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Add me to the confirmed list. Bought a 64GB 4S off-contract at the Apple Store. The person helping me didn't ask for any of my AT&T info when he heard I wanted to buy off-contract, and rung me straight up.

Inserted my old micro-SIM into my new 4S, plugged it into my computer, and the first thing iTunes told me was that my phone was unlocked! No restore needed.

Thanks for saving me a month of waiting, folks! :D

Are most of you in this post using T-Mobile?

Thanks
 
Denied

Got denied at two apple stores in socal tonight, both saying I had to activate the phone or I couldnt buy it....I even called Apple to confirm and they said the same thing... this happen to anyone else?
 
Got denied at two apple stores in socal tonight, both saying I had to activate the phone or I couldnt buy it....I even called Apple to confirm and they said the same thing... this happen to anyone else?

I hope this doesn't happen to me, oh god.
 
hey guys

hey guys i want to know if i buy iPhone 4s at&t and unlock it connecting iTunes, say in future would i be able to upgrade to a newer iOS (like 5.0.1 or 5.1.0) whatever. is it gonna get locked or will it remain unlocked.
 
Well all my problems have been solved. Have gotten the unlocked message numerous times on many different at&t sims. Eventually that prevented the phone from getting any signal at all; from trying too much, or something. I put the phone into DFU and restored and voila, it worked and the phone got signal and gave me the message. Finally. Now I can return my preorder to reset my contract.

Will test once more at a t-mobile place tomorrow. What other US carriers have microsim cards I can test? What about online? There any good places to buy a cheap microsim for testing?
 
Hey guys

hey guys i want to know if i buy iPhone 4s at&t and unlock it connecting iTunes, say in future would i be able to upgrade to a newer iOS (like 5.0.1 or 5.1.0) whatever. is it gonna get locked or will it remain unlocked.
 
I don't if this has been answered already in this thread, I searched but didn't see an answer to my questions.

1. Will ATT unlock a phone for users that are in good standing? someone said yes and someone said no in this thread but neither could post a link to an answer.

2. What is the difference between an unlocked and locked iPhone with ATT? Is it just software or is it something ATT does on their end?

Thanks

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hey guys i want to know if i buy iPhone 4s at&t and unlock it connecting iTunes, say in future would i be able to upgrade to a newer iOS (like 5.0.1 or 5.1.0) whatever. is it gonna get locked or will it remain unlocked.

If its a phone bought off contract, i.e for full price, it should remain unlocked.
 
I don't if this has been answered already in this thread, I searched but didn't see an answer to my questions.

1. Will ATT unlock a phone for users that are in good standing? someone said yes and someone said no in this thread but neither could post a link to an answer.

2. What is the difference between an unlocked and locked iPhone with ATT? Is it just software or is it something ATT does on their end?

Thanks

----------



If its a phone bought off contract, i.e for full price, it should remain unlocked.

so does that mean even if u update to a newer iOS it will still remain unlocked
 
so does that mean even if u update to a newer iOS it will still remain unlocked

It should, even though I asked that question, I'm pretty sure its something on ATTs end that happens when your phone is activated after upgrading or restoring that tells the phone its unlocked. This type of unlock isn't like a jailbreak unlock where an update to iOS closes up the holes that allow the phone to be jailbroken, such as updating the baseband. This is a factory unlock like what apple is going to start selling in november.
Unless, its a glitch and all these phones will soon be locked, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
It should, even though I asked that question, I'm pretty sure its something on ATTs end that happens when your phone is activated after upgrading or restoring that tells the phone its unlocked. This type of unlock isn't like a jailbreak unlock where an update to iOS closes up the holes that allow the phone to be jailbroken, such as updating the baseband. This is a factory unlock like what apple is going to start selling in november.
Unless, its a glitch and all these phones will soon be locked, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

r u really sure. i am asking it because i am here just for a month vacation and will go back to my country overseas so when i go there i should not have any issues if i am spending this money on that phone.
 
r u really sure. i am asking it because i am here just for a month vacation and will go back to my country overseas so when i go there i should not have any issues if i am spending this money on that phone.

I'm not 100% but if its a truly unlocked phone it should continue to be unlocked through all the updates.
 
