they use and it's not clear yet if a single world-compatible LTE phone can be made. Think U.S. AT&T versus T-Mobile only worse.
 
hallaisen said:
Wow, that is incredibly retarded. So my phone is useless for me even when I have paid all my bills and closed my account with Telus? I'm shocked at how amazingly braindead that is. Arghghghghghghghgh!!!!

I just don't understand why they told me on the phone that any phone shop would be able to unlock it for me? Two different customer representatives said this. How does that make any sense?
Click to expand...

Do not be so hard on yourself but it was you who listened to someone who did not know what they were talking about.

The phone is not useless. SELL IT to another Telus user and take the money and move on:eek:
 
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