Do you just put your SIM card in it and it works with your current phone number from whichever provider?
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iPhone 11 So if you buy an unlocked phone from Apple...
- Thread starter ssledoux
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This is pretty much true for GSM sim cards. For CDMA carriers, I'm not as familiar, but from my experience as long as the devices are compatible I can insert my Verizon sim into a new device and use it right away. Some carriers, especially CDMA and prepaid ones, might require additional steps to activate the sim on a new device.
Depends. My 11 Pro has an AT&T physical SIM in it. I moved over my business line to eSIM and use both “slots”
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Verizon the SIM card activates the CDMA side for you. Just pop it in.
Yes, you can switch back and forth using the SIM card. I've done this numerous times with my AT&T SIM card. It's the same SIM from my iPhone X that I used in the XS Max and now 11 Pro.
Okay and do I still set up the new phone the same? Like with my backup from my 11? I need to erase my 11 and get a replacement SIM with my son's phone number to put in it, so I want to be sure I'm doing what I need to do.
I haven't done a phone swap thing like this in a while - like years.
I haven't done a phone swap thing like this in a while - like years.
The same with Verizon. Sprint is archaic and requires you to do steps to activate it on their website
1) Do an iCloud backup of your 11. Remove your SIM card.
2) Erase + reset your 11.
3) Insert new SIM for your son into the 11. Either set it up as new or restore from an earlier backup of his, if possible.
4) Insert your SIM into your new iPhone. It'll activate just fine and you can also restore from your latest iCloud backup.
Should be all set.
Thank you for that! I didn’t wind up going that route - just got him an 11 because he had an available upgrade, and I really didn’t feel like dealing with all the mess of ordering/waiting on a new case/screen protector for a different phone, and I already had a spare case/screen protector for an 11.
However, this is great info because with our crew, this type of thing comes up here and there, and I am glad to have the info.
It happened to me. I reached out to AT&T because I was getting an error when trying to unlock my device on their portal and they told my current device (11 PM) is already unlocked.
Yeah, that's what I do.
1. I have the old iPhone near the new, unlocked iPhone so that settings will transfer during the early part of the setup process.
2. I restore the new, unlocked iPhone from my most recent iCloud backup on wifi.
3. I put the sim from the old iPhone into the new iPhone, and the new iPhone recognizes it very quickly, and I'm up and running.
4. Once I'm comfortable that the new iPhone is working as expected (which never takes long), I erase the old iPhone.
Every iPhone (6, 6s Plus, X, 11 Pro) I've ever bought has been directly from Apple and has never been locked once I inserted the SIM.
If you paid full price for the phone and bought it through Apple, then that's not supposed to happen.
Mind, I think they make separate hardware for GSM and CDMA again so it's possible that an AT&T iPhone purchased from Apple will not work with Verizon or Sprint despite being unlocked. Should work with T-Mobile, though.
If the carrier was out of the equation when making the purchase, it definitely should not have happened. Something went wrong somewhere in the process.
With regards to GSM and CDMA, they used to make different hardware when both Qualcomm and Intel modems were being utilized - the AT&T and T-Mobile models were equipped with the GSM-only Intel modem, while the Verizon and Sprint models were equipped with the Qualcomm modem that was capable of handling both GSM and CDMA. This was due to the royalty dispute that Apple had with Qualcomm. For what it's worth, I had the GSM iPhone X, which I used on Verizon without any problems.
Yes, on T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T pop in sim and enjoy. Sprint... Who knows or cares. Be so glad when they're gone.
I run both "slots" as it were. T-Mobile on my eSim and Xfinity Mobile (Verizon) on my physical. LOVE MY SETUP!!!
Thank you Apple for forcing carriers to give us what we want.
I run both "slots" as it were. T-Mobile on my eSim and Xfinity Mobile (Verizon) on my physical. LOVE MY SETUP!!!
Thank you Apple for forcing carriers to give us what we want.