No. I'm using my 1633 with T-Mobile and it works fine. I replaced the AT&T sim before powering on the phone and it picked up the TMo config just fine.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 6s LTE 30 Band and CDMA Version Megathread
- Thread starter milaround
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you buy it device only, it should work with any sim out of the box. If you give them your att phone number when you buy it, the phone will ask for your info before activating.
In either case, the result should be an unlocked iPhone
Is this Band 30?
I ran field test mode today, and got a really strange result. It registered an obviously erroneous frequency band, but the download frequency of 2200 MHz is pretty close to the 2.3GHz download of Band 30, and 2200MHz doesn't match any of AT&T's other LTE bands. Is this Band 30?
Field Test Mode hasn't been updated for a while (it still has the black bands from when Apple updated to 16:9 with the iPhone 5), so perhaps it doesn't register Band 30 or 2.3GHz.
I ran field test mode today, and got a really strange result. It registered an obviously erroneous frequency band, but the download frequency of 2200 MHz is pretty close to the 2.3GHz download of Band 30, and 2200MHz doesn't match any of AT&T's other LTE bands. Is this Band 30?
Field Test Mode hasn't been updated for a while (it still has the black bands from when Apple updated to 16:9 with the iPhone 5), so perhaps it doesn't register Band 30 or 2.3GHz.
That won't be an issue.
It's the att iPhone 6/6 plus (2014 models) that are unlocked Verizon won't activate new Verizon sim.
But any already active Verizon sim can work in those phones.
An apple unlocked initial Verizon activated iPhone is already provision for Verizon new sim. I know it sounds weird. But it's just how Verizon chooses to play the game with the FCC band 13 compromise not to restrict lte devices.
I walked into an Apple Store and bought an iPhone 6s ATT version without being asked any questions. I swapped my T-Mobile sim for the ATT sim that came with the phone and it worked right out of the box. No iTunes restore was needed, in fact I didn't even need to plug it into a computer. The ATT models that are bought from Apple at full price are unlocked right out of the box.
OK, ok, so let me get this straight. I don't know if you meant above comments only for 6 or if they also apply to 6s. So with Verizon, unless you order Verizon phone (while creating a new account doing so) or already has a working Verizon sim, you can't use your 6s with them? If so, it's just Verizon, right, and not the other three with this...questionable practice?
I ordered both T-mobile (from Apple) and AT&T (from best buy) and probably keep the AT&T one. This is what I want: to be able to use it with any of the four carrier's pre-paid plans at any time. The whole point of buying mine at full price is so that I can drop one at any time.
I will get both of my iphone 6s around on Oct 7th and don't plan to use it in the US for a couple of months as I will travel overseas just 10 days later. I plan on using it with a local SIM while traveling and only set up with a carrier in the US after I come back in late November.
Based on what I read, it looks like I will have to take out the sim card that is in the phone before powering it on as that may lock it to that carrier or at the very least it could complicate things. So that's the first thing. I don't know if putting in a foreign sim card as the first one will render my phone unusable with certain carriers in the US. Probably not, but not 100% on this.
Anyway what are the things I should do after getting the phone and before turning it on the first time? I do not have any working SIM card to put in as I don't have existing account (with any of the carriers) as they all expire within 90 days if not active and my previous services have all expired by now.
yep. Was interested in 6s as that's the I ordered, but oh well. By now it's pretty much confirmed that it is A1688 indeed for T-mobile. I ordered AT&T one from best buy, which would be ready to be picked up around the same time as my Apple order is scheduled to arrive, so I got this covered if I really want A1633 model.
Verizon is supposed to whitelist any compatible phone, but in practice it is difficult. My mom bought a T-Mobile iPhone 6s on Friday (that was the only one available in the size and color). She attempted to get Sprint to give her a SIM card. No dice, even though Sprint's own BYOD website lists the iPhone 6s as eligible. It was the same with Verizon (my parents had been thinking of switching to Verizon for a while). Eventually on Saturday they were able to get Apple to exchange the T-Mobile for a Verizon phone. It's aggravating since the T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon models are identical.
