I hear a lot of different opinions on how people went on websites to check and their imei said unlocked or unknown, has anyone taken an att subsidized phone and restored in itunes to see if it gives the congrats message?
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is at&t subsidized model factory unlocked? anyone restore in itunes?
- Thread starter GadgetGeek407
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Those sites are incorrect.
If you paid full price, the phone will be unlocked. Check your receipt. It should say device only on apple receipt.
Even if you paid full price and it's locked. ATT will unlock it for free for you if you prove it's full price.
I bought my iPhone 4S a year ago before Apple officially started selling "unlocked" models. It was just the same as any AT&T model, and I paid full price for it, so they just handed it to me, still sealed.
As far as I can tell, the actual locking of a phone to AT&T doesn't happen until Apple locks the phone during the AT&T registration process in the store. This process does NOT happen if you just stick in a random SIM from another carrier (or a current AT&T SIM).
SIM locking doesn't make any sense in the United States anyway, as there are almost no phones that can be moved from one carrier to another and get full functionality because of the different frequency bands used (and the fact that Verizon and Sprint don't allow phones on their network that weren't originally provisioned by them with the MEID in their system).
As far as I can tell, the actual locking of a phone to AT&T doesn't happen until Apple locks the phone during the AT&T registration process in the store. This process does NOT happen if you just stick in a random SIM from another carrier (or a current AT&T SIM).
SIM locking doesn't make any sense in the United States anyway, as there are almost no phones that can be moved from one carrier to another and get full functionality because of the different frequency bands used (and the fact that Verizon and Sprint don't allow phones on their network that weren't originally provisioned by them with the MEID in their system).
To answer the OP's question, the subsidized phones are locked to AT&T. The full-price devices are not locked if you buy them from Apple. If you buy them from AT&T, they will be locked, but you can request them to unlock it immediately.
Right now, subsidized Verizon iPhone 5s appear to be unlocked. Some have speculated that's because it's in the terms of their LTE license, though I don't know if it's been confirmed.
Right now, subsidized Verizon iPhone 5s appear to be unlocked. Some have speculated that's because it's in the terms of their LTE license, though I don't know if it's been confirmed.