Depends on whether or not the employee helping you knows what he is doing, or is a douche....
Most people here, its working..some people however got an answer not so favorable.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
"Off Contract" AT&T iPhone 4Ss Already Come Unlocked
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Depends on whether or not the employee helping you knows what he is doing, or is a douche....
Most people here, its working..some people however got an answer not so favorable.
Yes, take out the at&t and put in the local micro-SIM before plugging it into iTunes. That's how people have been doing it and at that point, it should say "Congratulations, your iPhone was unlocked".
It doesnt matter what sim card is in the phone when you sync it to itunes. This has been said many times already. I had the att sim in when i synced it and it still said it was unlocked. It doesn't use the sim to sync the phone to the apple servers. It uses the imei. If the apple servers deem the imei was bought off contract, it unlocks the phone.
I am running my 4s on a t-mobile value plan. Unlimited talk/text and unlimited data, first 2gb at "full" speed but still unlimited, TWO phones on the account, for $60/month.
I am running my 4s on a t-mobile value plan. Unlimited talk/text and unlimited data, first 2gb at "full" speed but still unlimited, TWO phones on the account, for $60/month.
Apple warranties are valid worldwide. That's a nice feature that is often overlooked.
Where in the US are you going? Sales tax is 8.875% in NYC. A few states don't have sales taxes (New Hampshire and Oregon come to mind).
Thanks for the replies, I will have them try this. I don't think they have tried connecting the phones to iTunes. They just put the HK micro-sim in and for one phone, it just connected to the local GSM network but the other one gave a error message (it was in chinese - I think it said something about the sim not being compatible). Hopefully, connecting to iTunes is the resolution....fingers crossed.
----------
Delaware also does not have sales tax if you are visiting the east coast. But it only has 1 Apple store.
----------
Delaware also does not have sales tax if you are visiting the east coast. But it only has 1 Apple store.
Neither does Delaware.
Here is a page with the sales tax for all states.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States
Purchased a total of 15 32GB "Device Only" iPhones yesterday from the Legacy Village and Crocker Park stores in Cleveland over several trips with the help of some friends. Picked up one 64GB phone for myself. Popped in a China Unicom SIM, connected to iTunes, and successfully unlocked all of them.
Already sold all the 32GB phones for 9,800RMB ($1,536) each for a nice profit; they're on their way back "home" now.
Employees seemed to know exactly what was going on and didn't care. One even joked, "And let me guess, you don't want AppleCare on these?"
Did you unlock all of the phones before you sent them over to China? Or you just tested one and sent the other with sealed?
Confirming for the umpteenth time that this is true. No need to fiddle with sim cards. Just open iTunes and plug in the phone. Wait for a few seconds and you will get the "Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked." message.
Another confirmation that it works
Went to Apple store Sunday afternoon... just as a store manager was closing the line. I chatted with the manager for a while, which left little doubt that the official policy is: "We do not sell an unlocked iPhone 4s yet". However, during our conversation the manager revealed: "Yes, I also read MacRumors.com" and admitted the info was good. Went on to suggest that I return the next morning... and told me that I could always return an off-contract phone if the unlocked failed.
So I returned Monday at 8AM (no line... none at all)... equipped with iTunes on my laptop... I got 2 off-contract phones and unlocked them on the spot. Proceeded to verified the unlock using an international sim-card. This all went on with an apply guy next to me, who was in a state of disbelief when I showed him that I could select the t-mobile band.
Flew back to Europe Monday night and both 4Ss work perfectly over here!
Went to Apple store Sunday afternoon... just as a store manager was closing the line. I chatted with the manager for a while, which left little doubt that the official policy is: "We do not sell an unlocked iPhone 4s yet". However, during our conversation the manager revealed: "Yes, I also read MacRumors.com" and admitted the info was good. Went on to suggest that I return the next morning... and told me that I could always return an off-contract phone if the unlocked failed.