No. Sorry about the confusion. Let me try to straighten this out (since i have both att and verizon services).
1. I ordered a full price att iPhone 6S plus from Apple directly.
The SIM card that came is provisioned for the att number (let's say att number (240-xxx-1234) i gave them during the checkout process. It doesn't matter if i pulled that SIM card out. That sim that came preinstalled is already pre programmed already)
I tried to put my Verizon sim in the phone to activate that phone and the message I got was it was an invalid sim. I suppose it wanted an att sim. (Remember this was Friday when people were having issues activating because servers were getting hammered).
I did not want to activate the att sim preinstalled (because it was a spare line I opened for my 10 year old nephew out in California and I didn't want to disable his number while he was in school)
So when my Verizon sim wouldn't activate the phone. I put my own att already activated sim (407-xxx-1234) and it still gave me an error code saying please verify the phone number of the original number ordered from the website (240-xxx-1234) I just click yes. And than it asked for my billing and zip code and activated the phone.
So the att phone was finally activated this way.
But what's screwy was my brother out in California called me 1 hour later and said my 10 year old nephew sim was inactive (even though i took that preinstalled SIM card provisioned for his 240-xxx-1234) out prior to activating.
So whatever number u gave Apple when activating the att iPhone 6S plus becomes activated regardless if sim is in the phone or not.
Once att 6s plus was active. I put my already activated Verizon sim in and i got verizon signal and lte data. So my full price att 6s plus orferrd from Apple dot com was fully unlocked
But to answer ur question about Verizon iPhone. All Verizon iPhone 5 and newer come unlocked for GSM out of the box. I have purchased a full price and also subsidized verizon iPhone 5S before. U don't need a Verizon sim or account to originally activate a full price Verizon iPhone purchased directly from Apple.
I'm with US Cellular and decided to pick up the AT&T version of the 6S at the Apple Store last night based on the LTE support information on Apple's website. USC customer service told me they knew Verizon phones could be activated, which makes sense since they're CDMA, but because US Cellular was listed under A1633 (and because I'd read something about Verizon phones potentially roaming on their network), I decided to take my chances with the AT&T model instead.
I put my 5C's sim into the 6S before turning it on and LTE was working right away with no issues. But when I called US Cellular to activate the phone, the rep I spoke to ran into issues with the MEID.. and when I told her it was the AT&T version I bought, she basically said she couldn't help me and it couldn't be activated on their network. So I called back to speak to someone else and the second rep was able to activate the phone, but now cellular data is no longer activated.
I guess all I need to do now is to pick up a new sim card tomorrow. Hopefully that's the fix, because the Apple Store is an hour away and I really don't want to exchange it.
I put my 5C's sim into the 6S before turning it on and LTE was working right away with no issues. But when I called US Cellular to activate the phone, the rep I spoke to ran into issues with the MEID.. and when I told her it was the AT&T version I bought, she basically said she couldn't help me and it couldn't be activated on their network. So I called back to speak to someone else and the second rep was able to activate the phone, but now cellular data is no longer activated.
I guess all I need to do now is to pick up a new sim card tomorrow. Hopefully that's the fix, because the Apple Store is an hour away and I really don't want to exchange it.
Last edited:
Too much information is bad when talking to CSRs. You probably should have omitted "AT&T" and simply told her that you had iPhone model 1633 which is the model Apple says is compatible with US Cellular. Point her to the website if she wants confirmation.
Yeah, you're right, but I went to the store today and apparently it's not going to work and I need to return it. A Rose Gold A1633 model was on display in their store today, LTE was working out of the box with my old SIM, and now I can make calls but can't use data. :/
Put the SIM back into your iPhone 5C, call Customer Service, and have them re-provision the data. Then put it back into your AT&T iPhone 6S and don't bother calling Customer Service again. You don't need to do anything. Who cares if it shows up on their system as an "unknown" device as long as it still works?
