"Congratulations your iPhone has been unlocked"

[jtgamer]

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I'm buying the unlocked iPhone. (sold my iPhone 4s from AT&T). If we leave AT&T next year and go to Verizon will the unlocked iPhone work with verizon's CDMA?

Unlocked iPhone 4S will not work with Verizon. The CDMA is turned off in those models.

 

[KPOM]

My friend purchased a 64 GB, off-contract iPhone 4S today at the Apple store. Back home, when plugged in, iTunes indeed came up with the announcement that it has been unlocked. That is good news!
When he paid for the phone, the guy asked my friend for his email address, but since they cannot really do anything with that, he just gave it since the guy was acting a bit nervous... Of course it would have been better not to provide any contact information, but could this be of any problem in the feature? iTunes says that the phone has been unlocked...
Oh, and by the way, is it "safe" to register the phone through iTunes?

All they use the e-mail address for is to send a receipt. As long as the phone is processed as "Device Only" when purchased from the Apple Store it will stay unlocked.

 

[einad]

Took back the 4s to bestbuy and got a refund. Went to the apple store and got a white 16gb, asked for a device only and had no problems with the sales guy, inserted a t-mobile micro sim and all is working, havent connected it to itunes yet, but it is working. Thanks guys

 

[hexproject]

Device only

All they use the e-mail address for is to send a receipt. As long as the phone is processed as "Device Only" when purchased from the Apple Store it will stay unlocked.

How can u tell if its processed as device only?
I got one off contract and without giving them any att info. When i got back, plug it into itunes and got the unlocked message. I tried a taiwanese sim, works fine. So it is unlocked.

But on my apple store receipt, it says still says iphone4s att... So is there anyone that bought one off contract that says device only without saying Att on it?

 

[chestvrg]

Once you get that unlocked message, it is considered unlocked and it should work with any SIM.

the minute you told them you wanted to buy it off contract, it is considered device only directly from Apple, only from an Apple store you can get the iPhone unlocked if bought at full price.

 

[dave006]

How can u tell if its processed as device only?
I got one off contract and without giving them any att info. When i got back, plug it into itunes and got the unlocked message. I tried a taiwanese sim, works fine. So it is unlocked.

But on my apple store receipt, it says still says iphone4s att... So is there anyone that bought one off contract that says device only without saying Att on it?

As Chester pointed out once you get the "Congratulations... " message you were able to confirm that you purchased as a "Device Only". Since the iPhone 4S AT&T is the only GSM phone available from Apple, they all are currently shown as AT&T devices.

Once the SIM free phones are available next month then your receipt would be different if you purchased one of the SIM free versions since it would not be labeled as an AT&T device SKU.

Dave

 

[coolweirdo]

Nope; I posted earlier in this thread that I went to an Apple store, asked for an AT&T, they accidentally pulled the wrong model off the shelf and sold me a Verizon one full-price. Got home, tried to use it, found it was locked to Verizon, despite the fact I paid full-price. Only the AT&T model gets unlocked by the Apple POS when it is rung up as "Device Only".






Since the iPhone 4S is a CDMA+GSM phone, I assume the person asking the question was referring to having the SIM slot unlocked. I believe that Verizon is willing to partially unlock the GSM side of the 4S for you, which would allow you to use SIM cards while travelling internationally, but the phone will still reject AT&T and T-Mobile SIMs from the U.S., so I don't count that as a "full unlock." You are correct, though, that the CDMA side of the phone is governed differently (and yes, there are CDMA networks that use "R-UIM" cards).

-- Nathan

so you sayin in november when the factory unlocked iphone comes out and if i purchase it thru verizon i wont be able to pop in a ATT sim?

 

[dave006]

Well that's what Apple has posted on their web site.

The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a contract commitment. You can activate and use it on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States.* The unlocked iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S will not work with CDMA-based carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.​

source: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/ho...iphone/iphone4/about_unlocked?mco=MjU5MTk4Nzc

Dave

 

[mcafeepepe]

All they use the e-mail address for is to send a receipt. As long as the phone is processed as "Device Only" when purchased from the Apple Store it will stay unlocked.

But they demand me provide att account number.If I done,is it locked? I hear that, have to come back first.

 

[coolweirdo]

Well that's what Apple has posted on their web site.

