The last part is VERY interesting....Im curious to know if you try restoring in iTunes now, after ATT put your IMEI # into their system, whether iTunes will "take you out of" Apple's Unlock data base at time of restore....feeling lucky?? LOL
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
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"Off Contract" AT&T iPhone 4Ss Already Come Unlocked
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The last part is VERY interesting....Im curious to know if you try restoring in iTunes now, after ATT put your IMEI # into their system, whether iTunes will "take you out of" Apple's Unlock data base at time of restore....feeling lucky?? LOL
I have done just that. Several days after calling ATT to have the data plan switched over to the unlimited 4s, I restored my 4s and set up as a new phone. I did receive the "Congratulations...unlocked" message in iTunes and I also tried the prepaid T-Mobile SIM I have and it makes/receive calls on both the TMo network and the ATT network just fine; so it does remain unlocked.
I don't think ATT has any access to Apple's IMEI database at all. They can't (and shouldn't be able to) lock down a device purchased from someone else.
When I navigate to Settings -> General -> About, my iPhone shows the following:
Network: AT&T
Carrier: AT&T 11.0
Does this mean it is locked to AT&T right now?
We bought the phone in the Apple store as off-contract, and when first connected to the PC, iTunes showed the message "Congratulations, your phone has been unlocked".
Can someone with an unlocked phone using AT&T please verify that it is still unlocked when AT&T 11.0 is listed as their carrier? I do not have another providers' microSIM right now...
Network: AT&T
Carrier: AT&T 11.0
Does this mean it is locked to AT&T right now?
We bought the phone in the Apple store as off-contract, and when first connected to the PC, iTunes showed the message "Congratulations, your phone has been unlocked".
Can someone with an unlocked phone using AT&T please verify that it is still unlocked when AT&T 11.0 is listed as their carrier? I do not have another providers' microSIM right now...
Whom would you like it to show? Sorry, no it doesn't mean anything, except that you current Carrier is ATT. It just reflects the carrier name of the network it is on.
Are you sure?
Because people with a verified unlocked iPhone and a T Mobile microSIM had "Carrier 11.0" listed as their Carrier...
SO I am now wondering if it should read Carrier 11.0 instead of AT&T 11.0...
Maybe Ill get proven wrong and if so then i deserve it, But I would imagine you should only expect it to read Carrier 11.0 if your were using T-Mobile..
Yes, that's what I have been thinking about as well, so I would like to have someone verify this (if possible).
I have a 16GB 4S off-contract from Apple in the USA, and I have T-Mobile USA service.
1) When I have the ATT simcard inserted, it shows carrier: AT&T 11.0.
2) When I have the T-Mobile simcard inserted, it shows carrier: Carrier 11.0.
My 4S remains unlocked.
1) When I have the ATT simcard inserted, it shows carrier: AT&T 11.0.
2) When I have the T-Mobile simcard inserted, it shows carrier: Carrier 11.0.
My 4S remains unlocked.
It won't be SIM-locked, but it's possible that if you insert another SIM (such as another AT&T SIM running on a different kind of plan, such as an iPad or BB plan) that it will have the wrong APN settings and thus won't be able to connect to data. If that happens, you can manually enter your carrier settings using the following site:
APN Change from iPhone site: http://www.unlockit.co.nz
Hey guys, I bought that new iPhone 4s from apple store and did all the set ups and its now up and running on T-mobile network, but the problem is, that i got that red notification balloon on my phonebook icon, and there it is on the voice mail icon, And I don't know how I get it off, because I have already set my voice mail for t-mobile on my last phone. How have u guys got it away?
Thanks for checking. I was going to restore mine as well, but didn't feel like wasting any time. I have about 25 GB of apps, music and videos on mine on top of 4 push e-mail accounts, restoring it would have meant waiting for an hour or two for all the content to be restored, and then a few more days for all my e-mail to be downloaded, which would have wasted the battery while doing it. I went though this on my old 4 when I upgraded it to iOS 5 and then again when I upgraded to 4S. Doing this again would not have been a very enticing prospect.
