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iPhone XR Now Available SIM-Free in the United States
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They are too normal but if they’re paid off you can call the carrier and get the SIM card unlocked. Verizon phones come unlocked regardless.
I was very disappointed when I noticed the lack of a SIM-free option on launch--this tends to be special tactic used only in the US. Why, especially given that the carrier phones are unlocked and sold at full price? I thought I'd have to wait till early 2019 to get one.
However, after seeing the phone in person and deciding it wasn't of interest, I knew the SIM-free option was going to show up a lot sooner.
The demand for iPhones this year looks to be really bad. I have never seen a launch day for an iPhone without any line outside the local store until this year. There was equipment to organize a line but it was never needed. In the past, there have been times when lines have persisted for several days following launch. This year, forget a line outside the store, the store itself is not at all busy.
That said, Apple's marketing is very impressive. The website makes me want to buy one. But when I go into the store and actually play with one I just don't get that feeling of wanting to buy it, or any other iPhone that they have in the store for that matter.
However, after seeing the phone in person and deciding it wasn't of interest, I knew the SIM-free option was going to show up a lot sooner.
The demand for iPhones this year looks to be really bad. I have never seen a launch day for an iPhone without any line outside the local store until this year. There was equipment to organize a line but it was never needed. In the past, there have been times when lines have persisted for several days following launch. This year, forget a line outside the store, the store itself is not at all busy.
That said, Apple's marketing is very impressive. The website makes me want to buy one. But when I go into the store and actually play with one I just don't get that feeling of wanting to buy it, or any other iPhone that they have in the store for that matter.
Only in the Apple Universe. Tim has some big decisions in 2019. Increasing prices to maintain revenue targets amidst declining unit sales has gone beyond reality this year.
There will always be customers who purchase the flagship revesion every year. There will always be people with the financial means to purchase the perceived hottest device every year. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s their money they have the right to do as they please.
Apple needs to be increasing iPhone market share in order to keep the services revenue stream on track for guidance. Services are driven by expansion of the user base. Nothing offered this fall IMO will bring an Android user into the Apple Ecosystem.
Apple needs a $599 iPhone, and soon.
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I don't understand people calling the iPhone XR a budget phone.
That is like saying that an Intel Core i7 is a budget processor, because the Intel Core i9 exists.
The XR is just a different model and, yes, cheaper than the expensive XS models, but not budget by any means.
The iPhone SE could perhaps be called the budget model.
That is like saying that an Intel Core i7 is a budget processor, because the Intel Core i9 exists.
The XR is just a different model and, yes, cheaper than the expensive XS models, but not budget by any means.
The iPhone SE could perhaps be called the budget model.
They are getting desperate. Need to keep the noise. But it's not working I guess...
Supposed to sell tons of those.
[doublepost=1542297617][/doublepost]
Exactly right. They seriously thought one product will keep them flying for ever.
It would except that product kind of is not what it used to be...
Supposed to sell tons of those.
[doublepost=1542297617][/doublepost]
Exactly right. They seriously thought one product will keep them flying for ever.
It would except that product kind of is not what it used to be...
In some past versions an ATT phone could not be transferred to Verizon. Their network seemed to lock out unknown IMEIs. Also there were iPhones with different chips for different carriers. Are we sure now the radio chips support all carriers even if you buy one with a sim already in it?
This hasn't really been a thing in years, at least since we've had LTE. Subsidized contracts were one reason, but the other major reason was different US carriers (i.e. AT&T vs Verizon) used different bands and fundamentally different technology (GSM vs CDMA, respectively). That's gone now with LTE.
So there's nothing locking customers to carriers anymore, other than financial obligations if they buy it on contract from a carrier. If you buy it from Apple, you can take it anywhere.
Looking at the A1984 (U.S version) and A2105 (U.K version) they both support the same LTE bands.
