Is the T-Mobile iPhone 6 unlocked for pre-order?

[supersalo]

Just to add in:

I also chatted with an Apple rep this morning and was told the same thing about it being locked to T-Mobile:

"I wish that it could! However, it is not unlocked and can only be used with Tmobile. It is a contract free version for current Tmobile Customers who wish to not have a two year contract or new Customers who also wish to not have a two year contract."

I'm sure it will be unlocked, just as mentioned in this thread.

I'm going to just pre-order it and try it. Worst case is it doesn't work and I have to return it and wait for Apple to offer truly unlocked phones.

Given that I'm paying full price, I don't see how it could be locked (since I'm buying from Apple, and not from the carrier).

 

[0815]

So let me get this straight... According to the official Apple chat representative, the T-mobile contract free will be locked for carriers inside the US (AT&T, etc.) but will be UNLOCKED for carriers outside of the US?

Yes that seems to be given for phones bought through T-Mobile.

The question is if this holds true for phones ordered on the apple store ... from past experience from other users, there seems to be a difference and it was unlocked in the past few years. But nobody knows for sure if this is still the case.

What makes me wonder is that if I check the iPhone5s than the phone is labeled as "unlocked and contract free" where as compared when I check the iPhone 6 it only says "contract free" and does not mention unlocked.

Thing is also that I don't trust the representatives/chats on both t-mobile and apple to have the full information (again from past experience they often don't have the full knowledge for specific questions and keep pasting/reading the same answers to similar questions.

So I guess my options are either to try it out and return if it does not work out - or wait the 1-2 month until they have the official unlocked one. Since option two involves waiting, I for sure go with option 1.

 

[imlynxy]

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.

Thanks

 

[MayorFord]

Use ATT Next as an option...

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.

Haha!

One thing being overlooked for those who want a new iPhone on day 1, but don't necessarily need that phone unlocked right away, use the ATT Next Program!

If you already have an ATT account, you can pay off the the balance anytime and request the phone be unlocked.

If you don't need it unlocked right away, enjoy a few months of 0% financing from AT&T. No activation fees either. 12 months from now you can trade in the phone for a new one, buy it (for remaining unpaid balance) and sell it yourself, or just keep using it. Again, the only downside of this approach is your phone is locked until you pay it off in full and then request it be unlocked.

Cost of iPhone 6 128GB Unlocked: $949.00
Cost of ATT Next 12 - 20 payments of $47.45, or $949 total.
* same is true for any configuration.

Also, If you look at Apple's web site, now with the iPhone 6 the part numbers are the same for all similarly configured phones except the China version. Same exact phone folks, for Verizon, or ATT, or T-Mobile. Verizon could, if they choose, allow you to switch to them in the future and bring your phone. Time will tell.


On the other hand, if you need an unlocked phone from day 1, see the quoted post...

Good luck everyone!



From ATT's Website:
Will I be able to pay off this smartphone early?
Yes, you have the option to pay off your installment agreement, but the full outstanding balance will be due immediately.


Also from ATT's website:
General Eligibility Requirements for Unlocking All AT&T Mobile Devices
AT&T will unlock an AT&T Mobile Device under the following circumstances:
The person requesting the unlock must be one of the following:
a current AT&T customer a former AT&T customer who can provide the phone number or account number for the account The AT&T Mobile Device was designed for use on AT&T's network.The AT&T Mobile Device has been paid for in full. The AT&T Mobile Device has not been reported lost or stolen.

Postpaid Phones and Tablets with no Service Commitment: Account has been active for at least sixty days and is in good standing (i.e., it has no past due amount or unpaid balance owed AT&T).

 

[uiop.]

No Apple support rep is going to 1) know for sure 2) going to tell you its unlocked when it states "T-Mobile" as the carrier.

Yes it'll be unlocked when ordered from Apple at full price.

 

[supersalo]

Ordering limits

Does anyone remember how many phones you can pre-order online? I seem to remember the limit being 2 per person/order.....

 

[papatango]

Geez, reading this thread makes my head hurt. Will we ever see the day where we can just buy the phone we want and go to whichever carrier gives us the best deal - $x per month, no confusing plans, subsidies, upgrade schemes, etc.

Every thread that has to do with pre-ordering, pricing, plans, etc. turns into a 40 page back and forth where we still don't know the answer.

This is almost as fun as deciphering my Comcast bill.

100% agree with you. USA (home of Apple) is the only country in the world where you cannot buy the iphone at the launch date. What a shame !!!! All european countries, even Canada you can buy it right away clearly unlocked. Real Freedom is not always where you think it is.

 

[Almuthana]

How about that from iphone 6 page

"If you have selected an iPhone for T-Mobile, it will come with the appropriate nano-SIM, but you will need to contact T-Mobile or visit an Apple Retail Store to activate your iPhone."

 

[ElectronGuru]

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.

On the positive side, technology has evolved to such a level of simplicity, we had to create new contract complexities to agonize over.

 

[kjohn]

Still can't believe we have 7+ pages of this already... each year it's the same question and the same answer... yet we still have naysayers...

 

[BunnyBusiness]

The T-Mobile ones are unlocked:

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo204/Kesarion/tmobile_unlocked_zps25489c43.png

as opposed to:

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo204/Kesarion/ScreenShot2014-09-10at60617PM_zpsfc0aa54c.png

and

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo204/Kesarion/ScreenShot2014-09-10at60627PM_zps68464e07.png

I would rather trust the programmers and engineers that worked on the website to know their information than the Apple support reps.

