i tried putting in T-Mobile SIM just for purposes of getting APN Access in Data page, and it worked, but then, I put my ST Sim back in, and i lost it again.
You are correct and it gave me concern moreso after some1 here said that the fact that i have been able to use H20 sim on my phone is not guarantee that it is unlocked, since H20 operates on AT&T network, I inserted another sim. it took forever and then did not work. I'm guessing the SIM i used is just not working in d USA, so first thing 2moro i will buy a Tmosim and try again
I bought mine full price, but it doesn't seem unlocked.
Point 1b: Can you imagine the logistical nightmare it would be for Apple to have different hardware models? If the phone hardware supports the frequency of all the networks they will run on, then it would be far cheaper to manufacture a single hardware platform and tie it to one of the respective carriers at the point of sale (POS).
How do you plan to buy a t-mobile sim in the U.S.? If you go in the store and get them to give you one somehow it serves no purpose without service on it. Your better off borrowing one, or worst case going into the tmobile store and telling them the truth your thinking about buying new service but want to make sure your iPhone is unlocked and maybe one of the associates will let you pop a demo-line sim card into the phone.
Has anyone picked up a 4S at 'device only' and it be a Verizon version? I think I got screwed, mine has a Verizon microSIM in it, and I'm not getting an unlocked message in iTunes - rather, 'Setup as a new phone". I didn't sign a contract in the store and paid full price. Any thoughts?
Only the AT&T versions work.
It brings up an interesting point then? The Apple Stores are in fact carrying different phones for different carriers, not just assigning a "universal" one a carrier at checkout. This one I got had a Verizon SIM in it, the sales person had to know that. Nuts.
At POS, you need to sign not a contract, but an AT&T Terms and Conditions. Can you remember if ou signed it? Also, on our receipt it sould say AT&T ......this is required when you buy an off contract att 4s.
P.S. If anyone like myself owned iPhone 4 before and now upgraded to 4S, did you notice that it takes noticeably longer to connect to GSM carrier when it boots up? On iPhone 4 it would take a second or two after the main screen comes up to see the carrier banner. On 4S, it takes about 15-20. My suspicion is that when it boots up, it tries to locate and log on to CDMA network first; obviously in my case it gets refused by Verizon and Sprint and then starts looking for GSM networks.
I purchased my iPhone 4S off-contract from Best Buy, I don't think it is unlocked though. Would calling AT&T or Apple help in getting it unlocked or did it have to be purchased out of contract directly from Apple to be unlocked?
Well, there is a 30-day return period, so there's a chance to correct this. Even those who bought them on the launch day are still good to take theirs back.It's been said severally on this blog that in order to have it unlocked, you must buy from Apple as device only. I also think you should make out time to read the blog, it's very interesting.
I've never had it fail to connect at all. I have even swapped T-Mobile and AT&T SIM's without shutting the phone off and it was able to connect at all times.I too have noticed this, it takes a very long time to connect sometimes it doesn't connect at all (even to ATT itself) and I get 'No Service' which kind of freaks me out a bit so I have to turn airplane mode on/off and then it will connect at the second try.... I was wondering if this was happening to all as well
AT&T (or any other carrier) cannot lock your phone. Apple controls the locked/unlocked DB as well as the update process, only they can lock you if they wish to do so.Anyone know if AT&T might/will/can relock the phones in a subsequent firmware update?
Sprint said it would do so, but is it all talk or is sprint actually capable of doing it?
Anyone know if AT&T might/will/can relock the phones in a subsequent firmware update?
Sprint said it would do so, but is it all talk or is sprint actually capable of doing it?
That's the impression that I get as well. As far as iPhone 4 goes, when they started selling them unlocked, they did supposedly have separate inventory of unlocked ones, but if they ran out they would yank AT&T ones and unlock them during sale (I think I read a leaked memo sometime around then). I think back then it worked the exact same way: ring up the phone as Device Only, customer pays full unsubsidized price and walks away with unlocked iPhone.Information I got from Apple store rep is that the phone will never be locked so far as they are bought for full price. Remember the same thing happened for iPhone 4. But just to be doubly sure you may return the phone before the expiration of 30 days (the officially unlocked should have been released) and buy the officially unlocked. Or better still if an official statement comes out from Apple as to the status of the AT&T off contract.
music to my ears, moreso as Apple has refused to set a definitive date for d sale of the officially unlocked on 11/8That's the impression that I get as well. As far as iPhone 4 goes, when they started selling them unlocked, they did supposedly have separate inventory of unlocked ones, but if they ran out they would yank AT&T ones and unlock them during sale (I think I read a leaked memo sometime around then). I think back then it worked the exact same way: ring up the phone as Device Only, customer pays full unsubsidized price and walks away with unlocked iPhone.
I don't think that we will ever see any official statements, IMO if Apple admits that they are selling unlocked phones before they officially said that they would, it makes them look bad and could piss AT&T off. Not sure if this "loophole" is accidental or intentional, but if it is the former and Apple does in fact decide to close it, they will do so quietly. With the amount of denial they did on "antennagate", do you honestly think they will admit to that?
I think several people in this thread have mentioned that they showed these off-contract AT&T phones to the reps at Genius Bar, who in turn looked up the IMEI and confirmed that they had authorized Apple unlock.
You can activate it with either one. It will still be unlocked.
Hey guys, I really need your help/advice here...
I bought my girlfriend a Device-Only iPhone 4S this past weekend. Right after we got home, I plugged the iPhone into the wall charger and it turned on. After it got fully charged, we connected it to iTunes and it said "Congratz, unlocked". During this process we didn't take the AT&T micro SIM that was originally inside the iPhone. After syncing with iTunes, iPhone 4S said "No service", so we called AT&T and gave them the IMEI/ICCID numbers to get it activated on AT&T's network.
Today, I went to Apple Store for another device-only iPhone 4S, for myself. But the employee told me secretly that, if I want to get it unlocked for good, I should not turn it on before I put a microSIM from other carriers in (e.g. T-mobile). When I asked him whether I can turn it on while the AT&T card is still inside. He shook his head and implied that it would be locked to AT&T for good or in the future.
What to do now?
Do I have to return my girlfriend's iPhone 4S? Is the current still going to be unlocked, or we have get a new one and activate it with T-mobile micro SIM? If yes, then why iTune said "Congratz, unlocked"?
This is mighty confusing. Thanks for any input. I appreciate your understanding and please forgive my newbie-ness.
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Did your girlfriend buy her 4S from an Apple store or AT&T store? I've heard that off-contract 4Ss from AT&T are still locked to AT&T while ones from Apple stores are truly unlocked.
After I purchased my off-contract 4S from the Apple store, I turned it on and activated it with the AT&T microsim still inside; I'd forgotten to take it out. However, iTunes showed that the phone was unlocked, and I haven't had any problems for a few weeks with my T-Mobile USA microsim in the 4S