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Sly13MacRumor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2015
18
2
So with the new iPhone 6s Sim Free version, can you purchase this with the iPhone upgrade program or not? If not, then what about the installments plan?
 

Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
I'm not sure about the iUP for the Sim-Free, but if I manage to reserve one today for pick up, I'll ask. But I am planning on buying it full price.

As for the installments, I think you can if you apply for the barclays credit card and finance it that way with 0% interest for 12 month.
 
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melman101

macrumors 68030
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
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It looks like you can reserve it on the Apple website for the iPhone Upgrade program.

However, according to the iUP terms and conditions:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/iphoneupgrade_us/

Wireless Service Activation. The Financed iPhone requires activation on a new or existing wireless service plan with an eligible carrier under the carrier’s terms, and may be subject to an additional fee charged by your carrier.

So, I think you would still need to activate it on one of the four national carriers before you leave the store.
 

ggibson913

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2006
1,105
619
Aren't all of the iPhones purchased through the iPhone upgrade program unlocked? I thought that was the main attraction of the program. If you are on Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T what would the advantage of a SIM free phone be?
 

Warbrain

macrumors 603
Jun 28, 2004
5,702
293
Chicago, IL
I'm curious about how unlocked these phones are, though. I checked my IMEI in Verizon's database recently and it's not showing up as eligible.
 

Sly13MacRumor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2015
18
2
Yes, the phone purchased on the iUP come unlocked so you can swap out SIMs (carriers). I find this useful when traveling out of this country.
The point is that it locks you to that carrier so you can get the phone before the SIM free is released. Its unlocked in a way that it does not link that phone with the carrier so you don't have to have them unlock it to go elsewhere, after your contract with them you can go wherever. The SIM free allows you right away to go wherever you want especially if its not one of the 4 major carriers.
 

melman101

macrumors 68030
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
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The point is that it locks you to that carrier so you can get the phone before the SIM free is released. Its unlocked in a way that it does not link that phone with the carrier so you don't have to have them unlock it to go elsewhere, after your contract with them you can go wherever. The SIM free allows you right away to go wherever you want especially if its not one of the 4 major carriers.

Ask your manager if you need to activate it on one of the four major networks before you leave the store, because according to the iUP terms and conditions, that's a requirement.

http://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/iphoneupgrade_us/

Wireless Service Activation. The Financed iPhone requires activation on a new or existing wireless service plan with an eligible carrier under the carrier’s terms, and may be subject to an additional fee charged by your carrier.

------

Also, I'm unclear about your second part of the statement. They activated my phone in store, but when I went home, my phone was clearly unlocked and I could go to any carrier if I wanted to. So I still don't see the difference between SIM Free and mine, other than they had to activate mine on the carrier in order for me to get the upgrade program
 

Warbrain

macrumors 603
Jun 28, 2004
5,702
293
Chicago, IL
The point is that it locks you to that carrier so you can get the phone before the SIM free is released. Its unlocked in a way that it does not link that phone with the carrier so you don't have to have them unlock it to go elsewhere, after your contract with them you can go wherever. The SIM free allows you right away to go wherever you want especially if its not one of the 4 major carriers.

Most people don't have contracts anymore.
 

tl01

macrumors 68020
Jun 20, 2010
2,350
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The point is that it locks you to that carrier so you can get the phone before the SIM free is released. Its unlocked in a way that it does not link that phone with the carrier so you don't have to have them unlock it to go elsewhere, after your contract with them you can go wherever. The SIM free allows you right away to go wherever you want especially if its not one of the 4 major carriers.

Forgive my ignorance, so the only real difference is that you don't have to have an account with one of the 4 major carrier.

If you do, then sim free is moot point? I bought mine under the IUP and switched sims for fun right away and had no issue.
 

Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
Forgive my ignorance, so the only real difference is that you don't have to have an account with one of the 4 major carrier.

If you do, then sim free is moot point? I bought mine under the IUP and switched sims for fun right away and had no issue.
Some people don't live anywhere near Apple store and may not have an account with one of the 4 carriers, so the Sim-Free is an option when ordering online as you don't have to go through entering your wireless account info for that carrier.