It's annoying that the legacy CDMA carriers still have white lists. They are completely unnecessary. The A1633 is the exact same model that US Cellular is going to sell.
The beauty of SIM cards is that you don't need to "activate" phones anymore. Just put the SIM into a new phone and be done with it.
Last edited:
Thanks for your suggestion. It prompted me to call customer service one more time and see if re-provisioning the data, or some other troubleshooting could be done before returning the phone to Apple. And guess what the problem was? The SIM ICCD had one number entered incorrectly on their end. Seriouslywtf. I spent over an hour on the phone last night and 90+ minutes in the store today (I waited an hour to be served), and it was only this (excellent) rep who decided to double check the sim number with me that spotted the error. Had the store just set me up with a new SIM card, which is what I came there for, I probably would've left with it working too. But no! instead they gave me the same song and dance about how the AT&T model 6s (that they're also selling) won't work on their network, and that I need to get the Verizon version from Apple or purchase directly from them.
Last edited:
So does that mean you are back up and running? Until US Cellular starts whitelisting out-of-network phones, you might want to keep the iPhone 5C around for SIM-related issues. It's a bit surprising they will whitelist a Verizon phone, but not an AT&T model that is technologically identical to the one that they sell. On a side note, I do wonder why the regional carriers are getting the A1633/A1634. I was thinking perhaps they roam on AT&T's LTE. If not, then I'd have thought that they would carry the A1687/A1688.
Apple should probably just eliminate the whole "GSM" vs. "CDMA" distinction and just stipulate that all iPhones should be whitelisted on all CDMA networks until the carriers phase them out in a few years. My parents got the same song and dance from Sprint and Verizon that the T-Mobile A1687 that they also sell won't work on their networks. At least the local Apple store had an extra Verizon model in stock that they were able to exchange the launch date T-Mobile version for.
I am so temped to try a Verizon SIM in my unlocked AT&T iPhone 6S.
After years of being locked in a carrier's chains, I refuse to sign contracts or use carrier financing. Unlocked phones are the only way to go. I picked up my iPhone 6S (Space Grey - 128 GB) from the local AT&T store. It was the exact model I was looking for when the initial news broke for the new models. There were no lines at all, walked in and out with my activated iPhone 6S (paid full price) withn 30 minutes. When I got home, I set it up and backed it up using the encrypted method. I then requested an unlock from AT&T through the online portal. After about a minute (if that) I received confirmation that my request was granted. Did a restore from my encrypted backup with the beautiful "Congratulations" notice. Easy breezy.
After years of being locked in a carrier's chains, I refuse to sign contracts or use carrier financing. Unlocked phones are the only way to go. I picked up my iPhone 6S (Space Grey - 128 GB) from the local AT&T store. It was the exact model I was looking for when the initial news broke for the new models. There were no lines at all, walked in and out with my activated iPhone 6S (paid full price) withn 30 minutes. When I got home, I set it up and backed it up using the encrypted method. I then requested an unlock from AT&T through the online portal. After about a minute (if that) I received confirmation that my request was granted. Did a restore from my encrypted backup with the beautiful "Congratulations" notice. Easy breezy.
Isn't there a stipulation on the iPhone 6S page stating that existing micro SIM cards will not work in the new devices? I had an iPhone 5 before upgrading to the iPhone 6, my new 6 refused to recognize the card so I had to go to an AT&T store to get a new SIM. I think it's the carriers way of monitoring the phones being actived on their network and to ensure they get paid the activation fees.
If it's the Verizon iPhone 6S, I believe it is CDMA locked and GSM unlocked. This is due to certain FCC regulations.
The iPhone 5 uses Nano SIM, not micro SIM. The last iPhone to use a micro SIM was the 4S.