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smurray

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 12, 2008
133
4
I plan on ordering online at 12:01 PST Friday. I will be paying full retail as I do not want to lose unlimited data. I'm wondering whether I'd be better off ordering from Verizon's site or Apple's. Any suggestions as to which will give me the smoothest experience and/or get my phone to me the fastest?
 

rockitdog

macrumors 68030
Mar 25, 2013
2,721
1,238
I plan on ordering online at 12:01 PST Friday. I will be paying full retail as I do not want to lose unlimited data. I'm wondering whether I'd be better off ordering from Verizon's site or Apple's. Any suggestions as to which will give me the smoothest experience and/or get my phone to me the fastest?

Apple. If for some reason you had to return the phone they won't charge a restocking fee. I always pick Apple over a carrier for a full price purchase.
 

Rove

macrumors member
Mar 19, 2012
46
1
I am in the same boat.

If you are eligible for a discount I believe you will have to go to Verizon if ordering online.

I was experimenting with the 5C and was only able to get a subsidized price on apple.com.

When I talked with Apple online chat they confirmed that the only way to get a full price iPhone if you are eligible for subsidized pricing is through Verizon.
 

Rove

macrumors member
Mar 19, 2012
46
1
The Verizon 5S is the same model as the ATT & Tmobile ones. You should be able to just pop in a verizon LTE sim into an unlocked phone.

Doesn't the CDMA have to activated? I can see that working for LTE data but not for phone calls or does the SIM card also have CDMA?
 

iceman027

macrumors member
Mar 9, 2011
42
0
Doesn't the CDMA have to activated? I can see that working for LTE data but not for phone calls or does the SIM card also have CDMA?

That is what I had thought. Others on this forum have said only way to get a Verizon 5s full retail is through Verizon
 

s54

Suspended
Sep 25, 2012
505
586
I definitely need this confirmed because like many others, I too want to retain my unlimited data plan and buy the 5S at full price.
 

mvsrt99

macrumors regular
Jun 1, 2011
105
30
Same boat here and I believe Rove is correct. Only way to purchase the full retail is through Verizon when you're currently eligible for an upgrade. I really wish this wasn't the case as I like ordering through Apple...
 

s54

Suspended
Sep 25, 2012
505
586
I read somewhere that ordering via Verizon is worse than ordering directing through Apple. Is this true?

If I ever have a problem with my iPhone that I purchased through Verizon, can I go to an Apple store and have it exchanged under warranty or not?

I keep hearing conflicting reports. Some say you can buy an iPhone from Verizon at full retail and then go to an Apple store and have it swapped under warranty.
 

fieldsphotos

macrumors 6502
Aug 15, 2013
274
109
Yep, I am in the same boat. I am eligible for the upgrade pricing, so I have no way to access the full retail prices on the Apple site for the Verizon phone when I try to buy an iphone 5 even.

On Verizon's site it appears to let me buy a iphone 5C at the no-contract price, so I assume it will work the same for the 5S Friday morning. As much as I hate to order from VZW vs. Apple, I think that is the only option I have.


Ah well, the unlimited data is worth the hassle.

----------

I read somewhere that ordering via Verizon is worse than ordering directing through Apple. Is this true?

If I ever have a problem with my iPhone that I purchased through Verizon, can I go to an Apple store and have it exchanged under warranty or not?

I keep hearing conflicting reports. Some say you can buy an iPhone from Verizon at full retail and then go to an Apple store and have it swapped under warranty.

I don't know why not - I have never had to show a reciept when I took an iPhone to an Apple store. We bought our first 5's at a Verizon store and took them in to the Apple store when we cracked one of the screens via AppleCare. Also, I used to have an ATT iPhone 3GS bought from ATT and when it died we took it into the Genius bar and it was warranty swapped out with no problems. Also no reciept required.
 

Col Ronson

macrumors 6502a
Aug 7, 2008
619
2
Doesn't the CDMA have to activated? I can see that working for LTE data but not for phone calls or does the SIM card also have CDMA?


yeah i lied sorry. the GSM unlocked phones will not work on Verizon thanks to their hilarious policy of only letting phones sold for them used on their network. Even though the GSM phone has the CDMA capability, that capability is disabled. Theres a thread somewhere here that explains it.
 
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