totally depends on the store. I just got two yesterday. They even let me come back, return it at full price, and repurchase it at subsidied price as an AT&T phone if I choose to.
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"Congratulations your iPhone has been unlocked"
- Thread starter BFW122083
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totally depends on the store. I just got two yesterday. They even let me come back, return it at full price, and repurchase it at subsidied price as an AT&T phone if I choose to.
???: So if you ARE able to acquire one of these phones, to use it on an existing contract/account do you just "swap" the sim from an iphone4 into the "unlocked" 4s??. Do you have to contact AT&T to update the IMEI and/or upgrade to the "new" 4s data plan?
It WORKS!!!
Hi guys,
Been reading Macrumors for years....
Just registered to let you guys know that I just got the 4gS and plugged in my sim card into the phone at the apple store..... guess what, it WORKS!!! Its not any American carrier.
Everything seems normal and I got the "Congrats" screen....
And I paid for an off contract AT&T phone.....
So I guess what you all have been saying about the unlocked phones is true.... Apple will release the 4gS in my country on the 28th of Oct 2011, so technically, it hasn't been released but it works...
FYI....
Thank you Macrumors and the great people here for bringing this piece of news up, otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten one this early......
Hi guys,
Been reading Macrumors for years....
Just registered to let you guys know that I just got the 4gS and plugged in my sim card into the phone at the apple store..... guess what, it WORKS!!! Its not any American carrier.
Everything seems normal and I got the "Congrats" screen....
And I paid for an off contract AT&T phone.....
So I guess what you all have been saying about the unlocked phones is true.... Apple will release the 4gS in my country on the 28th of Oct 2011, so technically, it hasn't been released but it works...
FYI....
Thank you Macrumors and the great people here for bringing this piece of news up, otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten one this early......
Wait, what? Are you saying you successfully did this? I would assume that if you did this, then it would actually get re-locked to AT&T when they re-sold it to you as not-device-only.
-- Nathan
You only need to contact AT&T if you wish to change to the 4S data plan. I tried to change it online and received a message that the device on file (my iPhone 4) isn't eligible for that data plan, that I needed to contact AT&T to update the account information and that it would not affect my contract. I called and they changed the IMEI over the phone, was all set in about 5 minutes.
I would REALLY appreciate it if you gave more details about this.
I need to buy a subsidized 4S but also need an unlocked phone so if I could buy an off contract and return it for the subsidized price, it would be absolutely perfect.
If it stays unlocked in apples system, updates make 0 difference. For peace of mind, I would call apple or go see a genius and have them tell you what it shows on their system.
no no, I meant return it and rebuy it at subsidized price and have it locked to AT&T.
Okay, another stupid question: if I manage to convince apple to sell me one now (I've tried 3 times), I should go home and pop in another sim. I have a tmobile sim, a "3" sim, a rogers sim.... but none of them are active right now. Does this matter? i.e., do I need to buy a pay as you go tmobile sim? Or put some money on my Rogers sim?
Nope any of them will work to double check the unlock status. If you get the invalid SIM message then the iPhone is not unlocked or broken or you inserted the SIM upside down. Yes, it does happen. They don't even need to be an active SIM. 
Your first clue will be the title of this thread from iTunes with any SIM installed ( including an AT&T SIM ).
Dave
Your first clue will be the title of this thread from iTunes with any SIM installed ( including an AT&T SIM ).
Dave
I want to know you upgrade to get a phone or not？ and did you provide the ATT number to apple?
You mean regardless of the device only or upgrade,so long as it is full price from att or apple store,it must be unlocked?
Nope any of them will work to double check the unlock status. If you get the invalid SIM message then the iPhone is not unlocked or broken or you inserted the SIM upside down. Yes, it does happen. They don't even need to be an active SIM.
Your first clue will be the title of this thread from iTunes with any SIM installed ( including an AT&T SIM ).
Dave
Thanks! I've had unlocked iPhones before, but never "officially", so I wasn't quite sure. I'll try the apple store yet again, today.
my friend who bought a AT&T iphone 4s full price off contract at apple store says his phone is locked to AT&T ....
his receipt says no service activated at checkout or some thing like that... he doesn't have a AT&T account so activating it on AT&T was not even an option for him ... he tried restoring two to three times but it doesn't show unlock msg on iTunes and wont work with any other sim either ..he tired calling apple support and they are telling him his iphone is locked to AT&T ??? ...
does this happen to any one ... get a off-contract iphone 4s from apple store and its still locked ?
his receipt says no service activated at checkout or some thing like that... he doesn't have a AT&T account so activating it on AT&T was not even an option for him ... he tried restoring two to three times but it doesn't show unlock msg on iTunes and wont work with any other sim either ..he tired calling apple support and they are telling him his iphone is locked to AT&T ??? ...
does this happen to any one ... get a off-contract iphone 4s from apple store and its still locked ?
Not happened I saw,but I hear apple will realse the codes to unlock it in november.
I wonder if they selected new service instead of "device only" when they rang it up. I got the impression when I got mine that unless you tell them to put "device only" they go the existing or new account route. If they asked him if he already had an AT&T account and he said no but didn't mention the "device only" they may have set it up as a new AT&T service. Although I'm not sure what the protocol is at an apple store for setting up a new service, if it can be completed at home on iTunes.
my friend was visiting USA and i went to Apple store with him .. he was in and out of apple store in less then 5 minutes ...he said i am looking for iPhone 4s 64 gb at&t off contract... no questions asked .. he just paid $849 + tax ..no SSN or AT&T account info...
he left USA last week and when he checked it with his sim ,it wont work and phone is locked to AT&T ... btw he bought two phones at the same time.. one white and one black ... black one works fine !
he lives in Dubai UAE , and had iphone 4 eariler .. just took him working iphone 4 sim out aur tried using in this phone ...