Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iUP iPhone 7 unlocked GSM phones won't work on CDMA networks

K

kjotwani

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2014
227
79
Guys. With iUP we get unlocked phones so we are not tied down to a carrier. But with the iPhone 7 launch, there are 2 variants of the Modems

Model A1660/A1661
with Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 Modem
for Sprint and Verizon
but also works on AT&T and T-Mobile

Model A1778/A1784
with Intel XMM 7360 Modem
for AT&T and T-Mobile
and will not work on Sprint nor Verizon

Currently I am on At&T but planning to switch to Verizon. And I got the A1784 model with iUP. My phone would be useless on Verizon network now.

Anyone know more about this that I am missing?
 
bufffilm said:
You're not missing a thing.

But it is, 'old' news.
Click to expand...

Yea but the issue is Apple won't give a Verizon phone to someone who is currently on At&T. And if I switch now, what to do?
[doublepost=1474221906][/doublepost]
bufffilm said:
You're not missing a thing.

But it is, 'old' news.

If you didn't know, you need to be here more often.
Click to expand...

The 6s worked on any network. Might u enlighten me 'old' news means what?
[doublepost=1474222105][/doublepost]
kjotwani said:
Yea but the issue is Apple won't give a Verizon phone to someone who is currently on At&T. And if I switch now, what to do?
[doublepost=1474221906][/doublepost]

The 6s worked on any network. Might u enlighten me 'old' news means what?
Click to expand...

And I am very specifically talking about iUP. I can buy a full priced Verizon compatible phone now(and leave Apple Store without activating it) but being a iUP member they don't allow to leave store without activating the phone. And obviously I can't activate a Verizon compatible phone currently so my option was a GSM compatible phone.
 
You could always do what I did. I switched from AT&T a few months ago to a prepaid MVNO service. What I did to still take advantage of the IUP was sign up as a new Verizon customer at the Apple store. After I was done, I put in my prepaid sim and the phone was ready to go for my service. The next day I went to a Verizon store and had them cancel the account I had to signed up for while I was at the Apple store.
 
Apple is nickel & dime-ing on the Intel modem at the customer's expense. It's cheaper. ... and won't work on CDMA networks. It's in the small print.

If anyone wants the "convenience" of the IUP, they're gunna have to put up with the downsides too.
 
Just an update. I spoke to Apple Store. They said come in return the GSM specific handset and take the CDMA. No need for Verizon account for activating it. They'ok activate it on At&T.
And I am on iUP and they said yea that's fine with iUP they won't wanna restrict customers coz of modems to a carrier.
Going to do that now. Will report if everything works out

This way will get the Qualcomm modem also :)
 
kjotwani said:
Just an update. I spoke to Apple Store. They said come in return the GSM specific handset and take the CDMA. No need for Verizon account for activating it. They'ok activate it on At&T.
And I am on iUP and they said yea that's fine with iUP they won't wanna restrict customers coz of modems to a carrier.
Going to do that now. Will report if everything works out

This way will get the Qualcomm modem also :)
Click to expand...

Will this work if I reserve a Sprint model and put in AT&T sim card?
 
now i see it said:
Apple is nickel & dime-ing on the Intel modem at the customer's expense. It's cheaper. ... and won't work on CDMA networks. It's in the small print.

If anyone wants the "convenience" of the IUP, they're gunna have to put up with the downsides too.
Click to expand...

That is how i feel.
 
kjotwani said:
Just an update. I spoke to Apple Store. They said come in return the GSM specific handset and take the CDMA. No need for Verizon account for activating it. They'ok activate it on At&T.
And I am on iUP and they said yea that's fine with iUP they won't wanna restrict customers coz of modems to a carrier.
Going to do that now. Will report if everything works out

This way will get the Qualcomm modem also :)
Click to expand...

did it work?
 
kjotwani said:
Just an update. I spoke to Apple Store. They said come in return the GSM specific handset and take the CDMA. No need for Verizon account for activating it. They'ok activate it on At&T.
And I am on iUP and they said yea that's fine with iUP they won't wanna restrict customers coz of modems to a carrier.
Going to do that now. Will report if everything works out

This way will get the Qualcomm modem also :)
Click to expand...
Please update us on how it works out for you. Would like to do the same with my GSM iPhone 7 if possible. I would have waited for the SIM-free to come out but I needed a new phone ASAP.
 
kjotwani said:
Guys. With iUP we get unlocked phones so we are not tied down to a carrier. But with the iPhone 7 launch, there are 2 variants of the Modems

Model A1660/A1661
with Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 Modem
for Sprint and Verizon
but also works on AT&T and T-Mobile

Model A1778/A1784
with Intel XMM 7360 Modem
for AT&T and T-Mobile
and will not work on Sprint nor Verizon

Currently I am on At&T but planning to switch to Verizon. And I got the A1784 model with iUP. My phone would be useless on Verizon network now.