The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a contract commitment. You can activate and use it on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States.* The unlocked iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S will not work with CDMA-based carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.​

source: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/ho...iphone/iphone4/about_unlocked?mco=MjU5MTk4Nzc

Dave

see thats the confusing part i spoke with a couple apple reps an i asked if i buy the the factory unlocked in nov i with verizon the cdma would be locked, but i could pop an att sim in if i liked and it would work

 

[dave006]

Well I guess we will find out some time in November if your Apple reps are correct or if the Apple Web site is correct.

For now I would vote for the Apple page I referenced.

Dave

 

[coolweirdo]

Well I guess we will find out some time in November if your Apple reps are correct or if the Apple Web site is correct.

For now I would vote for the Apple page I referenced.

Dave

now if they can only give us a date

 

[Akinzo]

now if they can only give us a date

If only they could give a date now! My suspicion is, nothing will happen before the 7th, and that will be unfair.

 

[richard371]

So the off AT&Tcontract phone is technically factory unlocked unless Apple decides to lock them all via their database? I seriously dout they would do this. If this was a mistake they would have caught it way before now to avoid a million returns when it is released officialy.

 

[riffola]

Picked up a 32GB 4S Black, AT&T at the 5th Avenue Apple Store.
iPhone￿4S￿Black￿32GB￿AT&T
Part￿Number:￿MC919LL/A Serial￿Number:￿C38G********
Return￿Date:￿Dec.￿01,￿2011 For￿Support,￿Visit:￿apple.com/support
AT&T￿Account￿Information No￿Wireless￿Service￿Activation￿during￿iPhone￿Sale

Plugged it into iTunes, got the unlocked message. The screen is massively yellow though.

 

[maclook]

So the off AT&Tcontract phone is technically factory unlocked unless Apple decides to lock them all via their database? I seriously dout they would do this. If this was a mistake they would have caught it way before now to avoid a million returns when it is released officialy.

What I don't get is that all AT&T phones are unlocked until they are locked when they are activated during purchase. So what if people get their phones replaced due to battery or some other issues? No activation is done and your IMEI changes so shouldn't replacements technically be unlocked?

 

[dave006]

No with the Genius updates your device in the Apple system to replace your device the replacement device will have the same status as the device that is replaced.

So if your current iPhone is unlocked in the Apple DB, any warranty replacement will also be unlocked. If your current AT&T iPhone is locked, then any warranty replacement will also be locked.

Dave

 

[benguild]

So the off AT&Tcontract phone is technically factory unlocked unless Apple decides to lock them all via their database? I seriously dout they would do this. If this was a mistake they would have caught it way before now to avoid a million returns when it is released officialy.

They won't.
FYI, I used a Taiwanese SIM Card in my phone today and it's still unlocked. (obviously)

 

[Akinzo]

They won't.
FYI, I used a Taiwanese SIM Card in my phone today and it's still unlocked. (obviously)

I got my 4s 32g at the apple store in Omaha today, I don't even have an AT&T acct at all nor a phone number. The store rep said the phone is free and will never be locked since its not subsidized.

One question that nags me is the issue of d phone being open is susceptible to stealing. Does the apple care cover loss of the phone?

 

[psykick5]

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Unlocked iPhone 4S will not work with Verizon. The CDMA is turned off in those models.

Then there has to be a way to turn it on.

 

[mush03]

i got tired of waiting for the official unlocked... went to the apple store @ houston memorial city mall and bought a black 32gb

popped in my tmo sim when i got home and sure enough... its unlocked

 

[1907]

Hi guys..

I'm planning to buy an iPhone 4s from 5th Avenue Apple Store. I'll use it in Turkey, so it must be unlocked. But im curious if it is possible to be locked with new software update?

 

[jtgamer]

Then there has to be a way to turn it on.

have fun with that, i believe it was already stated on the Apple site that official unlocked iphones will not have the CDMA on. if you have been following this thread, all of the at&t off contract phone and soon official unlocked phones will be a GSM only phone.

 

[Shanpdx]

so this is becoming unofficially official unlocked iPhone 4S!

 

[drkwtsn]

i doubt that it is turned off but more along the lines of it is not registered in the verizon or sprint Database, thus it wont be able to be used on their network