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Surprise: CDMA iPhone 4S Comes With An Unlocked SIM Slot

Competition=Choice

And also equals competitive pricing and likely unlimited data plans coming to all three. You can't have such a huge difference in pricing/plans/etc when you have a product like the iPhone in such high demand. Carriers want to retain customers especially in this climate...I really doubt AT&T and Verizon continue without offering unlimited data plans. More choice only means better consumer pricing/plans/offers, etc.

I'm waiting for one of the 3 to offer a buyout of your existing contract if you switch. Matter of time.

And while I'm typing I might as well say that I'm getting really irritated that my shipment status still shows "preparing for shipment." I had to pay full price and people in Germany are already getting theirs.. Not right.. LOL
 
maybe

Maybe, AT&T is going to unlock them as well, after 60 days. Maybe that is why we won't see the official unlocked version till then.
 
That is so awesome. I had to JB and unlock a 3GS for when I travel out of the country, which I do A LOT. Being able to use my Sprint phone here and when I travel will be fantastic!
 
Geesh, FINALLY we get this... all because the monopoly on GSM iphone distribution in the USA is broken.
 
If I buy a Sprint iPhone on Friday without activating it (for $650) ... can I just put my AT&T SIM Card in it?
 
MacCurry said:
I don't believe there is anything such as an "international unlock" and "domestic unlock".
Click to expand...

Actually, if you got an iPad 3G in Japan, it is locked to SoftBank. But when you are traveling outside Japan, you can use any compatible SIM card.
 
smash said:
Yeah. Right.
They won't. I've tried for years to get them to unlock iPhones. They are "not authorized" to.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. But things have changed for AT&T...they no longer have a monopoly on iPhones. Unlocked phones are being sold. This is how they can hang on to customers. Chances are...I'm going to switch carriers if this Sprint business is true. If not, unlocked phone in Nov.

Keep hope alive!
 
help a dude with low phone IQ out.

So, what does this mean?

Can I use a verizon or sprint iPhone 4s on:

1) at&t?

2) tMobile?

isn't that what unlocked GSM means?
 
smash said:
Yeah. Right.
They won't. I've tried for years to get them to unlock iPhones. They are "not authorized" to.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I'm with you there -- I would love to have my original iPhone, or my iPhone 3GS unlocked -- both long out of AT&T contract -- but I'm not holding my breath...
 
Ted13 said:
Unfortunately I'm with you there -- I would love to have my original iPhone, or my iPhone 3GS unlocked -- both long out of AT&T contract -- but I'm not holding my breath...
Click to expand...

It's such BS that AT&T won't unlock out of contract phones. They do for essentially every other phone the sell... Except for the iPhone. BS, I tell you!

Tuck
 
Really makes me think about jumping ship from AT&T. I hope AT&T jumps into the unlocking train. Otherwise it is becoming very attractive to go CDMA in the US, but have the benefit of an unlocked GSM phone when traveling abroad.
 
Don't get too excited. I've worked for Verizon Wireless, and while their "world" phones are, or can be, SIM lock-free, it only works outside of the US.
Preventing certain carrier IDs from being used regardless of SIM locks is super trivial to implement.
 
Huracan said:
Really makes me think about jumping ship from AT&T. I hope AT&T jumps into the unlocking train. Otherwise it is becoming very attractive to go CDMA in the US, but have the benefit of an unlocked GSM phone when traveling abroad.
Click to expand...

If AT&T doesn't unlock the 4s, I a definitely switching now. Support the vendor who acts best.. besides the CDMA carriers have more reliable networks over AT&T in most areas.
 
hwrdrrk said:
So, what does this mean?

Can I use a verizon or sprint iPhone 4s on:

1) at&t?

2) tMobile?

isn't that what unlocked GSM means?
Click to expand...
As long as you're still paying your Sprint/Verizon bill, I would think so. Not sure about the 3G data plans, but at least voice calls. Even better for them if you do, since it means less traffic on their lines.
 
Though it sounds nice I don't think any sim card from say ATT will work. If it can it's only because all three will be sharing LTE in the near future.
 
Kar98 said:
Don't get too excited. I've worked for Verizon Wireless, and while their "world" phones are, or can be, SIM lock-free, it only works outside of the US.
Preventing certain carrier IDs from being used regardless of SIM locks is super trivial to implement.
Click to expand...

So, if I buy one without contract in the US and take it another country, any SIM should work without unlocking the phone?
 
well, this is awesome news both as a recent sprint shareholder, and as a consumer who was torn about keeping his at&t unlimited data plan, or letting go for sprint. i travel internationally at least a couple times a year, so this'll be huge for me.
 
That sux for ATT folk

So now I will have to jailbreak my new iPhone 4S again to use it abroad .... But one thing to remember, the iPhones use the mini SIM and I have never seen the mini SIM available for the pre-paid SIM cards, anywhere in Europe.... :mad:
 
hwrdrrk said:
So, what does this mean?

Can I use a verizon or sprint iPhone 4s on:

1) at&t?

2) tMobile?

isn't that what unlocked GSM means?
Click to expand...

flux73 said:
As long as you're still paying your Sprint/Verizon bill, I would think so. Not sure about the 3G data plans, but at least voice calls. Even better for them if you do, since it means less traffic on their lines.
Click to expand...

From what I understand you can put any GSM card in the iPhone 4 and as long as you have some sort of plan with that GSM card, the iPhone 4 works. Not every feature but I believe you could buy an unlocked iPhone 4S, take your T-Mobile monthly pay as you go SIM and put it in the iPhone 4S and it should work for calling and text. As for data, I don't think you'll get 3G speeds due to the signal..
 
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