Off Contract phones and AT&T activation

[gb21]

I wonder if I just did something stupid.

I purchased a phone off contract from apple as I want an unlocked phone, but I just used it to activate my AT&T upgrade new sim chip (instead of using the upgrade phone that came with the SIM).

Would this cause the off-contract phone to be locked to at&t??

I guess it's too late now as I've submitted the info (IMEI) to at&t already. If they lock it, I guess I can always return the phone to apple and repurchase a guarantee unlocked one later..

 

[Shadowbech]

If you have gotten a "congradulation, your iphone is now unlocked" message when you first plug it in then it is factory unlocked and it should definitely work on other carriers.

 

[thewitt]

You purchased an AT&T no contract phone. In the fine print you agreed that you would only use this phone on the AT&T network. Yes they can lock your phone using the IMEI number. Whether they will or not is anyone's guess.

 

[takeshi74]

Would this cause the off-contract phone to be locked to at&t??

No. On GSM you activate the SIM, not the phone. Activating the SIM does not affect the subsidy lock in any way.

Yes they can lock your phone using the IMEI number.

Citation?

 

[thewitt]

.
Citation?

My development manager spent 15 years with AT&T and managed the project that tied the activation servers into the GSM IMEI database...

Entries into this database are carrier locked or not based on the database entry, and can be locked or unlocked by the carrier at any time.