So I returned Monday at 8AM (no line... none at all)... equipped with iTunes on my laptop... I got 2 off-contract phones and unlocked them on the spot. Proceeded to verified the unlock using an international sim-card. This all went on with an apply guy next to me, who was in a state of disbelief when I showed him that I could select the t-mobile band.
Flew back to Europe Monday night and both 4Ss work perfectly over here!
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)
Two apples Store in Glendale, CA refused to sell me iPhone 4S without activation. How can get one now?
Two apples Store in Glendale, CA refused to sell me iPhone 4S without activation. How can get one now?
I don't get these employees that won't sell off-contract iPhones - total douches as someone else said. Douches are loser conformists who disdain you for being real.
Burlington, MA
Hi all....happy to confirm i just returned from Apple in Burlington, ma where the guy was nice and sold me device only..i gave im neither my social nor phone num......but here is the thing....had to sign 2 screens as was reported here....but 1 of the screens...at&t....so little concerned about what i was signing...i read it and somewhere in theret stated i wasnt allowed to use it on a non att nettwork .... Whatever
Hi all....happy to confirm i just returned from Apple in Burlington, ma where the guy was nice and sold me device only..i gave im neither my social nor phone num......but here is the thing....had to sign 2 screens as was reported here....but 1 of the screens...at&t....so little concerned about what i was signing...i read it and somewhere in theret stated i wasnt allowed to use it on a non att nettwork .... Whatever
Is this the receipt other people got?
AT&TAccountInformation NoWirelessServiceActivationduringiPhoneSale
(DeviceandService)IhaveagreedtothetermsasstatedintheWirelessCustomerAgreement, whichwasmadeavailableforreviewpriortomyacceptanceandisavailableathttp://att.com/ iphoneterms
UseofiPhoneconstitutesacceptanceoftheiPhonetermsandconditionsandotherthirdparty termsandconditionsfoundintheiPhonebox,orathttp://www.apple.com/legal/sla/ThisiPhone modelisconfiguredtoworkonlywiththewirelessservicesofAT&TWireless.
ThesalestaxforiPhonevariesbystateandmaybebasedontheunbundledpurchasepricerather thantheactualpurchaseprice.
IfyouarenotfullysatisfiedwithyouriPhonepurchase,youcanreturnyourundamagediPhone within30daysofpurchaseforafullrefundwithnorestockingfee.
IfyoudisagreewiththesetermsandconditionsyoucanreturntheiPhoneinaccordancewiththe AppleStore'sreturnpolicyhttp://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail.html
ForinformationonApple'sprivacypolicyseewww.apple.com/privacy
Sub-Total Tax@6.25% Total AmountPaidViaMasterCard(A) xxxxxxxxxxxx9770 071157
$649.00 $40.56 $689.56 $689.56
AT&TAccountInformation NoWirelessServiceActivationduringiPhoneSale
(DeviceandService)IhaveagreedtothetermsasstatedintheWirelessCustomerAgreement, whichwasmadeavailableforreviewpriortomyacceptanceandisavailableathttp://att.com/ iphoneterms
UseofiPhoneconstitutesacceptanceoftheiPhonetermsandconditionsandotherthirdparty termsandconditionsfoundintheiPhonebox,orathttp://www.apple.com/legal/sla/ThisiPhone modelisconfiguredtoworkonlywiththewirelessservicesofAT&TWireless.
ThesalestaxforiPhonevariesbystateandmaybebasedontheunbundledpurchasepricerather thantheactualpurchaseprice.
IfyouarenotfullysatisfiedwithyouriPhonepurchase,youcanreturnyourundamagediPhone within30daysofpurchaseforafullrefundwithnorestockingfee.
IfyoudisagreewiththesetermsandconditionsyoucanreturntheiPhoneinaccordancewiththe AppleStore'sreturnpolicyhttp://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail.html
ForinformationonApple'sprivacypolicyseewww.apple.com/privacy
Sub-Total Tax@6.25% Total AmountPaidViaMasterCard(A) xxxxxxxxxxxx9770 071157
$649.00 $40.56 $689.56 $689.56
I bought 2 64GB iPhone 4S for my brother and his fiancé today at the Providence Place store. I didn't give the sale associate any information and she chose "Device Only". Can I be sure that these are unlocked? They're gifts so I don't want to open them to check.