This is probably true only for the Apple store though.

This post sealed the deal for me. I disregard what Apple sales reps say. They're only equipped to repeat the information that's on the website. If the backend database says unlocked, then that's what I trust.

 

[Almuthana]

Still can't believe we have 7+ pages of this already... each year it's the same question and the same answer... yet we still have naysayers...

Its straight forward

"If you have selected an iPhone for T-Mobile, it will come with the appropriate nano-SIM, but you will need to contact T-Mobile or visit an Apple Retail Store to activate your iPhone."

 

[supersalo]

Its straight forward

"If you have selected an iPhone for T-Mobile, it will come with the appropriate nano-SIM, but you will need to contact T-Mobile or visit an Apple Retail Store to activate your iPhone."

If you want to use it on the T-Mobile network.

Or just put in your AT&T sim and enjoy.

 

[Show985]

Just recieved a tweet from T-mobile

Me: Is the contract-free iPhone 6 Apple sells in their store locked to work only with your network? or is it unlocked?

@T-MobileHelp: "unlocked with Apple, locked when purchased via T-Mobile"


So this pretty much confirms it.

 

[catalyst6]

Just recieved a tweet from T-mobile

Me: Is the contract-free iPhone 6 Apple sells in their store locked to work only with your network? or is it unlocked?

@T-MobileHelp: "unlocked with Apple, locked when purchased via T-Mobile"


So this pretty much confirms it.

Everyone just copy and paste this whenever there is a non-sensical reply in this thread.

I'll start:

Me: Is the contract-free iPhone 6 Apple sells in their store locked to work only with your network? or is it unlocked?

@T-MobileHelp: "unlocked with Apple, locked when purchased via T-Mobile"

 

[bobright]

If you want to use it on the T-Mobile network.

Or just put in your AT&T sim and enjoy.

What if we don't have an AT&T sim would AT&T give us one and let us add it to an existing line as contract free?

I hope AT&T wouldnt deny us and say the device only works with tmobile and that we'd need to buy using Next or some crap.

 

[supersalo]

Everyone just copy and paste this whenever there is a non-sensical reply in this thread.

I'll start:

Me: Is the contract-free iPhone 6 Apple sells in their store locked to work only with your network? or is it unlocked?

@T-MobileHelp: "unlocked with Apple, locked when purchased via T-Mobile"

Is the contract-free iPhone 6 Apple sells in their store locked to work only with your network? or is it unlocked?

 

[imlynxy]

100% agree with you. USA (home of Apple) is the only country in the world where you cannot buy the iphone at the launch date. What a shame !!!! All european countries, even Canada you can buy it right away clearly unlocked. Real Freedom is not always where you think it is.

Your home , where your keep your money -> offshore house and home of Apple. I get 4 iPhones, need only 2, keep 2 of them and I really don't care, since they didn't give me enough information.

 

[nampmuj]

What if we don't have an AT&T sim would AT&T give us one and let us add it to an existing line as contract free?

I hope AT&T wouldnt deny us and say the device only works with tmobile and that we'd need to buy using Next or some crap.

I need a nano sim because my current phone broke which is using a micro sim but believe if I go into an AT&T store and just ask them I need a nano sim for my number because I bought a new phone and my current phone uses a micro sim.

I am an AT&T customer so they wouldn't deny me.

If anyone knows otherwise, your insight is more then welcomed.

 

[rahulravella]

Is the contract-free iPhone 6 Apple sells in their store locked to work only with your network? or is it unlocked?

Unlocked

 

[Steviejobz]

Can I ask a dumb question? What is benefit of unlocked? Do you find yourself switching between carriers every month? I'm sincerely curious to be sure I'm not missing out on something.

Thanks

 

[RetiredInFl]

Can I ask a dumb question? What is benefit of unlocked? Do you find yourself switching between carriers every month? I'm sincerely curious to be sure I'm not missing out on something.

Thanks

If you travel out of the country you can use "local" (cheap) SIMS
Use it on smaller prepaid GSM carriers (or ones that don't sell iPhones)
Higher resale value.
You can change carrier at your whim (especially since contracts seem to be disappearing)

 

[Nde]

Can I ask a dumb question? What is benefit of unlocked? Do you find yourself switching between carriers every month? I'm sincerely curious to be sure I'm not missing out on something.

Thanks

I travel a lot so unlock phone is great. Plus unlock phone worth more on resale. Paying someone to unlock the phone before the 2 years is expensive. If for example Tmobile or ATT has a better service, you can switch to another carrier without locking you in for 2 full years.

 

[bobright]

I just chatted with an Apple rep and they were firm yet again that we'd have to contact Tmobile about getting it unlocked if we purchased that model. So conflicting and confusing.

 

[mike1123]

I just chatted with an Apple rep and they were firm yet again that we'd have to contact Tmobile about getting it unlocked if we purchased that model. So conflicting and confusing.

Says it is "LISTED" as a contract-free device rather than unlocked. Doesn't mean it is.

Last year I walked into the Apple Store at launch and purchased a TMobile iPhone 5s since I already ordered my gold phone the night before. Ended up returning it but I did ask the employees when I was buying it if it would be unlocked. They even had to think about it and consult others in the back. Final result: If you buy it for retail price at the Apple Store, it will be unlocked.