I've talked to a few online Apple reps, no sense getting emotional. Unfortunately I received conflicting answers from them. One said it's possible to purchase an AT&T phone at full retail price in the store. All three I spoke to said T-mo's contract free will not be unlocked. Based on what I've read on this topic, I'm hopeful this is not the case. I'll have to decide whether I'll pre-order or just get in line on launch day.
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Is the T-Mobile iPhone 6 unlocked for pre-order?
- Thread starter Xeyad
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I'm going for the Verizon model just for better resale value. A Tmo/AT&T phone will only work on Tmo/AT&T while the VZW model will work on all three even though technically they're the same phone, but verizon doesn't activate any phones not sold for them.
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No. usually they just sell you an unlocked phone with a tmobile sim and you go to tmobile.com or call them to activate it.
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No. usually they just sell you an unlocked phone with a tmobile sim and you go to tmobile.com or call them to activate it.
This thread is almost word of word like what happened last year at launch sep 19th
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1640112/
To summarize last year the Tmobile were unlocked.
Apple website had them listed as contract free (without the words unlocked) but they all came factory unlocked
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1640112/
To summarize last year the Tmobile were unlocked.
Apple website had them listed as contract free (without the words unlocked) but they all came factory unlocked
So my wife recently bought a iPhone 5c (back in June). On the Apple website, it shows she is not eligible to get an upgrade, but can buy the iPhone at full price. She doesn't want the phone, but I would love to buy it since it will come unlocked.
Here are my questions:
- will this extend her contract even though it is a full price purchase?
- what information from her do I need in order to make this purchase?
- will she have to activate the phone before I can even use it, or could I just use it right out of the box (I'm with AT&T but I'm leaning towards Verizon or T-Mobile)
Here are my questions:
- will this extend her contract even though it is a full price purchase?
- what information from her do I need in order to make this purchase?
- will she have to activate the phone before I can even use it, or could I just use it right out of the box (I'm with AT&T but I'm leaning towards Verizon or T-Mobile)
My source is just the fact that the same thing happened last year. If you chatted with Apple reps, they told you, specifically, that the T-Mobile contract-free iPhone 5S was locked to T-Mobile. This, however, as backed up by everyone who bought one, was not the case. The phones were factory unlocked straight out of the box. Remember that you do not speak to Apple directly- you speak to customer service representatives who may or may not know everything about the inner workings of a release. All I know is that this time last year, the speculation ran crazy as well and it was quelled when all of the phones were unlocked (only the ones from apple.com, though, I'm not talking about the ones ordered straight from T-Mobile.)
i assume the pre order sale will begin tomorrow at 00:00h.
Does anyone knows exactly what time zone it will begin the pre order sale at apple store? Is it pacific time?
Tks!
pst
My plan right now: Pre-order T-Mobile iPhone. Hopefully once they come in someone in this thread can test it out with an AT&T and international SIM. If it isn't unlock, return/sell it.
I was under the impression only the Verizon model was the one that came unlocked. T-Mobile and At&t are very much locked.
According to the T-Mobile rep I talked to, no. And when I went through the process of buying a 5s on T-Mobile today online, I got to the part where it asked for payment info right before confirmation and never asked for me to sign up for service.
Note, when doing so I checked the T-Mobile version, NOT the SIM-free version.
Except if you are on an AT&T business plan, then you can't go through the upgrade checker and the only option to pre order is T-Mobile which is what I'll be trying. Hoping for the best, I can always return it if it doesn't work!
Is the T-Mobile iPhone 6 unlocked for pre-order?
Well, someone can test it out for us when it's released. My understanding is, if you buy the Tmobile contract free version off of Apple website or in store, then it is unlocked and ready to use on other GSM carriers...unless Apple is changing something this year.
