Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Factory Unlocked iPhone 5 for Nov.
- Thread starter Scott2345
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Ill take any, I'm overseas in Bolivia no LTE only 4G. I just was a factory unlocked iPhone 5.
You Canadians are lucky, they sold the factory unlocked over there since launch day.
They already sell the unlocked A1429. The Verizon iPhone is already unlocked. I am on month to month and no longer under contract and ordered mine through Verizon website and got it October 1st. Yes, it was set up for my number, but I could turn around and sell it to someone else. If you have a friend who is on month to month on Verizon, just have them buy it full price, and then buy it from them.
I really hope they make this available for pre-order.
I looked, and last year it was exactly 4 weeks after the release date that they made them available.
That would make this Friday, the 19th, the date this time around if they follow a similar cycle.
:::crossing fingers:::
I sold my 4s and have been using my old 3gs for nearly 2 months now! Ugh.
I looked, and last year it was exactly 4 weeks after the release date that they made them available.
That would make this Friday, the 19th, the date this time around if they follow a similar cycle.
:::crossing fingers:::
I sold my 4s and have been using my old 3gs for nearly 2 months now! Ugh.
I got my fingers crossed as well. I really hope your right with it being on the 19th. Lets hope they follow the same cycle.
With such short supply and everything sold out everywhere I doubt they will start selling the unlocked version any time soon.
Maybe in a month or so but I hope Im wrong.
I just been looking every day everywhere and there is nothing. Even 20+ Apple stores near me are all sold out every single day.
This is crazy, how hard is it to buy this phone even a month after its release.
Maybe in a month or so but I hope Im wrong.
I just been looking every day everywhere and there is nothing. Even 20+ Apple stores near me are all sold out every single day.
This is crazy, how hard is it to buy this phone even a month after its release.
We're all on the same boat. I'm with Tmobile and would like to buy the full price. I've been calling places but everyone is short in sale. So hopefully 2 to 3 weeks from now, we can start pre ordering the factory unlock one's.
I understand that; you can ALSO get the A1428 unlocked today as well by walking into an Apple store and having them ring up the AT&T model as "Device Only" (I did this last year successfully with an "AT&T" 4S before the official unlocked SKU came to store shelves). Doesn't even require that you have or know someone who has AT&T service, whereas getting the A1429 is more of a hassle if you want that one (although the A1428 is still a hassle to buy at full-price relatively-speaking since you cannot do it via http://store.apple.com/).
What I was asking is which one of those two are going to be in the boxes of the new "officially unlocked" SKU come November? The A1428, because Apple will not activate non-CDMA SKUs as CDMA phones (even though the circuitry is present) and all of the GSM operators in North America use the LTE bands supported in that model? Or the A1429, because likely anybody who wants to purchase an out-of-contract phone not tied to a provider has an interest in being able to travel with it and use it internationally?
When the 4S came out last year in October 2011, right off the bat Apple told everybody that an unlocked model would be released for sale the following month, in November. In stark contrast, this year, Apple has been COMPLETELY silent on the issue. The cynic in me has wondered if this is possibly because Apple actually has no plans this time around to release contract-free iPhone 5 SKUs, perhaps in part due to the schizophrenic nature of the iPhone 5 and multiple models covering different LTE bands. Perhaps it's easier to limit sales to post-paid phone service customers only with a device of this nature.
I can just imagine the Apple Geniuses and other retail staff trying to explain the difference to a prospective "contract-free" buyer: "Well, with this version of the phone, you can use LTE in North America, but only on AT&T, Bell Canada, Rogers, and Telus, and you won't be able to use LTE internationally. With this other version, you can use LTE in some international destinations, and in theory you could use LTE in the U.S. with this phone on Verizon or Sprint, but because you didn't buy it as a Verizon or Sprint phone at the time of purchase, the CDMA radio is disabled, and neither company will ever activate it on either network for you anyway, so in actuality there is no way to use LTE in North America with this version." I mean, what a nightmare.
So I am going to be extremely interested to see how Apple U.S deals with this: sell one, or the other, or both, or NONE (as officially factory unlocked)? And if only one or the other, what factors will go into the decision-making process for which one? And if both, how do they plan to help sort out the inevitable confusion for their customers? It looks like in Canada, they have decided to ONLY sell the A1428 model; I'm guessing they may pursue the same strategy here, if they even release an "official factory unlock" model.
-- Nathan
In the US they will probably sell the A1428 as factory unlocked since it will be the one that will be compatible with LTE on both of our GSM carriers and HSPA+ on their MVNOs. No point in doing the other model since Sprint and Verizon don't allow unlocked devices to be brought over to their network.
Drive up here, walk into an Apple store and buy one
I'm still using my 3GS bought on launch day in July 2009. It's been pretty slow and crappy to use ever since iOS 5. I've also dropped it a couple times, although the only problem I notice is that it can no longer connect to wifi networks. I can turn wifi on, but no networks appear.
Still waiting for my iPhone 5 to be delivered by my carrier (ordered Oct 1)
You might want to wait. There are rumors today that T-Mo will be carrying the iPhone next year.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-5...-offer-the-iphone-in-early-2013-says-analyst/
Drive up here, walk into an Apple store and buy one
I'm still using my 3GS bought on launch day in July 2009. It's been pretty slow and crappy to use ever since iOS 5. I've also dropped it a couple times, although the only problem I notice is that it can no longer connect to wifi networks. I can turn wifi on, but no networks appear.
Still waiting for my iPhone 5 to be delivered by my carrier (ordered Oct 1)
Drive up there? You must have missed out in a couple of world history classes buddy. Bolivia is located in South America.
Lol
So my guess is you guys dont have iphones there or none of your carriers offer them? Or are they very expensive?
Lol
So my guess is you guys dont have iphones there or none of your carriers offer them? Or are they very expensive?
The carrier the does have them won't have a supply until Feb. plus the plans that you gotta sign up to in order to get the phone are ridicules! I don't mind paying full price at all, but not with those plans.
I got allot of family in the states, and some coming to visit soon. So I hope by Nov. we got a factory unlocked in the US.
Ha!
I know where Bolivia is. But I actually read your source article, and it is talking about unlocked phones arriving in the USA. And so I assumed you too were talking about the USA, and were travelling there or had a friend there to buy you a phone.
You link to an article about the USA, and I'm the stupid one for not knowing you wanted to buy a phone in Bolivia?