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Stop Confirming t-mobile is unlocked, because it isn't

I bought two tmobile full price from apple.com

In one i left the tmobile sim card and it activated with it and then later on I put my cricket sim card and it worked just fine.

The second phone i check was unlocked also. Put att sim card then tmobile sim then cricket sim and it all worked fine..


I do not see how a tmobile phone can get locked during activation to tmobile when it is unlocked straight from factory :/ Like I read in one of the reply.

Like i said. I even activated it with tmobile sim and it still works fine with other sims
 
en0x said:
I bought two tmobile full price from apple.com

In one i left the tmobile sim card and it activated with it and then later on I put my cricket sim card and it worked just fine.

The second phone i check was unlocked also. Put att sim card then tmobile sim then cricket sim and it all worked fine..


I do not see how a tmobile phone can get locked during activation to tmobile when it is unlocked straight from factory :/ Like I read in one of the reply.

Like i said. I even activated it with tmobile sim and it still works fine with other sims
Click to expand...
Good to know. I ordered two from Apple online.
 
617aircav said:
I ask because I activated mine with the Verizon sim that came with it. Then later I went and bought a T-Mobile sim.
Click to expand...

this only applies with t mobile the verizon phone comes unlocked regardless

----------
phon said:
So, how do I activate for the first time? Could I turn on without any sim? or it has to be one of foreign sim?

I ordered Tmobile 6+ from Apple and still waiting for shipping.

Thanks
Click to expand...

my advice is to just remove the sim and turn it on with the foreign sim
 
apollo1444 said:
this only applies with t mobile the verizon phone comes unlocked regardless

----------



my advice is to just remove the sim and turn it on with the foreign sim
Click to expand...

As long as the iPhone 6/6+ "T-Mobile Contract Free" is purchased from Apple.com or Apple Store it self, you can activate with ANY SIM.

We activated with the T-Mobile SIM that came in the iPhone and later switched to AT&T SIM. No issues.
 
Allthings-I said:
As long as the iPhone 6/6+ "T-Mobile Contract Free" is purchased from Apple.com or Apple Store it self, you can activate with ANY SIM.

We activated with the T-Mobile SIM that came in the iPhone and later switched to AT&T SIM. No issues.
Click to expand...

that's because you bought it at apple, if you buy it at a t mobile store you can still get the unlock if you turn it on without the t mobile sim inserted.... either way better be safe than sorry
 
ET iPhone Home said:
Last year, you were obligated to T-Mobile for 40 days on a certain pay as you go plan before they would unlock it. I don't know about now. I'm waiting for the official factory unlocked by Apple in Nov. If you go to the Apple site, of the 5S, you will see the option next to the contract-free T-Mobile, is the Sim-Free Version. This is the one I want.
Click to expand...

The only difference between the T-Mobile and Sim-Free iPhone 5s is that the T-Mobile version has a T-Mobile sim preinstalled. The T-Mobile 5s purchased from Apple wasn't locked either.
 
quote--if you buy it at a t mobile store you can still get the unlock if you turn it on without the t mobile sim inserted.... either way better be safe than sorry'

Man, wish I'd known that. first I've heard. I have no plans to switch carriers but seems like an easy step to do to get unlock, if true. So it's the turn on with sim in or activation that locks it?
 
apollo1444 said:
that's because you bought it at apple, if you buy it at a t mobile store you can still get the unlock if you turn it on without the t mobile sim inserted.... either way better be safe than sorry
Click to expand...


The one bought from T-Mobile is Locked. Tmobile does not sell unlocked phones no matter if you paid full price or not. This is a well known fact and don't confuse people.
 
Just another confirmation to add to the pile:

Bought the iPhone 6 "T-Mobile Unlocked" version from the Apple website. Put my existing Verizon SIM card in it, and it works just fine.
 
ET iPhone Home said:
I wonder why Apple didn't identify this T-Mobile phone as factory unlocked too. The whole contract-free with it being a T-Mobile phone is sort of confusing.
Click to expand...

It was conjectured (last year) that Apple doesn't identify it as unlocked as part of its agreement with T-Mobile. After all T-Mobile wants its phones used on its service!
 
hi all again,

I can confirm that my first device which was confirmed before from Apple support as unlocked, is truly unlocked.