You are right about the iPhone X but the article refers to the iPhone Xs which was available unlocked from launch day. This is not an issue in the UK where every iPhone purchased at full price from Apple is unlocked from launch day. It used to be the case that if you bought one from a third party supplier like Dixons or Carphonewarehouse even at full price, it would lock to the carrier of the first sim you put in; which was very annoying and quite criminal. This is no longer the case.
By the contract maybe it's illegal for Apple to declare that those phone are usable to any carrier other than the supported carrier they had agree with. But also by the law they are required to unlock such phone if it's already been fully paid.
Exactly. $599 is a bit more reasonable as a mid budget iPhone. The current price is silly.Only in the Apple Universe. Tim has some big decisions in 2019. Increasing prices to maintain revenue targets amidst declining unit sales has gone beyond reality this year.
There will always be customers who purchase the flagship revesion every year. There will always be people with the financial means to purchase the perceived hottest device every year. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s their money they have the right to do as they please.
Apple needs to be increasing iPhone market share in order to keep the services revenue stream on track for guidance. Services are driven by expansion of the user base. Nothing offered this fall IMO will bring an Android user into the Apple Ecosystem.
Apple need a $599 iPhone, and soon.
Why would anybody buy a locked phone, ever? It is soooo strange to me that new iPhones are being sold only with one of these four carriers initially.
To me, the choice of a phone and the choice of a wireless carrier have NOTHING to do with each other. It makes absolutely no sense to me why the customer would want to buy these two things bundled.
You don't buy your house or apartment bundled with an internet provider, do you? It just makes no sense for the customer.
To me, the choice of a phone and the choice of a wireless carrier have NOTHING to do with each other. It makes absolutely no sense to me why the customer would want to buy these two things bundled.
You don't buy your house or apartment bundled with an internet provider, do you? It just makes no sense for the customer.
Ask Apple. "Supply & Demand"
That question could be asked for almost any high priced item sold... no one is forcing people to buy iPhone's, if you want a cheap Android phone go right ahead.
That's what it looks like
https://www.apple.com/iphone-xr/specs/
The only model number is A1984.
I think the only reason Apple has a carrier-specific phone is so that non-knowledgable customers end up paying a SIM/new phone activation fee which they could have avoided by just swapping out the SIM card. Can anyone confirm if this is true?
The model number A would be the same. However, it's the Part number that is different.
Yes don’t worry about it as I don’t worry or particularly care about company policies in other countries. Contract payment plan vs cash pay.
I've done this both ways: paid full price for a "SIM-Free" iPhone (for the 6S Plus, a 7, and the X) and also paid full price for an "AT&T" iPhone (a different 7, and now the XR).
Both ways -- any time I paid full price for an iPhone since the 6S Plus, I've been able to put any mobile carrier's SIM card in the phone (in the US) and it worked fine. And for the iPhone X, I put a Three (3) SIM card in the US-bought phone and it worked fine.
I get the theories but am not completely sure why Apple does this overt sale of "SIM-Free" phone when really the LTE bands in Europe (or most of Europe--please correct me if I'm wrong) for GSM networks are the same as they are in the US.
I've yet to hear of someone in the US paying full price for an AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile iPhone and then it does not work in Europe.
Both ways -- any time I paid full price for an iPhone since the 6S Plus, I've been able to put any mobile carrier's SIM card in the phone (in the US) and it worked fine. And for the iPhone X, I put a Three (3) SIM card in the US-bought phone and it worked fine.
I get the theories but am not completely sure why Apple does this overt sale of "SIM-Free" phone when really the LTE bands in Europe (or most of Europe--please correct me if I'm wrong) for GSM networks are the same as they are in the US.
I've yet to hear of someone in the US paying full price for an AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile iPhone and then it does not work in Europe.
When you bought the AT&T phone, did you swap out the SIM with your active SIM or did you try to activate the SIM inside the phone? If you did the latter, was there a fee involved (even if you were able to later call and get it waived)?