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Help needed ASAP

M

maxmaut

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 13, 2011
140
4
Hey guys, so I'm in line at Apple store right now and the employee came outside to let us know which phones do they have in stock (no specific numbers, just rough info) and they do not have any iphones 6plus from T- mobile.

So I am from Ukraine and I need to take phone home to use it with our carriers. Now which one should I go for since they don't have any T-mobile phones?

All carriers in Ukraine are GSM, if that helps. Will Verizon phone work with those carriers?

Also - how do I get the phone with no contract, so I am not charged after I leave US? Can I actually buy one if I'm not a citizen and I don't have SSN?

Help, please.
 
AT&T phone is GSM but locked. Verizon model is unlocked but I don't know if it works with all of your LTE bands.

I don't think you can get the Verizon model on launch day without a contract though.
 
The verizon version comes unlocked for use on GSM networks. You need to do your own research though to figure out which cellular frequencies your carrier in the Ukraine has and if the phone you are buying has those frequencies.
 
Last edited:
Hal~9000 said:
As for buying a no-contract version on launch day? Forget it. They only sell contracted phones I believe.
Click to expand...

Last year I bought an off-contract AT&T 5s on launch day from an Apple Store. Have no idea if it was unlocked or not, as I've never taken it overseas or tried to use with another carrier, but it was definitely off contract.
 
So apple rep just told me that I can buy any carrier for full price without SSN. So I now need to figure out the carrier that will work in Ukraine.
 
maxmaut said:
So apple rep just told me that I can buy any carrier for full price without SSN. So I now need to figure out the carrier that will work in Ukraine.
Click to expand...

You have to ask the Apple rep if the phones are locked. If so, they won't work with Ukraine carrier without being unlocked first. If they are unlocked, then any GSM iPhone (AT&T, T-Mobile) would work.
 
If unlocked, iPhone 6 will work with any GSM. When 5s launched, the "Verizon" version of the 5s was the one to buy -- it was fully unlocked, even on launch day, all three radios were active, because of FTC settlement.

I don't know if that is the same with the 6, but I bet ATT will work, both T-Mobile and ATT are GSM. GSM is the worldwide standard.
 
JRoDDz said:
You have to ask the Apple rep if the phones are locked. If they are they won't work with Ukraine carrier without being unlocked first. If they are unlocked, then any GSM iPhone (AT&T, T-Mobile) would work.
Click to expand...

from what ive been told.. the only unlocked phones are tmobile phones from apple stores.

att phones- locked both att and apple
verizon phones- rumored unlocked because of LTE clause
tmobile phones- locked tmobile, unlocked apple
sprint phones- locked both sprint and apple
 
Just ask for the "device only" when you are trying to buy your phone or else they will try to sell you a contract phone.. Yes, you would need a SSN for that since they run a credit check.
 
westcoastcyc said:
Just ask for the "device only" when you are trying to buy your phone or else they will try to sell you a contract phone.. Yes, you would need a SSN for that since they run a credit check.
Click to expand...

If you are buying the phone full price, no credit check needed. Just cold hard cash.
 
Thanks guys. So the only option for me now is Verizon. Now, how do I know if ukrainian carriers (Life, MTC, Kyivstar) use same bands as Verizon?

I googled and I cant find that info anywhere.
 
westcoastcyc said:
I thought Apple stopped accepting cash in store ?
Click to expand...

I paid cash for a Macbook Air last year. They were happy to take my money.

maxmaut said:
Thanks guys. So the only option for me now is Verizon. Now, how do I know if ukrainian carriers (Life, MTC, Kyivstar) use same bands as Verizon?

I googled and I cant find that info anywhere.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about the LTE bands, all iPhone 6 and 6+ have the most LTE bands of any phone.
 
maxmaut said:
Thanks guys. So the only option for me now is Verizon. Now, how do I know if ukrainian carriers (Life, MTC, Kyivstar) use same bands as Verizon?

I googled and I cant find that info anywhere.
Click to expand...

Dude, read the above posts more carefully. A fully unlocked Verizon phone will have radios for ALL the bands -- GSM, CDMA, and UST. So forget Verizon -- look at your local frequencies, compare with iPhone 6 radio specs, and you are good.
 
Velin said:
Dude, read the above posts more carefully. A fully unlocked Verizon phone will have radios for ALL the bands -- GSM, CDMA, and UST. So forget Verizon -- look at your local frequencies, compare with iPhone 6 radio specs, and you are good.
Click to expand...

That is wrong: The CDMA iPhone6 has 4 LTE band less then then GSM version...
 
maxmaut said:
Hey guys, so I'm in line at Apple store right now and the employee came outside to let us know which phones do they have in stock (no specific numbers, just rough info) and they do not have any iphones 6plus from T- mobile.

So I am from Ukraine and I need to take phone home to use it with our carriers. Now which one should I go for since they don't have any T-mobile phones?

All carriers in Ukraine are GSM, if that helps. Will Verizon phone work with those carriers?

Also - how do I get the phone with no contract, so I am not charged after I leave US? Can I actually buy one if I'm not a citizen and I don't have SSN?

Help, please.
Click to expand...

You could try buying ATT device only.
1) att iphone 5 and iphone 5s were unlocked if you choose device only.no ssn needed
2) some store don't allow selling device only. It is store decision.

----------
JRoDDz said:
You have to ask the Apple rep if the phones are locked. If so, they won't work with Ukraine carrier without being unlocked first. If they are unlocked, then any GSM iPhone (AT&T, T-Mobile) would work.
Click to expand...
In most of the cases, apple rep will not tell the truth or they really are not sure. You have to take the risk
 
I have nothing relevant to add other than I will never understand how the leaders of the free world have developed such a messed up and confusing mobile infrastructure. The whole thing from point of sale and contracts to the frequency bands just seems so unnecessarily complicated.
 
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