As currently if you were to buy a verizon model on apple.com you need to enter your version wireless account info in order to continue with the purchase.
 
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Sly13MacRumor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2015
18
2
All I can say is the iPhone upgrade program is all over the place and they say its unlocked but technically locked to the carrier yet people buy it then switch right away without a problem. I just know I have straight talk and I can't activate under one of those 4 major carriers so I need the SIM free in order to do this. Its rather confusing and I'm still personally trying to understand all about it.
 

melman101

macrumors 68030
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
295
All I can say is the iPhone upgrade program is all over the place and they say its unlocked but technically locked to the carrier yet people buy it then switch right away without a problem. I just know I have straight talk and I can't activate under one of those 4 major carriers so I need the SIM free in order to do this. Its rather confusing and I'm still personally trying to understand all about it.

Ok, so you have Straight Talk, and you are going to do the iPhone Upgrade Program with the SIM Free model today?

Please, let us know how it goes.
 

turbineseaplane

macrumors G5
Mar 19, 2008
14,774
31,530
Forgive the dumb question - But how do you "end" the iPhone upgrade program if you want to...say like 4 months in or something? What are the options? Can you pay it off? Other?
 

0970373

Suspended
Mar 15, 2008
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All I can say is the iPhone upgrade program is all over the place and they say its unlocked but technically locked to the carrier yet people buy it then switch right away without a problem. I just know I have straight talk and I can't activate under one of those 4 major carriers so I need the SIM free in order to do this. Its rather confusing and I'm still personally trying to understand all about it.

Its not that confusing. The AUP phone is unlocked but must be activated on a major carrier with a post-paid account prior to leaving the store. This was made quite clear in the terms & conditions. The phone is not locked to the carrier. I can use any SIM but the carrier activation is likely a security measure or additional check/requirement by the bank as you're taking out a LOAN for the phone. If you wanted, you could cancel that plan and go prepaid and already passed the requirement. The phone is 100% unlocked.

That same phone if purchased full price from Apple is or can also be unlocked even if it come with a SIM card. Just throw it away if you don't need it.

SIM free iPhones don't include SIM cards (duh) but it comes with a SIM ejector tool, is unlocked and can be used anywhere.
 

0970373

Suspended
Mar 15, 2008
2,727
1,412
Forgive the dumb question - But how do you "end" the iPhone upgrade program if you want to...say like 4 months in or something? What are the options? Can you pay it off? Other?

You can log into your account with the bank and pay it off. You should have gotten an email from them when you applied w/ terms & info.
 

turbineseaplane

macrumors G5
Mar 19, 2008
14,774
31,530
I'm not sure there is any real benefit in doing that. You'd be able to trade it in in 12 months which means you'd only have paid half for the device before you can get the iPhone 7.

I hear ya - Was mainly curious as I like to know the options in life
 

Sly13MacRumor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2015
18
2
Its not that confusing. The AUP phone is unlocked but must be activated on a major carrier with a post-paid account prior to leaving the store. This was made quite clear in the terms & conditions. The phone is not locked to the carrier. I can use any SIM but the carrier activation is likely a security measure or additional check/requirement by the bank as you're taking out a LOAN for the phone. If you wanted, you could cancel that plan and go prepaid and already passed the requirement. The phone is 100% unlocked.

That same phone if purchased full price from Apple is or can also be unlocked even if it come with a SIM card. Just throw it away if you don't need it.

SIM free iPhones don't include SIM cards (duh) but it comes with a SIM ejector tool, is unlocked and can be used anywhere.
You can cancel the plan but you still have to pay that first months bill for that plan. I heard from Tmobile that you can't cancel the plan for 45 days. So the word locked needs clarification. It is unlocked it is just tied to the carrier in a way.
 

bking10

macrumors member
Sep 21, 2014
96
46
if it is a Sim free phone, how do they activate it in store? Based on the front page article it doesnt even come with a sim. I wouldnt think they would have many carrier sims in store. I'm not seeing how it would work with the AUP requirements
 
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