Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Janet is saying that yes you can use a new Verizon iPhone 7 on any carrier you like, but you have to provide account details when ordering online and it comes with a Verizon SIM for the account you told them. If you use a friend's account to do this then your new iPhone 7 will activated as your friend's phone number and their old SIM card will be deactivated. You can then give your new SIM card to your friend and put your AT&T SIM card in your iPhone. This is a very messy solution as they don't sell a sim free model at this time. You can't just lie without having access to a Verizon account.

If you go to a brick and mortar Apple Store it is the general belief that you can buy a CDMA iPhone 7 sim free but there has not been an official word on this yet.
NO carrier info is needed when you select one time payment. You have NO commitment when paying pull
 
  • Like
Reactions: maxsix
I would think Apple would want fewer SKU's in their inventory for many reasons.

Fewer SKUs is good, but apparently outweighed by Apple's desire to save a few cents. They likely got a sweetheart deal with Intel for cheaper chips... just too bad Intel can't provide CDMA yet.
 
From AUP in the FAQ...
Not promising that if you select at&t you can take to Verizon. Only promising unlocked GSM phone. Apple of the hook.
So you required to choose carrier with live or new account ?

Are there differences between an iPhone for AT&T or T-Mobile and an iPhone for Sprint or Verizon Wireless?
iPhone offers the same innovative features regardless of the wireless carrier you choose. If you choose AT&T or T-Mobile as your wireless carrier, your iPhone will use 3G cellular technology for voice services and either 3G or 4G LTE cellular technology for data services. iPhone can roam internationally on many GSM carriers around the world. If you buy iPhone with AT&T or T-Mobile, it will not work on Sprint or Verizon Wireless.

If you choose Sprint or Verizon Wireless as your wireless carrier, your iPhone will use CDMA cellular technology for voice and data services. If you buy an unlocked iPhone with Verizon or Sprint, it will work on AT&T or T-Mobile. An iPhone activated on Sprint or Verizon Wireless also has the ability to roam internationally on GSM networks. For details on LTE network support
 
I'm currently with AT&T and want to switch to Verizon but order directly through Apple (probably through the upgrade program). Can I order my Verizon phone before I set up the service?
 
NO carrier info is needed when you select one time payment. You have NO commitment when paying pull

I think others have tried it on the current 6S it you do need to enter info even if it's paid in full. I just tried it and it seems like you have to enter it.

Screen Shot 2016-09-08 at 4.18.35 PM.png
 
From AUP in the FAQ...
Not promising that if you select at&t you can take to Verizon. Only promising unlocked GSM phone. Apple of the hook.
So you required to choose carrier with live or new account ?

Are there differences between an iPhone for AT&T or T-Mobile and an iPhone for Sprint or Verizon Wireless?
iPhone offers the same innovative features regardless of the wireless carrier you choose. If you choose AT&T or T-Mobile as your wireless carrier, your iPhone will use 3G cellular technology for voice services and either 3G or 4G LTE cellular technology for data services. iPhone can roam internationally on many GSM carriers around the world. If you buy iPhone with AT&T or T-Mobile, it will not work on Sprint or Verizon Wireless.

If you choose Sprint or Verizon Wireless as your wireless carrier, your iPhone will use CDMA cellular technology for voice and data services. If you buy an unlocked iPhone with Verizon or Sprint, it will work on AT&T or T-Mobile. An iPhone activated on Sprint or Verizon Wireless also has the ability to roam internationally on GSM networks. For details on LTE network support
I just read the FAQS that pretty much tells you straight from Apple if you read all of them that they are all unlocked when paid in full
 
I started the Apple Upgrade Program last year with AT&T. I want to continue that this year. However, all of my phones are finally off of contract with AT&T. Thus, I am able to shop around. With that in mind, I would like the option to go with another carrier, potentially Verizon. All phones through the AUP are unlocked, but what phone do they get? If I select AT&T, it will be unlocked but I assume it will be the GSM model.

If I upgrade on the AUP tonight, will Apple allow me to select the Verizon model so that I can go to any carrier? I've seen posts about needing to have a Verizon account to select Verizon. However, that seems like it is necessary if you buy outright. Anyone know if you need a Verizon account to get an AUP Verizon phone. I am 100% confident this will be able to be activated on AT&T if I desire. I just want the flexibility
 
I just read the FAQS that pretty much tells you straight from Apple if you read all of them that they are all unlocked when paid in full
BUT, if they make you take a at&t phone because that is your current carrier it will never work with CDMA or Verizon.
 
AT&T is always capitalized in text. And it was only lower case only when used explicitly next to the "globe" icon from 2005-2015. Since 2016, all type and logo representations are always capitilized.

