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iPhone X unlocked on AT&T?

J

JamesIV

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 2, 2015
23
33
I currently use AT&T service but I'd like to buy an unlocked sim-free iPhone X when it comes out. Unfortunately that option doesn't seem to be available like it is on the iPhone 8. My confusion is that when I select AT&T and then select the pay in full option, I can see it says "unlocked with AT&T sim" on the Apple website.

So does that mean it's unlocked or not? Would I be able to use it with T-Mobile or Verizon later down the line or if I decided to sell it to a user on another network?
Unlocked.JPG
 
If you pay in full, the iPhone will be unlocked for use on any GSM network. Unfortunately, the AT&T and T-Mobile unlocked iPhones will not work on Verizon or Sprint.
 
I was wondering the same thing as the OP. I have AT&T and always buy unlocked iPhones from Apple.com. But the X isn't available in an Unlocked version like the 8. I guess I can select AT&T at Pre-Order as I don't see myself leaving them anytime soon.
 
As someone else stated only GSM carriers my friend
[doublepost=1505930743][/doublepost]We need to sticky a PSA to let everyone know AT&T/T-Mobile models are for only GSM carriers and only Verizon/Sprint variant is for all carriers regardless if you buy outright or not. This will come up probably 200 more times before Oct 27
 
I wonder why they wouldn't release the all carriers version of the X, as they do with the 8.. makes me think that carriers are waiting to offer their DEALS till the X comes out. As the guts of the 8 and the X are pretty much the same, having a totally unlocked 8 at launch that will work on ALL carriers in the USA is silly, and not to have it on the X.
 
Dirtydutch said:
As someone else stated only GSM carriers my friend
[doublepost=1505930743][/doublepost]We need to sticky a PSA to let everyone know AT&T/T-Mobile models are for only GSM carriers and only Verizon/Sprint variant is for all carriers regardless if you buy outright or not. This will come up probably 200 more times before Oct 27
Click to expand...
So, to clarify, if I wanted the best bang for my buck, even though I'm on AT&T I should outright buy the Verizon phone right?
 
BigTomCallaghan said:
So, to clarify, if I wanted the best bang for my buck, even though I'm on AT&T I should outright buy the Verizon phone right?
Click to expand...
You can't in the Apple app, you would need account info for Sprint/Verizon models, same as last year. You can go in store and buy the Verizon model outright just no preorder without account. There was almost a nonexistent price difference in resale if that's what your looking for. I wouldn't worry about it, I'd worry more about locking up the one on your current carrier more than anything else.
 
BigTomCallaghan said:
So, to clarify, if I wanted the best bang for my buck, even though I'm on AT&T I should outright buy the Verizon phone right?
Click to expand...
Yes, but you can't order a verizon model on apple.com / apple app store without a verizon account. But you can at the Apple store.
 
Dirtydutch said:
You can't in the Apple app, you would need account info for Sprint/Verizon models, same as last year. You can go in store and buy the Verizon model outright just no preorder without account. There was almost a nonexistent price difference in resale if that's what your looking for. I wouldn't worry about it, I'd worry more about locking up the one on your current carrier more than anything else.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the answer and sorry about my confusion but I can't recall this last year...

I ordered my 7+ on T-Mobile (for use with AT&T) from Apple last year as that was the unlocked one - never had to input any T-Mo information, am I mis-remembering?
[doublepost=1505939068][/doublepost]
Shadowbech said:
Yes, but you can't order a verizon model on apple.com / apple app store without a verizon account. But you can at the Apple store.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I must be losing my mind. So I do need my AT&T account info for pre-order assuming they do not offer a SIM free option it seems
 
BigTomCallaghan said:
Thanks for the answer and sorry about my confusion but I can't recall this last year...

I ordered my 7+ on T-Mobile (for use with AT&T) from Apple last year as that was the unlocked one - never had to input any T-Mo information, am I mis-remembering?
Click to expand...
You're welcome. No you're correct, if you buy T-mobile it's the only model that doesn't require account info and it works on AT&T no problems.
 
Dirtydutch said:
You're welcome. No you're correct, if you buy T-mobile it's the only model that doesn't require account info and it works on AT&T no problems.
Click to expand...
So why would anyone buying for AT&T NOT do that, since you can skip pinging the carrier servers, assuming SIM-free was not available?
 
Dirtydutch said:
You can't in the Apple app, you would need account info for Sprint/Verizon models, same as last year. You can go in store and buy the Verizon model outright just no preorder without account. There was almost a nonexistent price difference in resale if that's what your looking for. I wouldn't worry about it, I'd worry more about locking up the one on your current carrier more than anything else.
Click to expand...
What do you mean nonexistent price difference in resale?
 
tivoboy said:
I wonder why they wouldn't release the all carriers version of the X, as they do with the 8.. makes me think that carriers are waiting to offer their DEALS till the X comes out. As the guts of the 8 and the X are pretty much the same, having a totally unlocked 8 at launch that will work on ALL carriers in the USA is silly, and not to have it on the X.
Click to expand...

Scalpers love the SIM free versions of the iPhone. Since the iPhone 8 is not rare they opened up the SIM version at the start of pre-order. For the X we probably won't see SIM free until 2018, about two months.
 
FunkyTang said:
What I see on the used reseller sites is a used SIM Free sku sells for $5 to $10 more than the same AT&T unlocked one.
Click to expand...
Yea this. Difference is so minute its not at all worth the trouble to risk not having one at all for such a nothing difference. There really almost never a negligible difference when reselling time comes around.
 
Dirtydutch said:
Yea this. Difference is so minute its not at all worth the trouble to risk not having one at all for such a nothing difference. There really almost never a negligible difference when reselling time comes around.
Click to expand...
I guess I don't understand what you are referencing. On another thread you told me that I would be able to sell a T-Mobile iPhone X at a profit or at least break even, but here it's just break even?
 
DJosche said:
I guess I don't understand what you are referencing. On another thread you told me that I would be able to sell a T-Mobile iPhone X at a profit or at least break even, but here it's just break even?
Click to expand...
I'm referring to when you resell it when the new phone comes out not you flipping it during its initial release
 
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