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Is there a difference between iPhone that's purchased unlocked or carrier unlocked?

J

jlmcclellan

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 19, 2008
79
0
I'm just curious if there is a difference between the iPhone 5s purchased unlocked from Apple or say buying a iPhone5s on T-mo paying it off and having them unlock it?

About to get myself a new phone and this is the last decision for me (whether to buy in full up front or do the monthly payment plan with tmo).
 
jlmcclellan said:
I'm just curious if there is a difference between the iPhone 5s purchased unlocked from Apple or say buying a iPhone5s on T-mo paying it off and having them unlock it?

About to get myself a new phone and this is the last decision for me (whether to buy in full up front or do the monthly payment plan with tmo).
Click to expand...
Unlocked is unlocked. There is no difference, no matter how you arrive there.

Apple maintains an unlock database. Any iPhone that is to be unlocked, whether by Apple or a carrier, has it's IMEI entered into that Apple database. iTunes checks that database and if your IMEI is found there you are unlocked - period.

Once your phone is unlocked, it's unlocked forever.

Sprint is a different matter entirely.
 
I was bamboozled once. Fooling around with carriers and they told me that it was unlocked internationally but locked domestically. Now, I don't trust carriers, so even though there may be ways to get it unlocked, I only buy Sim-Free from Apple.

What Apple needs to do is put a carrier status in iTunes that shows whether your phone is unlocked or not.
 
I asked Tmo and they said that once the phone is paid for in full they will unlock it upon request. As long as it's unlocked I'm good and I'd rather not pay full price up front with Christmas just around the corner.

Can anyone confirm T mobile will indeed unlock your iPhone for you?
 
macigo said:
I was bamboozled once. Fooling around with carriers and they told me that it was unlocked internationally but locked domestically. Now, I don't trust carriers, so even though there may be ways to get it unlocked, I only buy Sim-Free from Apple.
Click to expand...

Thats only on sprint
 
jlmcclellan said:
I asked Tmo and they said that once the phone is paid for in full they will unlock it upon request. As long as it's unlocked I'm good and I'd rather not pay full price up front with Christmas just around the corner.

Can anyone confirm T mobile will indeed unlock your iPhone for you?
Click to expand...

T-Mobile will unlock your iPhone, of course one you paid off the iPhone and completed 40 days or more of service.

Paid off my iPhone, got it unlocked (in case I wanted to leave) by T-Mobile. Then promptly switched their prepaid plan. I would never do that payment plan again.
 
jlmcclellan said:
I asked Tmo and they said that once the phone is paid for in full they will unlock it upon request. As long as it's unlocked I'm good and I'd rather not pay full price up front with Christmas just around the corner.

Can anyone confirm T mobile will indeed unlock your iPhone for you?
Click to expand...

You could try to get the financing from Apple, and then just pay it back over time. It would be almost the same thing as T-Mobile, but you would not have to wait on the unlock from T-Mobile. It would be unlocked the day Apple handed it to you.
 
You could buy Verizon 5s that is factory unlocked and has all LTE bands for all carriers
 
nox5 said:
You could buy Verizon 5s that is factory unlocked and has all LTE bands for all carriers
Click to expand...
Not quite all LTE bands for all carrier, but at least generally for international ones.
 
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