Well, someone can test it out for us when it's released. My understanding is, if you buy the Tmobile contract free version off of Apple website or in store, then it is unlocked and ready to use on other GSM carriers...unless Apple is changing something this year.
tmobile contract free
U can only go to Apple Store to get the contract free iphone 6 and it comes in unlocked. Don't buy it from Tmobile or any retail stores. Go to Apple store and get it. Take out the sim card before u boot up iphone for the first time. you will be fine. Also U can purchase Verizon without contract as well but in Apple store only. same technique, take the sim out before u boot.
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i am wondering the same. just wait till Friday night and see the options. If not, we'll just go to Apple on the 19th very early in the morning.
U can only go to Apple Store to get the contract free iphone 6 and it comes in unlocked. Don't buy it from Tmobile or any retail stores. Go to Apple store and get it. Take out the sim card before u boot up iphone for the first time. you will be fine. Also U can purchase Verizon without contract as well but in Apple store only. same technique, take the sim out before u boot.
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i am wondering the same. just wait till Friday night and see the options. If not, we'll just go to Apple on the 19th very early in the morning.
I'm going with the T-Mobile w/o contract
Since there is conflicting information from previous user experiences and what you hear from Apple, I assume from what I've read here and looking at the various sites the worst case is that the T-Mobile phone will have to be on their network for 40 days (or $100). If I'm lucky it will be unlocked. Unless we get an definitive statement from T-Mobile or Apple we're just not going to really know by the time we pre-order tonight.
A T-Mobile phone is nice as they have ridiculously low international data and call rates (comparatively). When I travel overseas I take out a $50 T-Mobile plan, put their sim in my unlocked AT&T phone, and then cancel the plan when I return from the trip.
Ideally I would like (ironically) the Verizon CDMA phone (Model A1586
or Model A1524 I think) as it supports the most frequencies: GSM and CDMA. (see below) which is critical when using it internationally. My guess is that there will so much initial demand that Apple wants to meet the needs of its biggest customers, Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. AT&T and Verizon want people tied into contracts, so Verizon and AT&T unlocked phones will not be available until some date in the future when supply and demand become balanced.
Once I can get the T-Moble 6+ phone unlocked (on arrival or 40 days later), I'm planning to ditch my AT&T grandfathered unlimited plan. Over it's lifetime (whatever that is) I've used 2 hours of phone and less then 5 GB of data so I'm throwing my money away.
I'll then go with Consumer Cellular. They use AT&T's network. Top rated by Consumer Reports. I can get a limited call and data plan for <$20. And if I'm traveling in the U.S. (overseas I'll get a temporary T-Mobile plan) if I go over call or data limits they text you. You can then immediately upgrade to the plan you need, and downgrade when you return home. And by buying the phone I can upgrade every year, and the phone I'll be selling will be relatively current so ebay pricing shouldn't be too bad.
Here are the frequencies that the various phones support. I'm reading this that A1549 and A1522 are the AT&T and T-Mobile phones, don't know which, and that their specs are the same:
Apple Site http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/
Model A1549 (GSM)*
Model A1522 (GSM)*
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
Model A1549 (CDMA)*
Model A1522 (CDMA)*
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
Model A1586*
Model A1524*
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41)
All models
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
NFC
Since there is conflicting information from previous user experiences and what you hear from Apple, I assume from what I've read here and looking at the various sites the worst case is that the T-Mobile phone will have to be on their network for 40 days (or $100). If I'm lucky it will be unlocked. Unless we get an definitive statement from T-Mobile or Apple we're just not going to really know by the time we pre-order tonight.
A T-Mobile phone is nice as they have ridiculously low international data and call rates (comparatively). When I travel overseas I take out a $50 T-Mobile plan, put their sim in my unlocked AT&T phone, and then cancel the plan when I return from the trip.
Ideally I would like (ironically) the Verizon CDMA phone (Model A1586
or Model A1524 I think) as it supports the most frequencies: GSM and CDMA. (see below) which is critical when using it internationally. My guess is that there will so much initial demand that Apple wants to meet the needs of its biggest customers, Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. AT&T and Verizon want people tied into contracts, so Verizon and AT&T unlocked phones will not be available until some date in the future when supply and demand become balanced.