I bought it from Apple online store, it was activated in the US on T-Mobile, it arrived to my country (Syria) today and I've just switched the sim and it worked fine.

I will confirm my other device which was confirmed as locked form Apple when it arrives in two weeks.

If it proofs to be unlocked despite apple confirmation, this will end the story forever.
 
617aircav said:
The one bought from T-Mobile is Locked. Tmobile does not sell unlocked phones no matter if you paid full price or not. This is a well known fact and don't confuse people.
Click to expand...

I told you I read the threads and people have had some luck doing the sim trick with the t-mobile store purchases,

stop lecturing me on t-mobile policy like a clerk...

believe what you want to believe, I'm free to pass the info i've gotten
 
gigaguy said:
quote--if you buy it at a t mobile store you can still get the unlock if you turn it on without the t mobile sim inserted.... either way better be safe than sorry'

Man, wish I'd known that. first I've heard. I have no plans to switch carriers but seems like an easy step to do to get unlock, if true. So it's the turn on with sim in or activation that locks it?
Click to expand...

So if you buy it at T-Mobile; just make sure you do not activate it with the T-Mobile SIM inside it! I going to get AT&T SIM card and then activate the T-Mobile phone to get it unlocked!

So that the key to it all; ------------------ just avoid activating the phone with the T-Mobile SIM card inside! I knew there has to be a catch to it all! I will order both a T-Mobile iPhone at T-Mobile website and at the AT&T website order a SIM package! activate it! Then remove the AT&T SIM card and place back the T-Mobile Card since I am on the T-Mobile network!

When I get the iPhone 6; I will remove the T-Mobile SIM card and replace it with the AT&T SIM Card and activate it; then remove the AT&T SIM card and insert the T-Mobile Card since I am a T-Mobile customer.

Cannot wait to activate it for an unlocked iPhone 6!

Thanks for clarifying it up!
 
Last edited:
HarryWild said:
So that the key to it all; ------------------ just avoid activating the phone with the T-Mobile SIM card inside! I knew there has to be a catch to it all! I will order both a T-Mobile iPhone at T-Mobile website and at the AT&T website order a SIM package! activate it! Then remove the AT&T SIM card and place back the T-Mobile Card since I am on the T-Mobile network!

When I get the iPhone 6; I will remove the T-Mobile SIM card and replace it with the AT&T SIM Card and activate it; then remove the AT&T SIM card and insert the T-Mobile Card since I am a T-Mobile customer.
Click to expand...

Why not just simplify matters and buy the known unlocked T-Mobile iPhone from apple.com?
 
talmy said:
Why not just simplify matters and buy the known unlocked T-Mobile iPhone from apple.com?
Click to expand...

617aircav said:
Tmobile phone from T-Mobile is locked and will only be unlocked after meeting T-Mobile service requirements.
Click to expand...

Which is why it doesn't make sense to buy from T-Mobile instead of Apple.com. Making it even stranger, Apple gives you the T-Mobile SIM but T-Mobile makes you buy it.
 
talmy said:
Why not just simplify matters and buy the known unlocked T-Mobile iPhone from apple.com?
Click to expand...


Exactly. Just buy from apple store device only. I wouldn't count on the supposed sim swap tmobile method.
 
Just received my T-Mobile iPhone 6 bought from Apple Store online and I have it on H2O Wireless (AT&T MVNO).
 
I bought from Tmo because they promised 4x the trade-in than Apple did on my iPhone 4. of course I'd rather deal with Apple but Tmo will unlock it in a month from now.
 
I have four T-Mobile iPhones from the Apple Store. All of them are unlocked.

Same thing last year with the 5s.
 
apollo1444 said:
that's because you bought it at apple, if you buy it at a t mobile store you can still get the unlock if you turn it on without the t mobile sim inserted.... either way better be safe than sorry
Click to expand...

I'm sure thats just a glitch in the system so the next time you insert a T-Mobile SIM into it, it will complete the unlock.

I have had this happen to me first hand with a iPhone 5 purchased from a international carrier couple of years ago. It remained unlocked until I used the carrier's SIM and then became locked costing me big bucks to get it unlocked for my main carrier.
 
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