iPhone 5 Carrier Question

[Geckotek]

Not true. If I have an unlocked phone, I can insert the sim card and can use any gsm service. I can't do this with the cdma carriers.

You missed the point. The point I was trying to make is the carrier selling you a locked device in the first place, and until recently, NEVER unlocking it.

 

[the1337n00b]

thanks for all the help and discussion.
So basically you're saying I CANNOT buy an AT&T iPhone 5 and activate it on Verizon because

1. It would be "locked" to AT&T and unable to accept a Verizon 4G SIM
2. Verizon would not accept it because it wouldn't be in their database as THEIR phone.

Right so far?

So my only options would be to buy an unlocked phone at full price, or buy a Verizon iPhone 5 to avoid the hassle.

Yesyes?

Anyone..?

 

[mattopotamus]

thanks for all the help and discussion.
So basically you're saying I CANNOT buy an AT&T iPhone 5 and activate it on Verizon because

1. It would be "locked" to AT&T and unable to accept a Verizon 4G SIM
2. Verizon would not accept it because it wouldn't be in their database as THEIR phone.

Right so far?

So my only options would be to buy an unlocked phone at full price, or buy a Verizon iPhone 5 to avoid the hassle.

Yesyes?

Not true. If I have an unlocked phone, I can insert the sim card and can use any gsm service. I can't do this with the cdma carriers.

Factory unlocked phones will work with any gsm carrier--at&t, t-mobile, orange, rogers, vodaphone etc. CDMA carriers won't take any phone that isn't theirs--unlocked or not; this is why they suck.

what he said. The CDMA providers will not accept any phones that are not their own. Verizon would NOT accept a GSM unlocked phone, even though the new iphone would be CDMA compatible as well. ATT on the other hand would.

 

[Geckotek]

thanks for all the help and discussion.
So basically you're saying I CANNOT buy an AT&T iPhone 5 and activate it on Verizon because

1. It would be "locked" to AT&T and unable to accept a Verizon 4G SIM
2. Verizon would not accept it because it wouldn't be in their database as THEIR phone.

Right so far?

So my only options would be to buy an unlocked phone at full price, or buy a Verizon iPhone 5 to avoid the hassle.

Yesyes?

As others have said, yes. But perhaps it's best to call Verizon and ask? You never know when the information we have may become outdated because Verizon changed it's policies.

The rule about asking questions about carriers in a forum is to always verify with the carrier to get the latest information.

 

[the1337n00b]

Great.
Thanks guys. I do appreciate the help.

 

[eastercat]

You missed the point. The point I was trying to make is the carrier selling you a locked device in the first place, and until recently, NEVER unlocking it.

I wrote unlocked phone (not iphone). The other phones I had on at&t were unlocked after I finished my two year contract and made a request.
The lock on phones is for people who get a subsidized device. How else do you keep people from ditching their contracts? This is certainly more reasonable than the ridiculous lockdowns put in place by the cdma carriers. Anyway, the iphone can now be unlocked after fulfilling the carrier contract and I can use it with any gsm carrier.

thanks for all the help and discussion.
So basically you're saying I CANNOT buy an AT&T iPhone 5 and activate it on Verizon because

1. It would be "locked" to AT&T and unable to accept a Verizon 4G SIM
2. Verizon would not accept it because it wouldn't be in their database as THEIR phone.

Right so far?

So my only options would be to buy an unlocked phone at full price, or buy a Verizon iPhone 5 to avoid the hassle.

Yesyes?

Your only choice is to buy a verizon phone. There is no other option if you want to use their service. You can't use unlocked, because verizon won't accept it, since it's not one of their phones. As I keep saying, cdma carriers are crap.
You could ditch verizon, but I realize you're not likely to do that.

 

[the1337n00b]

You could ditch verizon, but I realize you're not likely to do that.

Pretty happy with my unlimited data with the best service for where I live... otherwise, yeah.

 

[Geckotek]

I wrote unlocked phone (not iphone). The other phones I had on at&t were unlocked after I finished my two year contract and made a request.
The lock on phones is for people who get a subsidized device. How else do you keep people from ditching their contracts? This is certainly more reasonable than the ridiculous lockdowns put in place by the cdma carriers.

For many years GSM carriers would not even unlock dumb phones even after the contract was fulfilled. It's only in the past few years after they got their hand slapped that they started unlocking at all.

Just pointing out that ALL the carriers pull douchey moves.

 

[nostresshere]

Work or not, your friend will have 2 years added to his contract. If he needs to get a new phone, he will not be eligible for an upgrade for 2 years (or maybe a little less depending on policy)