As in, non-carrier specific iPhone 6s. When I've tried to order I'm not able to continue unless I select a carrier. I'm looking to buy the device without a carrier/contract. They've offered this in the past so I'm curious as to why they're not offering it now. Unless they're trying to fulfill carrier orders first, but it seems odd to not have the option.
Is Apple not yet selling unlocked phones?
- Thread starter mdwsta4
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7roca7
macrumors member
I don't think they offer unlocked phone's until a few month's after sale's begin, BUT apple state's that all phone's are unlocked? Seem's to be lot's of confusion if the phone's are locked or unlocked, and when i started reading post i became confused.
I pre-ordered my phone, and like you i didn't want to choose one of the four carrier's, but i went ahead and chose AT&T so i could get it in store on release date. I couldn't get apple upgrade program because i didn't have an account with one of the four carrier's, so i just payed the full price. I thought about getting service from AT&T just in case, but blew it off thinking it wouldn't matter, and that's the reason for being disqualified for the upgrade program. The phone came with an AT&T sim installed, so i just went across the street to AT&T and purchased a GoPhone plan. I should have tried my ST sim first. I don't use a lot of data, and was on straight talk, which is owned by AT&T. I figure if i start using lot's of data i'll just go back to ST.
Then i read a post by someone that has an AT&T, and he requested the phone be unlocked. It was approved. Now i've only had the phone since the release date 9/25, so a couple a day's ago i requested it be unlocked. Whether it was unlocked to begin with i have no idea, but i received two e-mails from AT&T at the same time. One said sorry, and the other said congratulation's follow these step's. Went into iTune's and did a backup, then Restore phone. It started with the 9.0.1 update, restored, asked if i wanted to use backup (i did) and when it was finished the window came up congratulation your phone is unlocked.
Something else i found while playing with the setting's, was that when i went to ST from AT&T i had to change setting's on my iPhone 5. Some one on YouTube said to get a sim from T-Mobile, because they will give it to you free because it's not activated, and your setting's will open to reset for ST. It worked. So i put the same sim from T-M into my new 6s+. In settings there was a new one for Carrier's listed right under cellular. I tapped it and the next window said Automatic with the radio button on green? I turned it off and it searched, and up popped up a list of the 4 carriers you see when ordering. I'm assuming that if you use one of those carrier's the phone will automatically find the setting's for that specific sim card, because when i replaced the AT&T sim a box appeared that setting's were being updated. That made me wonder if it will reset any carrier setting's, but Apple only displayed the four major one's?
I pre-ordered my phone, and like you i didn't want to choose one of the four carrier's, but i went ahead and chose AT&T so i could get it in store on release date. I couldn't get apple upgrade program because i didn't have an account with one of the four carrier's, so i just payed the full price. I thought about getting service from AT&T just in case, but blew it off thinking it wouldn't matter, and that's the reason for being disqualified for the upgrade program. The phone came with an AT&T sim installed, so i just went across the street to AT&T and purchased a GoPhone plan. I should have tried my ST sim first. I don't use a lot of data, and was on straight talk, which is owned by AT&T. I figure if i start using lot's of data i'll just go back to ST.
Then i read a post by someone that has an AT&T, and he requested the phone be unlocked. It was approved. Now i've only had the phone since the release date 9/25, so a couple a day's ago i requested it be unlocked. Whether it was unlocked to begin with i have no idea, but i received two e-mails from AT&T at the same time. One said sorry, and the other said congratulation's follow these step's. Went into iTune's and did a backup, then Restore phone. It started with the 9.0.1 update, restored, asked if i wanted to use backup (i did) and when it was finished the window came up congratulation your phone is unlocked.
Something else i found while playing with the setting's, was that when i went to ST from AT&T i had to change setting's on my iPhone 5. Some one on YouTube said to get a sim from T-Mobile, because they will give it to you free because it's not activated, and your setting's will open to reset for ST. It worked. So i put the same sim from T-M into my new 6s+. In settings there was a new one for Carrier's listed right under cellular. I tapped it and the next window said Automatic with the radio button on green? I turned it off and it searched, and up popped up a list of the 4 carriers you see when ordering. I'm assuming that if you use one of those carrier's the phone will automatically find the setting's for that specific sim card, because when i replaced the AT&T sim a box appeared that setting's were being updated. That made me wonder if it will reset any carrier setting's, but Apple only displayed the four major one's?
Silver Idaten
macrumors 6502a
Not the 'SIM-free' model, but if you're buying full price from Apple they're all unlocked anyway. I think at this point, the 'SIM-free' model is a formality. Differences between iPhone models are getting more and more minute with every release.
Last year was a couple of LTE bands.
This year it's literally just one LTE band.
I think we're going to have a universal model starting with 7.
Last year was a couple of LTE bands.
This year it's literally just one LTE band.
I think we're going to have a universal model starting with 7.
Got it, thanks. That make sense. I know Verizion had been selling unlocked phones for the past few years, but AT&T phones have historically been locked until you request them to be unlocked off contract, break your contract, or pay full price.
Just tested a friend's Verizon SIM card in my phone and it works so it appears as though my phone is now unlocked. Plan on using it in SE Asia in a few weeks. Although I may try purchasing a new 6s and selling this one now.
Just tested a friend's Verizon SIM card in my phone and it works so it appears as though my phone is now unlocked. Plan on using it in SE Asia in a few weeks. Although I may try purchasing a new 6s and selling this one now.
mattopotamus
macrumors G5
What annoys me is that I had to buy the ATT model full price in store. If I wanted to order it online for full price it still made me enter carrier info.
benzslrpee
macrumors 6502
all iPhones you buy at full price from Apple are unlocked... you do not need to activate with carrier. for the Apple payment plan phones, here's what i did:
i got my "AT&T" 6s+, activated it on my current service line, went to an AT&T store to switch the service back to my 6, and took the 6s+ to T-Mobile for a data only package. AT&T never had to unlock anything for me
i got my "AT&T" 6s+, activated it on my current service line, went to an AT&T store to switch the service back to my 6, and took the 6s+ to T-Mobile for a data only package. AT&T never had to unlock anything for me
lordofthereef
macrumors G5
This is just an assumption in my part, but I feel the reason we don't see sim free right away is because Apple sells more contract (or lease or insert carrier tied phone) is because Apple doesn't want a bunch of phones sitting in stock that they can't sell, say, to a Verizon customer.
orangezorki
macrumors 6502a
Might not be the info you are asking for, but they definitely are all unlocked here in the UK if you buy from an Apple store.