So youre saying the tmobile pay in full version doesnt have to be activated with a plan?
Also, does anyone know if you can pre-order to pick up at a nearby store on september 25? Or is it shipped only?
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SIM-free iPhone 6S at launch in USA? [MERGED]
- Thread starter Florida Gator
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So youre saying the tmobile pay in full version doesnt have to be activated with a plan?
Also, does anyone know if you can pre-order to pick up at a nearby store on september 25? Or is it shipped only?
I think you misunderstood me completely.
That screen-shot is NOT an unlocked device. It's a contract-free device. That's not the same thing. Am I saying it's not unlocked? Nope. Hell, I bought a contract-free device last year from Apple, and it was unlocked.
Contract-free is NOT the same as SIM-free.
the t-mobile phone (pay in full) can be bought without any carrier info. You could buy it without even having cell phone service.
50/50 on your second question. Sometimes they have pick up and sometimes they do not.
It's both.I think you misunderstood me completely.
That screen-shot is NOT an unlocked device. It's a contract-free device. That's not the same thing. Am I saying it's not unlocked? Nope. Hell, I bought a contract-free device last year from Apple, and it was unlocked.
Contract-free is NOT the same as SIM-free.
buy the verizon model at full price. If you have verizon there is zero reason to go the tmobile route. Your verizon phone will 100% work with verizon/att/tmobile and someone could activate a new account on verizon with it. The t-mobile verison is up in the air with activating a new account on verizon with it.
No one knows that. Last year it was not. Last year the verizon model was unlocked but not SIM free.
No, it's not both. Contract-free is not the same as SIM-free/unlocked.
When I buy my contract-free AT&T iPhone 6s Plus tonight, I'll have to enter in my details, phone, SS number, zip. I'll then get the contract-free phone, which will come with an AT&T SIM, will MAYBE be locked to AT&T (it might not be locked, but there's no GUARANTEE). Now, I'll be able to get it unlocked by AT&T if necessary because I have an account with them, but that's VERY far from an actual SIM-free/unlocked phone which comes with NO SIM - and you just hand over your credit card info and buy it - no other info required, and it's ready to rock with any SIM straight away.
So again, a contract-free iPhone is NOT the same as a SIM-free/unlocked iPhone. Last year, you could walk into a T-Mobile store and buy a contract-free iPhone 6, but it was still LOCKED to T-Mobile.
So please, don't accuse me of spreading misinformation when you've been spreading an awful lot of it.
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The t-mobile one was not SIM free last year. You could not activate a new account on verizon with it. I believe lately that has changed b.c verizon changed their policy with select phones.
Verizon use to only whitelist their own phones and the SIM free phone. I tried to active the t-mobile version on verizon last year and they would not let me; however, I could take an already active verizon SIM and it would work. Again, I think that has sense changed or people on these forums are lying about getting a t-mobile phone activated on verizon.
I am a prepaid customer and have no problem being a guinea pig when I get my phone. I will try to take the t-mobile (paid in full) iPhone to verizon and start a new pre-paid account. If it does not work, it once again is not SIM free.
I hope that helps make it a little more clear.
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If it's like last year, that's exactly right. I bought the T-Mobile iPhone 6 Plus, didn't have to provide anything other than payment information, and when it showed up I just popped my AT&T SIM in there and it worked perfectly, as it has done with any SIM I've put in there when traveling.
It's reasonable to assume it will work exactly the same way this year. And you'll know pretty soon as you make your way through the checkout process!
As to the last question, nobody knows at this point. Just have to wait and see.
My head hurts just reading through this discussion.
Who would have thought cell phone buying could be so complicated.
From a company that prides itself on its devices because they "just work."
You are spreading a lot of bad information.
A "SIM-Free" phone will be "Contract-Free," but that doesn't mean all "Contract-Free" phones will be the traditionally-named "SIM-Free" phone model.
For instance, the T-Mobile iPhone 6 sold directly by Apple last year was "Contract-Free" and "unlocked." It is the A1549 model. I know because I bought it. It will work with most networks, but not all networks because it lacks LTE bands 38, 39, 40 and 41. These are primarily used by carriers in Asia.
The "SIM-Free" iPhone 6 sold directly by Apple is both "Contract-Free" and "unlocked." It is the the A1586 model and it will work on every network because it includes all the LTE bands.
I think just because the Apple website lists something as being "Contract-Free," we shouldn't assume that it's therefor the "SIM-Free" model because it has never been that way in the past. In fact, it doesn't look like there will be a model with all the radios and LTE bands in it this year. So let's stop making definitive statements until there is more information.
Also, for somebody else, Verizon will only officially activate Verizon phones on its network. So phones bought directly from Verizon. Even the SIM-Free phones, they won't officially activate. Now, unofficially, unlocked phones currently work on Verizon networks as long as you have an activated SIM card.
Couple things to keep in mind:
1) The SIM free phone last year was a bit of an exception. Traditionally the SIM free phone is the same as the ATT/T-mobile variant; last year was the first time they switched it up
2) The full price phones are unlocked, period. In the past carriers used to force Apple to keep them locked, but not anymore. If it turns out the ATT/T-mobile version has CDMA despite the specs page, I think it is safe to assume that version will be the basis for the SIM free version.
So you can buy a t-mobile iPhone from the online store on pre-order day without being a t-mobile subscriber right?
I bought mine a week after the launched last year but it was from an apple retail store. I just want to make sure it's the same thing buying it online and retail.
@itegypt
That was only true last year. SIM free does not imply the phone can be activated by any carrier. It just implies that the phone is unlocked and does not ship with a SIM. The SIM free iPhone 4S, 5, and 5S were not able to be activated by Verizon or Sprint. For that matter, CDMA wasn't even enabled on those.
So we don't really know which version the SIM free phone will be, nor do we know whether or not Verizon or Sprint will activate it
That was only true last year. SIM free does not imply the phone can be activated by any carrier. It just implies that the phone is unlocked and does not ship with a SIM. The SIM free iPhone 4S, 5, and 5S were not able to be activated by Verizon or Sprint. For that matter, CDMA wasn't even enabled on those.
So we don't really know which version the SIM free phone will be, nor do we know whether or not Verizon or Sprint will activate it
If I understand correctly, those of us who use a prepaid CDMA MVNO had may as well get a good night's sleep and forget about a 3:00 a.m. (EDT) interruption to our sleep.
