Sim-free models are now available for in-store pick up when purchasing on Apple.com. However the Plus modes aren't yet available. Just the regular 7 only.
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SIM-Free iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Now Available From Apple Online Store
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All "whitellisted" means is "SIM unlocked". Nothing more. It means 'use any carrier SIM you want'. And the "sim free" model (i.e. doesn't come with a carrier-specific SIM" in the box) means is you'll be able to use that model on any carrier with a SIM you already have.. But that's just like the Verizon model (which happens to also be unlocked but comes with a Verizon SIM because the assumption is that you want to activate on the Verizon network).
If you go into a Verizon store and buy an iPhone and walk out with it, it will use any SIM already. Apple is just packaging a model with no SIM.. that's all there is to it.
And there's no such thing as a "CMDA MVNO". An MVNO buys it's time from existing carriers.. they're a reseller of airtime for Verizon, US Cellular, AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint. If they resell Verizon or US Cellular then they have CDMA towers somewhere in that network and you'll need the Verizon model.
This article does a pretty fair job breaking down all the iPhone 7 models and their radio differences..
https://www.techwalls.com/iphone-7-plus-model-differences/
Honestly I think Apple did their customers a huge disservice by making so many varied phone models again..
So Sprint now allows any CDMA device on their network? In the past when I was with Sprint, they wouldn't allow Verizon-branded devices on their network. Same thing with Verizon, they would only allow Verizon devices and wouldn't allow Sprint-branded devices.
But if both have changed their policy recently then yeah, a SIM-free model isn't really needed. Otherwise, getting the SIM-free model would be easiest if you change carriers frequently.
I don't know what Sprint allows. The truth is even VZW couldn't give me a straight answer until I showed them that the T-Mo model and the VZW model were the *exact* same model. I had to find all of this out for myself.
Personally I don't think anyone should even be a Sprint customer.. I think they should go the way of the dodo and sell their towers to T-Mobile..
But that's another topic entirely.
That's the reason that I prefer the SIM-free version. It's white-listed on all carriers listed on the Apple LTE page. This means you can switch between Sprint and Verizon or any other CDMA carrier easily. This might be possible for the non SIM-free versions but I've not seen it verified by either Apple or Sprint/Verizon.
https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
My point is so is the Verizon one.. you just walk in.. pay your money.. walk out.. it's an unlocked (or 'whitelisted' as you keep saying) phone.
The difference here is now you can basically do the same thing but order direct from Apple..
But you just said that you didn't know if the Verizon model can be used on Sprint (or any other CDMA carrier).
That's the crucial difference between the Verizon model and the SIM-free model.
With the SIM-free model, you can use on any US carrier listed on the Apple LTE page. No questions asked.
Didn't see this clearly answered in this thread
Will the SIM Free model FULLY work on Verizon? That is will Verizon let it use it's CDMA network or just the LTE when adding to a prepaid account?
Will the SIM Free model FULLY work on Verizon? That is will Verizon let it use it's CDMA network or just the LTE when adding to a prepaid account?
A couple pages back:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ple-online-store.2006649/page-5#post-23722430
As the model number is the same, that means that the CDMA radio supports the same frequencies. All you'll have to do is give Verizon the IMSI of the phone and they'll add it to their network (when you activate it, it'll get their carrier settings).
(obviously, you also want a Verizon SIM so you can use their LTE network as well).
When you go to sell it, either make sure the buyer is lighting it up on Verizon or do them the courtesy of calling Verizon and having the phone removed from their network.
Thanks very much
Verizon will let it on their CDMA network despite not purchasing from Verizon?
Yep, the carriers really don't care where you got the phone from....they want your monthly business.Thanks very much
Verizon will let it on their CDMA network despite not purchasing from Verizon?
Edit: That being said....if you bought a phone in another country that was never launched in the US, they may not allow it on their network. There's testing that is done before any new phone is launched in order to ensure it "plays nice" on carrier networks.
Sim-Free 7 Plus models are now available for Store pick up based on your location. Clearly istocknow.com doesn't show it but if you go to apple.com, it sure does. This also means that the store does have them in stock.
No I didn't.. I said I didn't know what Sprint would do.. I never said it wouldn't work.
I'm done with this conversation.. I can't tell if you're trolling or just arguing for the sake of arguing.
Whatever.
The reason that the SIM-free model is offered is because it allows you to hop between carriers without any hassle. I don't know why you keep arguing otherwise since you already said that you didn't know what carriers would do with a non SIM-free model.
I didn't say that either. I said I had no idea what Sprint would do (because I have not and never would do business with them). So at this point you either lack basic comprehension skills are you really are trolling.
Only if you had an account with one of those carriers. You could not purchase the phone out right like you can with a SIM free model.
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I am a Verizon Customer and have a unlocked iPhone 7, but from what I understand even having a SIM-card-free phone means you can only use Verizon or Sprint? I was hoping that SIM free meant you could use any carrier...;-(
You can use any carrier. The phone is unlocked. Basically the same goes for Verizon's model (which is basically the same).
Nope. Just either walk in (if stock available) or reserve using iUP (regardless of carrier) and just buy out using any form of payment (if you don't have iUP). Profit.
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I've been using my Verizon 7+ with TMobile for almost 3 weeks now. Also tried it with AT&T and it worked just fine.
It probably depended on the store.. but I was able to purchase the verizon version to use on my tmobile account reserving a device thru iUP (without having an iUP account) without ever having to provide any Verizon info. And, this was all much before the SIM free version was available or even announced for the 7/7+
Ofcourse, YMMV..as always.