Is there difference between factory unlocked and carrier unlocked?

[HarryWild]

Thanks, AJ!

Now the debate becomes: do I grab a 6, or do I wait a month for the 6+?



This occurs even with Factory Unlocked phones?



According to all the reports I've read, yes.

However, even if you purchase it outright at a T-Mobile store, you have to get them to unlock it before you walk out the door.



Since when the phone is released until a few months later -- usually December.

I been patiently waiting for the magic day when the unlock iPhone 6 appears! But I be waffling between the 6 and 6+! Not sure what I will order when the time comes. I love the features of the +; but like the size of the 6! Most of say to get the + since it only $100 more! Everything is better on it plus bigger screen too! I like the 6 size; fit my needs but it the inferior model between the two iPhones.

 

[HUGE AL]

Your name says it all, huge al

What I did is kept checking the stock levels of local apple stores at night.
They update them regularly for the next day. Within a day I had already snagged a 16GB 6 Plus at a store about 30 minutes away. It was worth the drive instead of waiting a month I guess.
Just try it at night to reserve one and go pick it up the next day.
Also waiting in line the morning when they open seems to work since they do have them available every day for people.
Check out this thread on details how to do it the night before for in store pickup.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1784178/

Yeah, I've been checking, but the T-Mobile 128GB 6 Plus appears to be incredibly elusive -- if not impossible -- ANYWHERE on the West Coast (IIRC, you're on the same timezone ) At this rate, I may just order it and risk the jailbreak still being available.

And what in the world is Applejuiced doing with a 16GB?!? LOL

 

[Applejuiced]

Yeah, I've been checking, but the T-Mobile 128GB 6 Plus appears to be incredibly elusive -- if not impossible -- ANYWHERE on the West Coast (IIRC, you're on the same timezone ) At this rate, I may just order it and risk the jailbreak still being available.

And what in the world is Applejuiced doing with a 16GB?!? LOL

Lol
I try to squeeze just the stuff I need there.
But yeah if you can't locate one locally then mind as well order one.
I ordered one for another line and came in about a week earlier so never know.

 

[redtwang]

That's not how it works.

For all iPhones, when you do a restore, the iPhone becomes completely locked -- it won't work with any carrier. When you insert a SIM, the phone requests an activation ticket from Apple. If the IMEI of the phone is in the unlocked database, Apple sends out a ticket that will work with any SIM. If the IMEI of the phone is in a specific carrier's database, Apple will only send out a ticket if you have that carrier's SIM.

What this also means is that if Apple were to stop activating old phones or go out of business, these phones would become useless bricks.

whats the way forward? Im in a fix. Need to activate but in a different country & have not used any of the carriers in the US? What can be done?

 

[terraphantm]

whats the way forward? Im in a fix. Need to activate but in a different country & have not used any of the carriers in the US? What can be done?

If your phone is unlocked, hop onto a wifi connection and pop in any SIM. If you have no wifi available but can get ethernet or even dial-up, plug the iPhone into a computer with iTunes open while it tries to activate