Has anybody tried to switch from the iPhone 4 data to iPhone 4S data? Apparently this requires calling in and registering your IMEI with AT&T. I'm wondering what this means for people with unlocked phones?

Just swap the SIM - no phone calls needed. :cool:
 
Just swap the SIM - no phone calls needed. :cool:
Yup I was aware of that. What I was referring to was the fact that AT&T actually has a different data plan for the 4S (which apparently allows you to access HSPA+ speeds). See this thread.

Thing is though, you can't add the feature online if the IMEI on AT&T's system is not updated to reflect your 4S (which if you bought off-contract like me, you'll have to call in to get done). I was just concerned that AT&T would try and pull a fast one on me but I can confirm I got my IMEI added to their system and my phone is still unlocked.
 
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Do you need to connect to iTunes EVERY TIME when you changed SIM Cards? (aka providers)?

Nope. I went from Singapore to Hong Kong to Macau to Singapore to Bali earlier this year, and I simply swapped cards when arriving in each country. No need to connect to iTunes.
 
I don't if this has been answered already in this thread, I searched but didn't see an answer to my questions.

1. Will ATT unlock a phone for users that are in good standing? someone said yes and someone said no in this thread but neither could post a link to an answer.

2. What is the difference between an unlocked and locked iPhone with ATT? Is it just software or is it something ATT does on their end?
  1. Nope. They never have (with the iPhones) and I don't see them doing so in the near future.
  2. The unlocked phone can be used with any GSM carrier around the world. I bought a full-price unlocked phone even though I'm an AT&T customer. I just don't want to have to pay ridiculous roaming charges when I travel and I believe unlocked phones also have a significantly higher resale value.
 
Any of you remember when there was a leak at Apple and people were selling official IMEI unlocks for like $150-$200 online?

Anyways I distinctly remember a discussion that came about as a result of that leak - it involved a method to ensure the unlock was permanent. I think it was Musclenerd who referred to a jailbreak app that allowed one to "backup" the unlock status of the baseband. As some of you may know, the unlocks are submitted to Apple and Apple has some database/server of locked and unlocked IMEI's. Unlocking is simply a matter of moving your iPhone's IMEI into the "Unlock" status, and then restoring the phone.

Sorta irrelevant at this exact time because there is obviously no jailbreak for the iPhone 4S, but if yours IS unlocked and you can avoid restoring until a jailbreak is released for the 4S then you should be able to "back up" that unlock permanently.

EDIT: can't find that discussion right now, anybody else recall hearing of something similar?
 
Nope. I went from Singapore to Hong Kong to Macau to Singapore to Bali earlier this year, and I simply swapped cards when arriving in each country. No need to connect to iTunes.

thank you for the answer.

definitely unlocked iPhone is way to go if you are going to roaming, everything else is too much trouble.
 
Just picked up a full retail 32GB Black 4S from SoHo store and got the unlock message as soon as I connected it to iTunes! Now I just hope that it's unlocked forever.

One other question I had...I purchased the AppleCare+ that was offered and if I have an issue that required my phone to be replaced, will they give me an unlocked phone or one locked to AT&T!?
 
Just picked up a full retail 32GB Black 4S from SoHo store and got the unlock message as soon as I connected it to iTunes! Now I just hope that it's unlocked forever.

One other question I had...I purchased the AppleCare+ that was offered and if I have an issue that required my phone to be replaced, will they give me an unlocked phone or one locked to AT&T!?

That is a good question.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=25.765227,-80.372470
 
Just picked up a full retail 32GB Black 4S from SoHo store and got the unlock message as soon as I connected it to iTunes! Now I just hope that it's unlocked forever.

One other question I had...I purchased the AppleCare+ that was offered and if I have an issue that required my phone to be replaced, will they give me an unlocked phone or one locked to AT&T!?

how long is the wait in Soho? and what did you tell them to get it no commitment?
 
how long is the wait in Soho?

I had pre-ordered it last night and still had to wait on line for 90 minutes this morning at 8am. Same Asian scalpers were there who screwed up the iPad 2 launch....all paying with wads of cash and then getting on the back of the line (again) as soon as they completed their purchase.
 
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