Anyone know more about this that I am missing?
Click to expand...

If I was going to do this I would have bought on next and traded it in to Verizon during the switch to get their deal
 
This is easily the 15th thread on this and there's actually 2 newer ones below this I'm in disbelief this has come up this many times without people knowing which models have which bands and which ones to purchase. There was an article 2 days before release on top of this being discussed to death. Not to mention multiple users explicitly explaining just purchasing outright at apple is the only way to get the sprint Verizon without an account
 
I did call my local Apple Store and I already purchased one at full price. They said I could just come in and 'return' the one I have and do the Upgrade Program with the phone I already have (Verizon version). Even though I'm on AT&T. It's what they said, I'll go there in a few hours to see if it actually works.
 
They will swap out my current phone for a sim free phone when it comes and will swap the Imei's on iUP
[doublepost=1474645723][/doublepost]
dwd3885 said:
I did call my local Apple Store and I already purchased one at full price. They said I could just come in and 'return' the one I have and do the Upgrade Program with the phone I already have (Verizon version). Even though I'm on AT&T. It's what they said, I'll go there in a few hours to see if it actually works.
Click to expand...

This didn't work as the Verizon phone even if u have it now, doesn't have its IMEI in At&T database for activation. We tried this but the phone wouldn't activate on At&T as it's tied on Verizon even though after activation it works on At&T.
Still if it works out for you let us know what exactly was done and will do same as my store.
Thanks
[doublepost=1474645772][/doublepost]
alent1234 said:
If I was going to do this I would have bought on next and traded it in to Verizon during the switch to get their deal
Click to expand...

Hmm but I would lose out on iUP then.
 
kjotwani said:
They will swap out my current phone for a sim free phone when it comes and will swap the Imei's on iUP
[doublepost=1474645723][/doublepost]

This didn't work as the Verizon phone even if u have it now, doesn't have its IMEI in At&T database for activation. We tried this but the phone wouldn't activate on At&T as it's tied on Verizon even though after activation it works on At&T.
Still if it works out for you let us know what exactly was done and will do same as my store.
Thanks
[doublepost=1474645772][/doublepost]

Hmm but I would lose out on iUP then.
Click to expand...
what if the phone is already activated on AT&T?
 
dwd3885 said:
what if the phone is already activated on AT&T?
Click to expand...

As long as you can confirm with At&T they have white-listed the device and added the imei into their system you should be fine.

But just inserting AT&T sim and using phone won't do the above. Someone from At&T tech needs to do this on their end.
This is my understanding
 
Ok here's the deal. Didn't work. It's just like kjotwani said. Since the iUP needs to be activated on the carrier specified when you buy, it won't work otherwise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kjotwani
dwd3885 said:
Ok here's the deal. Didn't work. It's just like kjotwani said. Since the iUP needs to be activated on the carrier specified when you buy, it won't work otherwise.
Click to expand...

So you could buy a Verizon phone outright - bring it back, "exchange" it to an ATT iup plan and it'll work on ATT?
 
aaplwatch said:
How about this?

1. Buy a verizon phone on iup - start new verizon service. Leave the store. Cancel Verizon service.

2. Visit an ATT store and add the phone to your account. Use it on ATT.
Click to expand...

Well that can work. But the hassle is opening and cancelling VZ service. And also another credit check that VZ will do
[doublepost=1474668482][/doublepost]
dwd3885 said:
Ok here's the deal. Didn't work. It's just like kjotwani said. Since the iUP needs to be activated on the carrier specified when you buy, it won't work otherwise.
Click to expand...

Well I got another call today from Apple Store Manager. He said they will extend the return policy on my current phones until the sim free ones come, do all sorts of overrides and swap devices then. Maybe u can also talk to your store manager.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back