Yes, I do agree that AT&T has no access to Apple's IMEI database that determines locked/unlocked status. As I have said before, they do their own IMEI tracking "insure correct billing", or in other words, catch those with dumb phones sticking their SIM's into smartphones and hoping to get away with it. Once they catch these, they eventually switch them to much more expensive data plans.
I might restore mine when iOS 5.0.1 (or whatever next update is going to be) comes out, but I feel pretty confident that my 4S will remain unlocked. No need to keep beating a dead horse here.
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I also noticed that when I have a T-Mobile SIM inside my 4S, when I connect it to iTunes, I get an error message saying that it couldn't find a carrier profile (can't remember the exact wording). This does not happen when AT&T SIM is in there.
I don't think that it has anything to do with locked/unlocked status. I think that iOS/iTunes has preset profiles for all carriers that officially partner up with Apple to offer iPhones, and if you connect to one of them, it will auto-detect the carrier and apply proper settings. If you connect to one of the other carriers, it will still work as long as the phone is unlocked, but you will need to enter APN settings manually. Actually, when I have AT&T SIM in my phone, the screen that allows you to enter your own APN settings is conveniently hidden and there is no way to get to it. However, when I pop in the T-Mobile one, it does appear. I guess Apple tries to make things as foolproof as possible by not allowing you to edit these things unless there is no way to get it to work without doing so.
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Hey, I have a question.
Can anyone confirm that the Apple Store at Fifth Avenue sell no contract iPhone 4S unlocked still? I want to reserve it today and buy it tomorrow. I called them today, the store, and asked if i could walk in. They said that the phone is available but i have to reserve it and that the phone is LOCKED to atnt or sprint. Is this true or are they only saying that? Need an answer quick.
Can anyone confirm that the Apple Store at Fifth Avenue sell no contract iPhone 4S unlocked still? I want to reserve it today and buy it tomorrow. I called them today, the store, and asked if i could walk in. They said that the phone is available but i have to reserve it and that the phone is LOCKED to atnt or sprint. Is this true or are they only saying that? Need an answer quick.
As it has been said multiple times before, not all Apple retail employees are aware of the fact that off-contract AT&T 4S are actually unlocked, and not all of them are aware that they can ring the phone up as Device Only, thus making the buyer pay full retail price and bypass activation process with AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. So it could be hit or miss, depending on the salesperson who ends up helping you.
Making a reservation online by no means forces you to go through with the purchase. It simply gives you the priority over walk-ins if they run out of model/color that you want. The reservation system will only ask you for your name/e-mail and color/size. It does not ask you for payment/billing info, you will have to cough up the cash or credit/debit card at the time of actual purchase, not ahead of time. So if you do not agree to terms of the purchase, you are free to walk away without owing them a penny.
If worst comes to worst and the sales person who you get refuses to sell you off-contract one, there is always an option of walking out of the store, waiting a few minutes, then walking back in and trying again. Hopefully with the other sales person, your luck might change. I am from NYC myself, and having been to the Fifth Avenue store can say that it is big and crowded, there are lots of sales people around and your chances of getting someone else should you fail the first time are almost guaranteed.
Can anyone help me?
I'm trying to buy this unlocked iPhone on eBay and if I see in description "opened to take out sim-card only" - does it mean, that this phone is not "device only"? Or all iPhones come with sim-card installed, even if it's no-contract unlocked phone?
I'm trying to buy this unlocked iPhone on eBay and if I see in description "opened to take out sim-card only" - does it mean, that this phone is not "device only"? Or all iPhones come with sim-card installed, even if it's no-contract unlocked phone?
Several people here have purchased "device only" iPhone 4S phones from 5th Avenue. I'd recommend the Upper West Side, though. Even though the 5th Avenue store is still under construction, it is mobbed with tourists and so the line is longer.
