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So is Apple simply not selling unlocked phones anymore?

J

JimAtLaw

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 26, 2006
280
14
Bay Area, CA
I note that the T-Mobile order buttons say no-contract, but do NOT say unlocked, and I remember hearing that folks were getting locked TMobile phones in the previous generation.

Will it be possible to get an unlocked iPhone 6 Plus in the U.S. or are you going to have to try your luck with a carrier to hope to get them to unlock it?
 
Apple typically waits about a month to start selling the unlocked model.

BTW, the Verizon version comes unlocked.
 
Around November they'll be selling them, they only sell on contract phones for now (except for t-mo).
 
half of the people are reporting the t-mobile phone from apple will be unlocked and the other half are saying the opposite. a lot of people have pending orders assuming (hoping) that it will arrive unlocked. jeeze, what a mess!
 
So is Apple simply not selling unlocked phones anymore?

There will be a lot of returned tmo handsets to be sold on discount as refurbished if for some reason Apple locked them this time and refuses to make them work.
 
Menel said:
There will be a lot of returned tmo handsets to be sold on discount as refurbished if for some reason Apple locked them this time and refuses to make them work.
Click to expand...

This will definitely be the case. Phones opened just for a few minutes to install an ATT sim that doesn't work and then returned. On the flipside, the shipping companies will like this since you can't return to the Apple Store something you bought online, have to ship it back :(
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
That doesn't sound right. If you pay full price for it, it'll be unlocked.
Click to expand...

That's how it's been in the past, but many people are reporting Apple and TMob reps telling them otherwise about this year's release. A popular response making the rounds is that even if you pay full price for the TMob variant, it'll be no contract but locked to tmobile for the first 40 days. Sucks, but if you ask me I could easily see some execs at tmobile wanting to do something about everyone buying their version of the iphone just to toss the sim card right when they open the box and start using it on ATT or others.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
That doesn't sound right. If you pay full price for it, it'll be unlocked.
Click to expand...

This certainly hasn't always been the case in Canada. The iPhone 4 was offered "no contract", but still locked to a carrier.

Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Our phones are now unlocked. Maybe you should cross the border and buy here?
 
For what it is worth... I spoke with an Apple rep and told it was US locked to TMo but unlocked for international use. I'm buying for use in the UK (on vacation in the US currently).

I struggle to understand how it would work out locked in the US but unlock outside.

----------
Mike Boreham said:
My 6+ "preparing for dispatch" delivery 19th Sept is definitely unlocked. Apple store UK
Click to expand...

They sell unlocked in the UK from Day 1 which isn't the case in the US as I've found out.
 
THE T-MOBILE NON CONTRACT IPHONES SOLD BY APPLE ARE UNLOCKED

LOS IPHONES CONTRATO NO T-Mobile VENDIDOS POR MANZANA se desbloquean

LES NON IPHONES CONTRAT T-MOBILE VENDUS PAR APPLE sont déverrouillées

L'iPhone CONTRATTO NON T-MOBILE VENDUTI DA APPLE SONO SBLOCCATO

Das T-Mobile NON AUFTRAG VON APPLE VERKAUFT IPHONES entriegelt

THE فون العقد NON-T المحمولة التي تباع من قبل شركة آبل هي مقفلة

銷售的蘋果T-Mobile的無合約的iPhone解鎖
 
After a 2 hour hold time I just spoke with an Apple rep and she confirmed that my order for the full priced t-mobile version of the iPhone is indeed unlocked and ready to use with AT&T or any other carrier.
 
It's down the road a bit....

I just spoke with: Just Ask Apple. Since I have AppleCare, I had that phone number.
I asked the question can I buy an unlocked iPhone from you now? The rep said that we are only showing the four models that are tied to carriers right now but you will be able to buy an iPhone "down the road just a bit".
The burning question: Will there be one unlocked model? that is when I work with Verizon or AT&T? His reply was yes there would be only one model of unlocked iPhone and it would work with any carrier.
I'm sure a lot of you folks already know the above information but I thought I would pass it on since it was less than 10 minutes old.
 
ron7624 said:
I just spoke with: Just Ask Apple. Since I have AppleCare, I had that phone number.
I asked the question can I buy an unlocked iPhone from you now? The rep said that we are only showing the four models that are tied to carriers right now but you will be able to buy an iPhone "down the road just a bit".
The burning question: Will there be one unlocked model? that is when I work with Verizon or AT&T? His reply was yes there would be only one model of unlocked iPhone and it would work with any carrier.
I'm sure a lot of you folks already know the above information but I thought I would pass it on since it was less than 10 minutes old.
Click to expand...


Absolutley unbelievable.
 
techspin said:
T-mo contract-free phones from Apple are GSM unlocked. :apple:
Click to expand...

I talked to an Apple rep yesterday, asking about unlocked phones. She told me they wouldn't be offered yet, but would be after launch at some later point. When I pointed out the t-mobile phone was unlocked, she said no it was locked to t-mobile.
Either she was quoting from her advice card or she was lying or she didn't know the difference. Can you have a phone locked to t-mobile?
 
techspin said:
T-mo contract-free phones from Apple are GSM unlocked. :apple:
Click to expand...

THIS for like the 100th time.

It was the same situation as last year. Apple policy is to NOT advertise that phone as unlocked because they want people to buy as many phones for the carriers initially as possible. It's mainly to deter resellers. It's the same reason the Verizon iPhones are not advertised as unlocked. Myself and other Macrumors members purchased the T-Mobile contract free model last year and it was unlocked despite what the reps said.

Have fun waiting until Thanksgiving or Christmas for those who like waiting for nothing.
 
I don't see whats the problem if its unlocked or not, either way you wont loose any money, with the high demand you can resell it for a huge profit........Im on Straight Talk (ATT sim) and ordered the Tmobile version from apple, if doesnt work I just resell it
 
You can buy the 5S unlocked from the Apple online website and at the Apple retail outlets.
 
Posted this many times around this board but it's probably buried from all the pre-order madness

If you purchase T-Mobile phone from Apple, it is unlocked. Just take out T-Mobile sim and restore. It'll say unlocked. Not to mention, when you order this model on Apple website, you don't even have to sign up to T-Mobile when you purchase that phone so absolutely no worries about having to sign up with them.

If you purchase T-Mobile phone from T-Mobile, it will be locked despite you pay full price. You need to also sign up with T-Mobile and you have to wait 45 days before requesting for unlock.

This is confirmed by T-Mobile support on Twitter 3 days ago and also the same way with 5 and 5S model.

PS: I ordered the T-Mobile contract free phone and I will put my AT&T SIM Card on it upon arrival and make a post here. I am getting tired of people posting that the phone is locked.
 
Last edited:
CEmajr said:
THIS for like the 100th time.

It was the same situation as last year. Apple policy is to NOT advertise that phone as unlocked because they want people to buy as many phones for the carriers initially as possible. It's mainly to deter resellers. It's the same reason the Verizon iPhones are not advertised as unlocked. Myself and other Macrumors members purchased the T-Mobile contract free model last year and it was unlocked despite what the reps said.

Have fun waiting until Thanksgiving or Christmas for those who like waiting for nothing.
Click to expand...

Will there be Verizon full price iPhone 6 at launch day at Apple Store? In the previous case
There're several posts said that will be 1 month later
 
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