According to an Apple genius... If AT&T unlocked your phone and you get it replaced for whatever reason then you have to call AT&T to get your replacement unlocked... He said that geniuses have no way to tell whether AT&T has unlocked an iPhone or not...
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FYI, eBay unlocking won't transfer to Apple replacement
- Thread starter POLBOSS
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I had my unlocked iPhone 4 replaced at the GB back in August and my replacement was unlocked as well. Sounds like your dude didn't know what he was talking about.
seeing as how these people on eBay go THROUGH the Apple systems to get the unlock done, i don't see how it wouldn't.
so yes, the unlock does get carried over.
so yes, the unlock does get carried over.
I assumed they were unlocking the IMEI, so unless Apple has some way to link the old to the new IMEI I can't see how it would transfer. Figured the price of getting an unofficial unlock for $15 was having to pay again if your phone was replaced. Could be wrong though.
You are right and wrong, the unlock is via the IMEI, you are right, however, when a replacement is processed the IMEI is used to carry lock status and warranty over to the replacement handset.
If you noticed they put in your old IMEI in their system and then link the new replacement devices imei. That transfers the unlock or locked status and to what carrier, the applecare warranty from the old to the new one etc...
I used redsn0w to deactivate my replacement iphone and my wifes (original) and her's gave the itunes congrats screen and my replacement did not, whereas my original got the itunes congrats screen.
So I do not know whether my unlock carried over. I keep reading here that it does, but so far in my experience (with itunes)m it did not. I have not done a real restore yet or tried another sim so I cannot say for 100% certain. Also I haven't tried any of the iemi checkers as they do not seem reliable for the iphone 5
So I do not know whether my unlock carried over. I keep reading here that it does, but so far in my experience (with itunes)m it did not. I have not done a real restore yet or tried another sim so I cannot say for 100% certain. Also I haven't tried any of the iemi checkers as they do not seem reliable for the iphone 5
The congrats message isn't an accurate way of telling, I've restored an i4 a number of times, and sometimes it gives congrats and sometimes it doesn't.
It definitely is unlocked though.
The only way to tell for sure is to try another carriers sim.
The congrats message sometimes never shows up but the phone is unlocked.
Guess I won't know till I really need it. I did the deactivate a number of times and it never said it, while her's said it each and every time. Any checkers out there that seem to be accurate yet?
Also, I asked the unlock fusion people and they claimed it did not (although I am not sure how much they know about the warranty replacement process at apple)
Has anyone actually gotten a congrats screen on a replacement phone that was unlocked through ebay?
Has anyone actually gotten a congrats screen on a replacement phone that was unlocked through ebay?
Truth be told, we also don't fully know how they're processing their factory unlocks, and whether it's a different process from what AT&T does. If different, it's totally possible that warranty transfers will unlock for "legit" AT&T unlocks, and not for unlock_fusion unlocks.
Yea who knows. Im sure its a guy at att thats slipping em into the regular unlocks now that they are regularly doing em it's less risk, hence the reason the price went down SOOO much.
Anyhow, I did try the IEMI checker on their ebay ad (which would have every incentive tio tell me its locked) and it does tell me my replacement is unlocked.
Whatever the current activation profile is on your iPhone, that activation profile gets transferred to your replacement phone at the Genius Bar.
Apple's system for doing repairs can tell the FRS or Genius if the iPhone they are swapping is unlocked.
Apple's system for doing repairs can tell the FRS or Genius if the iPhone they are swapping is unlocked.
I bought an iPhone 5 on Sept. 21st locked to AT&T. I had it unlocked via someone on eBay. I got it swapped out by Apple a few days ago, the replacement is factory unlocked. Unless the Genius is clueless and doesn't swap the device properly, the unlock carries over. I mentioned to the Genius that my phone was unlocked, he was careful when swapping it out.
That genius is full of BS! I was a genius, and sometimes specialist handle the swap. All they do is enter your old imei and whatever status it is. That imei status will carry over the replacement!