Nice! Thanks for the info! With all the recent attacks on our childhood (remakes of Footloose, Ghostbusters, etc.) it's good to know some things are back!

hqdefault.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: BeatCrazy
BUT, if they make you take a at&t phone because that is your current carrier it will never work with CDMA or Verizon.
Yea man unreal it really shouldn't be such a task especially when they're getting so much of our money for it
 
I just saw this thread and a little concerned I'm sure several others are. So either stick with AT&T (which I probably will) or know that in order to switch carriers the iphone I'm going to purchase has to be sold to another AT&T user and a new one bought for use on Verizon?
 
BUT, if they make you take a at&t phone because that is your current carrier it will never work with CDMA or Verizon.
That's not necessarily true, this coming from a guy who carries an iPhone on ATTWS and VZW wherever I go.

VZW has a process for "allowing" non-VZW devices onto their network - none of my employees have had a compatible phone denied (read on). I live and work in the PNW - WA/OR/ID/MT and pretty much wherever I go we're on VZW's LTE bands now, and only *very* rarely do I roam on USCC (which, now, has an interop roaming agreement on LTE Band 12 signed in 2013 and in effect in 10/2015) do I ever see my VZW iPhone kick over to CDMA, and that CDMA switch over is only for a few miles in Wahkiakum County in WA (it's on the way to my mom's house, so I know...).

If I didn't travel to my mom's house - and, it's my mom... - I've had 100% coverage on LTE with VZW and ATTWS on Band 12 (ATTWS) or Band 13 (ATTWS or VZW). The whole CDMA bit here is seriously being overhyped - the irony I'm seeing in this thread and elsewhere is that now that T-Mo and USCC have roaming agreements on Band 12, CDMA "roaming" is pretty much only marketing hype. My VZW mobile hotspot, iPad, and iPhone almost never roam, and I mean 99.9% never roam. There was a snarky (and funny) comment earlier in this thread about CDMA and Montana and cow patties - I was in MT pretty much all last week, and almost all of the state was blanketed by LTE goodness on both networks. If I were buying an iPhone 7 next week, you're pretty much covered (except for a 2-mile stretch of State Route 4 in Wahkiakum County...).

Cheers, and happy travels!
 
I bought a 6s this time last year, unlocked AT&T model, through the iPhone Upgrade Program. I'm pretty sure it's not Verizon-compatible — whether it's because it doesn't have CDMA or because it supports the wrong LTE bands or some other reason. But this is not a new development this year with the iPhone 7.

Difficult to understand, yes. But not a new issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: imlynxy
I bought a 6s this time last year, unlocked AT&T model, through the iPhone Upgrade Program. I'm pretty sure it's not Verizon-compatible — whether it's because it doesn't have CDMA or because it supports the wrong LTE bands or some other reason. But this is not a new development this year with the iPhone 7.

Difficult to understand, yes. But not a new issue.
Your phone works completely and thoroughly on all us carriers.
 
Just correcting a few misconceptions along the way...

CDMA should no longer exist. It's literally one of the oldest technologies ever, yet companies like Verizon still use them? So goddamn evil.

Nonsense. Even in the beginning of cellular, engineers knew that a CDMA radio was the superior (though more costly) choice of radio. CDMA allows for more users and more bandwidth per tower than did GSM's original TDMA scheme. Moreover, it was in itself an easy path to 3G, unlike with GSM which had to add a radio (see below).

That's why carriers in the more wealthy and technically astute countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, S. Korea implemented CDMA early on, and had widespread 3G coverage long before many GSM systems did.

In fact, what some (mostly USA) GSM fans don't realize, is that GSM had to add a CDMA type of radio to their phones to get 3G, exactly because of those advantages. On the good side, by waiting for frequencies to open up, they were able to implement a wider bandwidth version (W-CDMA), which eventually allowed for higher speeds than the CDMA-2000 version used by "CDMA carriers". On the bad side, it required more care in tower siting (which Verizon had already done), and that's why AT&T took years longer to get widespread 3G.

Weren't VZW and/or Sprint working on converting their networks over to GSM? I thought I remember something like that once before.

No sir, what you heard were laymen thinking that LTE was GSM only, when in reality LTE was the 4G path forward for both GSM and CDMA-2000 carriers. Heck, Verizon designed a lot of LTE, because they were among the first to specify and order equipment for it.

I would guess that it might be more efficient, if it doesn't have to power a CDMA radio.

Guess what? With GSM 3G you've been using a CDMA type (W-CDMA) of radio all along, just not one compatible with CDMA-2000 networks.

Ironically, as far as power goes, GSM networks had to ADD an EXTRA radio to their sites and everyone's phones, in order to be able to use both GSM for 2G/voice and WCDMA (UMTS-3G) for 3G. Verizon, having started with CDMA to begin with, still only needed one radio in their phones even after adding 3G support.
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.