SIM-Free iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Now Available From Apple Online Store

[Hal~9000]

Yeah and OF COURSE there's no store reserve / pickup option

Jesus Christ Apple can you **** this release up any further for people who simply want to reserve a CDMA version of the 7+ for store pickup without going through the IUP program or who aren't Verizon / Sprint postpaid customers?

I mean I know demand is off the charts and they can simply afford to say "screw non-postpaid customers... either get the less capable GSM only T-mobile version or keep standing in line like a moron!" but it seems like a real crappy way for a company to treat customers who simply want to reserve a contract free CDMA 7+ for store pickup and don't want to waste time going to the store over... and over... and over again waiting in line just to be told each time they don't have that one in stock and to come back another day.

 

[MaSx]

Thanks, just ordered 7 plus black 128gb.
It is disappointing to see 3-4 weeks delivery time tho.

Yep. Exactly why I am not ordering it. Prefer in store availability---pretty sure it will be available before Nov 18.

 

[jackwills]

i dont understand. isnt the tmobile version the same as this sim free one, they are both unlocked just one comes with no sim and one comes with a tmobile sim

 

[C DM]

i dont understand. isnt the tmobile version the same as this sim free one, they are both unlocked just one comes with no sim and one comes with a tmobile sim

They are different models: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...rom-apple-online-store.2006649/#post-23718935

 

[MaSx]

i dont understand. isnt the tmobile version the same as this sim free one, they are both unlocked just one comes with no sim and one comes with a tmobile sim

T-Mobile/AT&T supports GSM only. They will not work on Verizon/Sprint. Whereas SIM FREE version will work on T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.

 

[eldo33]

You could from day one...it's the Verizon and Sprint model!

YAH - I SWEAR APPLE JUST TRY TO CONFUSE PEOPLE CUZ OF ALL THE SERVICE PROVIDER. THE VZ AND SPRINT IS ANOTHER NAME FOR SIM FREE VERSION. LOL

I know cuz i'm using 7+ of VZ on ATT network. bought it from apple store.

 

[rsmith83]

The question is, are all the iPhone 7 handsets having LTE issues on Verizon because of a hardware or software problem?

I plan to switch to Verizon because of my ever-worsening AT&T coverage, and in theory I could buy this model and continue using AT&T until a software fix for the Verizon signal issues gets released. But if it turns out to be hardware, what are the chances I could return the phone?

 

[jackwills]

T-Mobile/AT&T only supports GSM only. They will not work on Verizon/Sprint. Whereas SIM FREE version will work on T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.

thanks. very well explained.. I have traveled with my tmobile iPhone 6 to different countries and it worked just fine. cdma is an older and less "worldwide" technology i am guessing...

 

[masterplucas]

Why did it take so long? You should have been able to get the iPhone 7 SIM-free from the very beginning.

You can get a sim-free iPhone since day 1 ... in Japan and I guess most other countries too.

 

[MrX8503]

You could from day one...it's the Verizon and Sprint model!

True, but you had to verify your account, which is BS IMO.

If I'm paying full price why should it matter?

 

[Tech198]

Welcome (finally) to the rest of the world, where Australia always enjoyed unlocked phones

Now if Apple U.S ditches their online carriers we'll all be happy..... I dunno why they do this. Here in Australia, Apple doesn't do that...

Here, you only ever payed for a phone only, user chooses which carrier they go to,, Apple never provides a choice to users..

True, but you had to verify your account, which is BS IMO.

If I'm paying full price why should it matter?

Because on a plan u would be paying more than full price of a phone only to the carrier..

Plus, your not locked in for 24 moths with paying a disconnection fee to get out. (at least that's how i remember it)

 

[Sefstah]

What is the benefit of a SIM free phone? and how do you take it to other countries?

You can pay as you go contract free with prepaid sim cards. Its so much cheaper than an international plan. Btw, the US is the only country that locks phones forcing you to be on a 2 year contract with only one carrier.

 

[Shadowbech]

So what's the real difference between buying an (unlocked) T-Mobile iPhone 7 (and perhaps just throwing away the T-Mobile SIM), and buying a SIM-Free iPhone 7?

I'm sure your question has been answered but the difference between t-mobile and the sim-free version of the iPHne 7 is that the t-mobile has the intel chip, so Verizon and Sprint may not work on those, but for the Sim-Free version it has both GSM and CDMA (Qualcomm).

 

[Santabean2000]

Here in Singapore, all phones must always be sold unlocked - by law!

 

[newyorksole]

You mean on the iphone upgrade program? Maybe its a condition of the deal with citizens one and not the carriers. There could be a concern about identity theifs fraudulently buying phones with other peoples information and selling them. I'd guess requiring a valid post-paid cell account would make this more difficult to do. The major cell providers all have there own version of the 0% interest loan programs so they'd probably prefer you sign up with there's not apples.

Yeah but in order to do the program you need the full social of someone and their billing address has to match the credit card they're using. There are a lot of things required. I don't see why activation is necessary with a post paid account.

 

[Truefan31]

returning my tmo 256 7+plus matte black saturday, idk now that the sim free is out i may just wait for hopefully these quality issues to subside

 

[Steve.P.JobsFan]

Why doesn't the iPhones ship with an Apple SIM card? Are those SIMs for data only? I thought they were supposed to offer flexibility to consumers but I never understood the point of them if you can easily get a SIM card from most providers.

The current Apple SIM is data only, yes. But making one iPhone compatible would be a walk in the park for Apple.

Carriers more than likely don't want it. Look at Apple SIM on iPad. If you want to use an iPad on Verizon in the US, you have to *remove* the Apple SIM and put a Verizon SIM in because Verizon refuses to participate.

If you activate an Apple SIM on AT&T, that SIM card becomes permanently locked to AT&T and you must buy another Apple SIM if you want to switch carriers.

It's the carriers doing everything in their power to prevent competition.

 

[Biofreak12]

Yep. Exactly why I am not ordering it. Prefer in store availability---pretty sure it will be available before Nov 18.

I got tired checking the local stores, so i'll just wait for it to be shipped to my home.

 

[arefbe]

How about "Problem-Free iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Now Available From Apple Online Store"?

 

[Bryan Bowler]

T-Mobile and Apple, where is my iPhone 7+ that I ordered over a month ago? Get with the program!

 

[C DM]

thanks. very well explained.. I have traveled with my tmobile iPhone 6 to different countries and it worked just fine. cdma is an older and less "worldwide" technology i am guessing...

Not really older, just not used by most providers, but certainly by some in US and a few other places.
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You can get a sim-free iPhone since day 1 ... in Japan and I guess most other countries too.

But it wouldn't be the same SIM-free version/model that Apple is offering, right?

 

[slu]

I know it GSM only, but I ordered a T-Mobile iPhone 7 a couple weeks ago online, paid in full and picked it up in the store later that day. Didn't have to activate anything. Brought it home and put my T-Mobile sim in from my old android phone and was done. Couldn't have been easier. And I am on record here saying I hate Apple Stores.

 

[M5RahuL]

True, but you had to verify your account, which is BS IMO.

If I'm paying full price why should it matter?

Strange.. I've been doing this since the 5S days, and never had to verify anything. I've been on TMobile since 2011.

 

[yanksfan114]

Why did it take so long? You should have been able to get the iPhone 7 SIM-free from the very beginning.

Prevents scalping

 

[MuGeN PoWeR]

so should i cancel my 7 plus jet black 128GB T-Mobile model and order this one?