That's what mine says, but why would you post that without going to the link and reading what it says???? It doesn't say you cant use the phone on other networks. It says you wont modify the phone to do it.
"Devices purchased for use on AT&T's system are designed for use exclusively on AT&T's system ("Equipment"). You agree that you won't make any modifications to the Equipment or programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. AT&T may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operation of the Equipment on other systems."
"Devices purchased for use on AT&T's system are designed for use exclusively on AT&T's system ("Equipment"). You agree that you won't make any modifications to the Equipment or programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. AT&T may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operation of the Equipment on other systems."
Glad to here it. If you have the time let me know what kind of speeds your looking at with tmobile edge. THanks
Was this apple store receipt or att?
According to the iPhone unlock information, the unlocked iPhone can only be used on a GSM network and can't be used with a CDMA provider.
Interesting. I thought that it would work on either.
So, if you get a Verizon locked iPhone 4s, it's only going to work on the Verizon network?
This is a bummer. I thought that getting it 'unlocked' meant that people would have more choices like Verizon or AT&T, not AT&T or ___ in the US...
Interesting. I thought that it would work on either.
So, if you get a Verizon locked iPhone 4s, it's only going to work on the Verizon network?
This is a bummer. I thought that getting it 'unlocked' meant that people would have more choices like Verizon or AT&T, not AT&T or ___ in the US...
Sprint's iphones are being sold unlocked also.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20120175-248/sprints-iphone-4s-sim-unlock-a-limited-affair/
This doesnt appear to be an isolated mistake, which makes me believe apple knew full well that some of the phones were indeed unlocked. Or better yet, ALL the phones are unlocked until they are activated. I tend to think that the 16gb ATT phones being sold at the Apple store with a 2 yr agreement are the exact same phones as the 16gb off contract phones. If Apple activates it to an ATT account it gets locked, if not when you get home and sync it to itunes it gets/stays unlocked.
Also, i don't see how sprint or att could push OTA updates to the phones that lock them. Such updates would need to go through Apple, and Apple didn't do it initially they wont do it now.
It seems to me all this talk about locking the phones later is just posturing to help curb the talk until nov when the unlocked phones officially come out.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20120175-248/sprints-iphone-4s-sim-unlock-a-limited-affair/
This doesnt appear to be an isolated mistake, which makes me believe apple knew full well that some of the phones were indeed unlocked. Or better yet, ALL the phones are unlocked until they are activated. I tend to think that the 16gb ATT phones being sold at the Apple store with a 2 yr agreement are the exact same phones as the 16gb off contract phones. If Apple activates it to an ATT account it gets locked, if not when you get home and sync it to itunes it gets/stays unlocked.
Also, i don't see how sprint or att could push OTA updates to the phones that lock them. Such updates would need to go through Apple, and Apple didn't do it initially they wont do it now.
It seems to me all this talk about locking the phones later is just posturing to help curb the talk until nov when the unlocked phones officially come out.
SJ was a business man. Business is supply and demand. If there are people in China willing to pay thousands of dollars for iphones it is Apple's own fault for not capitalizing on it.
On a side note, as a lover of money myself, I'll take any extra you have that you're not 'in love with.'
Ridiculous.
Honestly, I didn't even know there was an ATT microsim already in. When I hooked it up to iTunes (before even attempting to restore) the screen popped up saying it was unlocked. I'd kept the ATT microsim in the whole time. Just a few days ago I finally go around to switching to a new T-Mobile microsim and it works fine in this off-contract 4S.
----------
1) Haven't attempted MMS.
2) FaceTime authenticates properly for WiFi.
3) Siri performance is fine; maybe an additional 1 second delay beyond WiFi.
4) Haven't attempted.