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The "official" unlocked version won't have a SIM card and will include a SIM ejector. However, the phones sold today off-contract are technically AT&T iPhones that haven't been added to the AT&T locked database (and won't ever be if you buy them from the Apple Store as "device only").
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Hey guys! Pardon my ignorance (and my poor memory as I have read the whole blog/thread, and I am still anxious). I purchased a Sprint iPhone 4S full price. Will this phone also have the GSM unlocked? I know someone else posted a picture of their Sprint 4S (which showed a rejection of the T-mobile SIM), but they did not mention wether they paid full price for it or not. The other people talking about an unlocked GSM only seem to refer to ATT. I am about to go purchase a microSIM from T-mobile and open up the box, but I would love to avoid opening it (even though apple accepts returns). All the boxes have different model numbers too... is this of any importance? My goal is to use it on T-mobile and overseas (and I can't wait any longer...) Thanks!
Hey guys! Pardon my ignorance (and my poor memory as I have read the whole blog/thread, and I am still anxious). I purchased a Sprint iPhone 4S full price. Will this phone also have the GSM unlocked? I know someone else posted a picture of their Sprint 4S (which showed a rejection of the T-mobile SIM), but they did not mention wether they paid full price for it or not. The other people talking about an unlocked GSM only seem to refer to ATT. I am about to go purchase a microSIM from T-mobile and open up the box, but I would love to avoid opening it (even though apple accepts returns). All the boxes have different model numbers too... is this of any importance? My goal is to use it on T-mobile and overseas (and I can't wait any longer...) Thanks!
The Sprint phones will be SIM-locked, regardless of the price paid. Sprint will unlock phones of customers in good standing, but only to use non-US SIMs, so a T-Mobile USA SIM will not work.
Your best bet is to go onto the online reservation system at 8:55 tonight and reserve an AT&T model at an Apple Store and pick it up tomorrow, paying the full price (tell the sales rep you are buying it "device only"). Until the "official" unlocked model goes on sale sometime in November (which starts tomorrow), that's the only known way to get an unlocked phone in the US.
I think it would be safe to say the following:
Only if you purchased it at one of Apple retail stores as Device Only will it be unlocked. When they ring you up as such, they do not ask you for your carrier info or force you to sign a contract.
If you purchased it from the carrier, it would be safe to assume that they are locked, regardless whether you purchased under the contract or paid full retail. Granted, Verizon and Sprint claim that they will unlock the GSM slot for customers in good standing; however, question remains whether they will be fully unlocked. Rumor has it that Verizon and Sprint will only unlock them for international carriers only while these phones will still refuse SIM's from AT&T and T-Mobile USA.
Third option is ordering online. When you do this, once again you have to select a carrier, which means you'll get the locked one. If you are not eligible for upgrade, you will be charged full price, but the phone will still be locked.
So I would say that unless you purchased your phone from Apple retail store as Device Only, I would recommend that you return it without opening as it is probably locked.
Thanks for the replies.
Pardon my ignorance again, Any tips on how to reserve it. This method is a total piss off -__-. I tried the past four nights, and today i was on the final screen where you put the date and time, but it froze and would not continue. When it did, i was redirected into the unavailable screen. Has anyone ever walked in to the Upper West Side or the Fifth Ave one recently and just got the phone?
Pardon my ignorance again, Any tips on how to reserve it. This method is a total piss off -__-. I tried the past four nights, and today i was on the final screen where you put the date and time, but it froze and would not continue. When it did, i was redirected into the unavailable screen. Has anyone ever walked in to the Upper West Side or the Fifth Ave one recently and just got the phone?
Thanks for the replies.
Pardon my ignorance again, Any tips on how to reserve it. This method is a total piss off -__-. I tried the past four nights, and today i was on the final screen where you put the date and time, but it froze and would not continue. When it did, i was redirected into the unavailable screen. Has anyone ever walked in to the Upper West Side or the Fifth Ave one recently and just got the phone?
Remember 2moro is November, when the officially unlocked will come.
Apple did not reveal the specific date in November, so there is no guarantee that they will go on sale tomorrow.