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Quick Question about purchasing an iPhone off contract

Matthew9559

Matthew9559

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 7, 2007
941
55
Cleveland, OH
Can you go to the Apple/Verizon store and buy an iPhone off contract? I know on Apple.com you can select an off contract phone but it is GSM only and I am on Verizon.
 
Last edited:
That's a really good question. The unlocked phones you buy from Apple are GSM only. Verizon will unlock a phone after 60 days for foreign networks.
 
3bs said:
Isn't the iPhone 4S a world phone?
Click to expand...

Right. I remember Apple saying that but I thought the phones were still locked down by the carrier or something so that you could not use an iPhone 4S from AT&T on Verizon or vice-versa. Otherwise I could buy the one on the site but it says explicitly won't work on CDMA.
 
Just got off the phone with Verizon. The rep said that you can buy it at retail price. No ETF or new contract needed, it would just be considered providing your own equipment when it came time to transfer to that phone. He also said that the contract is tied to the number, not the phone which makes sense.

Just figured I should report back with what I found out.
 
Matthew9559 said:
Just got off the phone with Verizon. The rep said that you can buy it at retail price. No ETF or new contract needed, it would just be considered providing your own equipment when it came time to transfer to that phone. He also said that the contract is tied to the number, not the phone which makes sense.

Just figured I should report back with what I found out.
Click to expand...


Please expand on this
 
It would be really handy to know if we can buy a CDMA enabled iPhone that isn't contractulated obligated to Verizon (change to sprint etc)
 
SilentLoner said:
Please expand on this
Click to expand...

I called the upgrade portion of the phone support and talked to a rep from there. I explained that I recently signed a Verizon contract and do like my current phone but may be interested in the next iPhone when it releases. He explained that I would be able to go into the Verizon store, pay full retail price for an iPhone, and then transfer the line to that new phone. It would just be equipment that I brought to their service. He really didn't expand much on this as this was all I was interested in finding out. How doesn't this response answer my initial question? I was just wondering if I could go in and buy an iPhone for retail price and then use it with my current Verizon service.

I am not sure if you could purchase a Verizon iPhone and then use that for Sprint. I don't see why not since it's CDMA but can't say.
 
SilentLoner said:
It would be really handy to know if we can buy a CDMA enabled iPhone that isn't contractulated obligated to Verizon (change to sprint etc)
Click to expand...
Matthew9559 said:
I am not sure if you could purchase a Verizon iPhone and then use that for Sprint. I don't see why not since it's CDMA but can't say.
Click to expand...
Mentioned above and in countless other threads. VZW and Sprint won't activate devices that aren't their own.

Also note that even Apple states:
The unlocked iPhone works only on supported GSM networks, such as AT&T in the U.S. When you travel internationally, you can also use a micro-SIM card from a local GSM carrier. The unlocked iPhone will not work with CDMA carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.
Click to expand...
Even though the 4S is both GSM and CDMA. The last sentence is a bit misleading. It will work but the carrier's won't activate it.
 
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