Once I can get the T-Moble 6+ phone unlocked (on arrival or 40 days later), I'm planning to ditch my AT&T grandfathered unlimited plan. Over it's lifetime (whatever that is) I've used 2 hours of phone and less then 5 GB of data so I'm throwing my money away.
I'll then go with Consumer Cellular. They use AT&T's network. Top rated by Consumer Reports. I can get a limited call and data plan for <$20. And if I'm traveling in the U.S. (overseas I'll get a temporary T-Mobile plan) if I go over call or data limits they text you. You can then immediately upgrade to the plan you need, and downgrade when you return home. And by buying the phone I can upgrade every year, and the phone I'll be selling will be relatively current so ebay pricing shouldn't be too bad.
Here are the frequencies that the various phones support. I'm reading this that A1549 and A1522 are the AT&T and T-Mobile phones, don't know which, and that their specs are the same:
Apple Site http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/
Model A1549 (GSM)*
Model A1522 (GSM)*
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
Model A1549 (CDMA)*
Model A1522 (CDMA)*
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
Model A1586*
Model A1524*
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41)
All models
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
NFC
ENOUGH ALREADY! Buy the TM phone from apple direct, put in any nano gsm sim from any wireless company on the planet and it will work. Buy the phone from TM and the sims won't work. Apple=unlocked. TM=locked. Come on guys/gals. These are the simple facts. 150+ posts and you still don't get it. You're Apple people, you're smarter than this.
My analysis of the conversation so far:
For those of us on AT&T who are not upgrade eligible and want to buy a full retail phone (but don't care if it's sim unlocked or not) should FIRST try to preorder the AT&T version of the phone via the Apple Online Store. Presuming the Apple Store lets us check upgrade eligibility, perhaps it will allow us to buy at full retail price once it discovers we are not upgrade eligible?
If that doesn't work either because 1) Apple just doesn't end up offering the full retail price even after checking upgrade eligibility, or 2) upgrade eligibility doesn't work for some users (what's this about business users not being able to check in this way? ... THEN we should try to order the T-Mobile version and hope that it's unlocked when it arrives?
Alternatively, I was thinking about preordering the phone on my wife's account (who IS upgrade eligible) and then just transferring it to my account after activation. This still works on AT&T, doesn't it? What is the process for doing this? When I get the new phone, activate it on her account with the included sim, then take my sim out of my current phone and put it in the new iPhone? Then I presume I'd have to get a new sim for her current phone.
Buying on a 2-yr contract ends up being more expensive than buying full retail with our plan, however. I'm going to get the iPhone 6 Plus 64gb model, which is $850 full price. If I use her upgrade, then I would pay $400 initially and then her line charge would go from $15/mo to $40/mo - which ends up being an additional $600 over the 2 yr period. For a grand total of $1000, plus a $40 fee for upgrading = $1040 (not including tax). So it ends up being almost $200 more to use an upgrade, so I'd rather just buy the phone myself now and save some money plus the hassle. However, I also do not want to risk buying the T-Mobile version and having to return it and be without a new iPhone.
Will the AT&T website allow you to purchase at full retail when doing preorders tonight if you aren't upgrade eligible?
For those of us on AT&T who are not upgrade eligible and want to buy a full retail phone (but don't care if it's sim unlocked or not) should FIRST try to preorder the AT&T version of the phone via the Apple Online Store. Presuming the Apple Store lets us check upgrade eligibility, perhaps it will allow us to buy at full retail price once it discovers we are not upgrade eligible?
If that doesn't work either because 1) Apple just doesn't end up offering the full retail price even after checking upgrade eligibility, or 2) upgrade eligibility doesn't work for some users (what's this about business users not being able to check in this way? ... THEN we should try to order the T-Mobile version and hope that it's unlocked when it arrives?
