Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

jeringeorge

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 24, 2012
2
0
Just bought an unlocked iPhone 5 from ebay. Is there a way to tell if the phone was originally AT&T, Verizon or Factory unlocked?
 
Last edited:

Hankster

macrumors 68020
Jan 30, 2008
2,474
439
Washington DC
Something like that you need to know before hand. ATT and Verizon work on completely different networks. If your iPhone is on the GSM network it has to be used on ATT or TMO. If your iPhone is on the CDMA network it has to be used on VZ or Sprint.
 

user-name-here

macrumors 65816
Aug 31, 2013
1,111
1
Is there a way to tell if the phone was originally AT&T, Verizon or Factory unlocked?

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/determining-which-carrier-an-iphone-is-locked-to/
Q: I just upgraded my iPhone but now cannot activate it because I don’t know the carrier that it’s locked to. How can I find out which SIM/carrier that this iPhone is locked to?

A: Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward way to do this as it’s actually based only on your iPhone’s International Mobile Station Equipment Identity number, or IMEI. Unlike most other cellular phones, Apple doesn’t allow any carrier-specific branding on either the hardware or software, so there’s nothing obvious you would find on an iPhone that would indicate which carrier it came from.

If you know anybody who uses an iPhone on an alternate network that your iPhone might possibly be locked to, you could simply try popping in their SIM card and see what happens. This is obviously a trial-and-error method, and may not be practical if you’ve purchased the iPhone from an online site, since it could conceivably be locked to any carrier in the world.

Another option would be to try visiting a local Apple Store, where they might be able to look up your iPhone’s IMEI number and let you know which carrier it is locked to. Apple does have this information in a database somewhere, however Apple Retail staff may not typically be able to look up or provide this information.

If none of these methods are practical, you can try using the online service IMEI.info, where you can enter your IMEI number to get more information about your iPhone. The site will allow you to determine basic information about your device—such as whether it’s locked or unlocked—at no cost, although you will need to register for an account to do so. There is a $3 charge, however, to determine what carrier your device is actually locked to. You can determine the IMEI number of your iPhone in one of several ways. Dialing “*#06#” from the keypad in the Phone app will display your IMEI number to you.
 

avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,956
3,877
If your iPhone is on the GSM network it has to be used on ATT or TMO. If your iPhone is on the CDMA network it has to be used on VZ or Sprint.

You're not completely accurate. An unlocked Verizon iPhone 5 (which is every Verizon iPhone 5 out of the box) works just fine on AT&T or T-Mobile's GSM networks. It will also work on AT&T's HSPA+ (faux 4G) network. It will not work on AT&T or T-Mobile's LTE networks.

An unlocked AT&T or carrier independent, factory unlocked iPhone 5 will not work on Verizon's network at all. Verizon only allows phones that they sell to be used on their network.

I'm not sure if Sprint iPhone 5 handsets are unlocked out of the box but my gut feeling is that they're probably not. IIRC from other MR threads, the Verizon iPhone 5 is the only one that's unlocked out of the box even when purchased on contract.
 

avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,956
3,877
Just bought an unlocked iPhone 5 from ebay. Is there a way to tell if the phone was originally AT&T, Verizon or Factory unlocked?

What's the model number of the phone you purchased? That will tell you if the phone has both CDMA and GSM radios in it or if it only has a GSM radio in it. See this page on Apple's site for more info: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3939

If you have the serial number of the phone, and it's the GSM and CDMA model, you might be able to call Verizon and Sprint, give them the serial number, and find out which carrier the phone belongs to on the CDMA side of things. Or maybe you could call Apple support, give them the serial number if it's the CDMA/GSM model, and they can tell you.
 

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,448
1,228
Charlotte, NC
Here's the easy way just from looking at the settings

A Verizon iPhone will have an MEID and an IMEI listed in the settings.

An AT&T or GSM unlocked iPhone will only have the IMEI listed.
 

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,595
3,935
New Zealand
I think I read somewhere that a Verizon/Sprint model has the ESN stamped into the SIM tray, instead of the IMEI. Take that with a grain of salt though.
 

jeringeorge

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 24, 2012
2
0
Here's the easy way just from looking at the settings

A Verizon iPhone will have an MEID and an IMEI listed in the settings.

An AT&T or GSM unlocked iPhone will only have the IMEI listed.


I think you're right. I see both the IMEI and MEID listed in the settings.

I also confirmed with the seller, it was originally Verizon.

Thanks Everyone for your responses.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.