Alternatively, I was thinking about preordering the phone on my wife's account (who IS upgrade eligible) and then just transferring it to my account after activation. This still works on AT&T, doesn't it? What is the process for doing this? When I get the new phone, activate it on her account with the included sim, then take my sim out of my current phone and put it in the new iPhone? Then I presume I'd have to get a new sim for her current phone.
Buying on a 2-yr contract ends up being more expensive than buying full retail with our plan, however. I'm going to get the iPhone 6 Plus 64gb model, which is $850 full price. If I use her upgrade, then I would pay $400 initially and then her line charge would go from $15/mo to $40/mo - which ends up being an additional $600 over the 2 yr period. For a grand total of $1000, plus a $40 fee for upgrading = $1040 (not including tax). So it ends up being almost $200 more to use an upgrade, so I'd rather just buy the phone myself now and save some money plus the hassle. However, I also do not want to risk buying the T-Mobile version and having to return it and be without a new iPhone.
Will the AT&T website allow you to purchase at full retail when doing preorders tonight if you aren't upgrade eligible?
This thread is hilarious. Mostly because it is an exact repeat of one from last year. If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.
My question is a little bit different but it is about t mobile so I think I can ask here
Is there any technical difference between a t mob iphone and an att iphone in terms of performance, speed etc? I mean phone itself not the carrier?
For example an iphone purchased thru att and an iphone purchased thru tmob will perform the same under the same carrier, is that right?
Is there any technical difference between a t mob iphone and an att iphone in terms of performance, speed etc? I mean phone itself not the carrier?
For example an iphone purchased thru att and an iphone purchased thru tmob will perform the same under the same carrier, is that right?
If I get T-mo iPhone 6, should I choose a plan and then call them and cancel it?
I use Att with unlimited data. Now my 2 lines are eligible for a partial upgrade (200 off the line with new 2-year contract). I hate to do this, but I buy 2 Att iPhones and 2 t-mo. If T-mo works with Att I keep them if not I keep Att. Apple should give more accurate information here. And I'll use "legal" return while they using "legal" offshore tax loophole. I really worry about offshore bank loses in this buy-return situation
It was a very wise idea to get 50 dollars t-mo plan when you travel. I work for canadian company and have Fido sim card. I put it in my phone 15-20 times a year for 2-4 days. I need to have an unlock phone. If I pay a roaming fee I better stay on welfare and not work
I use Att with unlimited data. Now my 2 lines are eligible for a partial upgrade (200 off the line with new 2-year contract). I hate to do this, but I buy 2 Att iPhones and 2 t-mo. If T-mo works with Att I keep them if not I keep Att. Apple should give more accurate information here. And I'll use "legal" return while they using "legal" offshore tax loophole. I really worry about offshore bank loses in this buy-return situation
It was a very wise idea to get 50 dollars t-mo plan when you travel. I work for canadian company and have Fido sim card. I put it in my phone 15-20 times a year for 2-4 days. I need to have an unlock phone. If I pay a roaming fee I better stay on welfare and not work
If I get T-mo iPhone 6, should I choose a plan and then call them and cancel it?
I use Att with unlimited data. Now my 2 lines are eligible for a partial upgrade (200 off the line with new 2-year contract). I hate to do this, but I buy 2 Att iPhones and 2 t-mo. If T-mo works with Att I keep them if not I keep Att. Apple should give more accurate information here. And I'll use "legal" return while they using "legal" offshore tax loophole. I really worry about offshore bank loses in this buy-return situation
It was a very wise idea to get 50 dollars t-mo plan when you travel. I work for canadian company and have Fido sim card. I put it in my phone 15-20 times a year for 2-4 days. I need to have an unlock phone. If I pay a roaming fee I better stay on welfare and not work
If you purchase the Tmo version it clearly states "contract free" so you are not signing up for any contract. Buy the phone, then pop in your sim and turn it on.