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Carrier (T-Mobile iPhone 5s is LOCKED- Unlocked iPhone 5s Discussion)
- Thread starter MicroMacTosh
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Just a question: how to you send a copy of your story to Apple Store Customer Care? Do you have an email address?
By the time you buy the 5s, Apple will be selling the phones unlocked out of the box.
All the outlets ive visited (apple store, verizon, tmobile) won't sell any 5S off contract (device only). They all say either phone must come with contract or account or must be activated on site. Tmobile even said phone won't be unlocked until 40 days later.
Any help?
Any help?
Order the T-Mobile version from the Apple online store or go to a different Apple retail store.
Carrier stores will not sell you an unlocked device. You will have to buy it locked, then contact customer service and request an unlock. And yes, T-Mobile makes you wait 40 days.
Paying Full Retail Price Doesn't Seem to Matter
Last year when the iPhone 5 was released, I wasn't eligible for an upgrade on my AT&T contract. It had been less than a year since I had purchased a 4s. When the iPhone 5 came out, it was sold out online, so I went to my AT&T store. It was my first time buying an Apple product at a place other than from Apple directly. The AT&T store sold me an iPhone 5, 64g, for full price (close to $900 with tax and fees.) I thought everything was fine until I happen to check my eligibility date this year for an upgrade. I had assumed since I paid full price last year that I would be eligible for an upgrade this year. Nope! I was shocked to discover that when I paid full price past year, that AT&T extended my contract another full two years and pushed me further out for an upgrade. I complained to AT&T and at first they were going to change my plan expiration date, but then later came back and said that they would not. Even though I paid full price for the device, they said that during the purchase process I confirmed to renew for another two years. I am furious because I specifically asked the sales person to make sure this wouldn't happen. It also was no where near clear during the purchase that I was extending my contract another two years. From my experience, full retail price doesn't seem to matter. I'm a huge Apple fan, but if you pay full retail for one of their devices, that should mean you are not locked down to a carrier and a contract.
Last year when the iPhone 5 was released, I wasn't eligible for an upgrade on my AT&T contract. It had been less than a year since I had purchased a 4s. When the iPhone 5 came out, it was sold out online, so I went to my AT&T store. It was my first time buying an Apple product at a place other than from Apple directly. The AT&T store sold me an iPhone 5, 64g, for full price (close to $900 with tax and fees.) I thought everything was fine until I happen to check my eligibility date this year for an upgrade. I had assumed since I paid full price last year that I would be eligible for an upgrade this year. Nope! I was shocked to discover that when I paid full price past year, that AT&T extended my contract another full two years and pushed me further out for an upgrade. I complained to AT&T and at first they were going to change my plan expiration date, but then later came back and said that they would not. Even though I paid full price for the device, they said that during the purchase process I confirmed to renew for another two years. I am furious because I specifically asked the sales person to make sure this wouldn't happen. It also was no where near clear during the purchase that I was extending my contract another two years. From my experience, full retail price doesn't seem to matter. I'm a huge Apple fan, but if you pay full retail for one of their devices, that should mean you are not locked down to a carrier and a contract.
If you buy the phone full price from the carrier it will be locked and they will probably renew your contract. If you buy it "device only" full price from the apple store it will be unlocked.
Yes correct. One should buy the full price iPhone directly from Apple stores as "device only" so that it is not tied or linked to your AT&T account. Upon restoring in iTunes, your iPhone will be unlocked.
KPOM, thank you for sharing this info regarding the Verizon "device only" purchase. I was at the Apple retail store yesterday and was told by an Apple associate that Verizon iPhone is for that carrier only.
Yes, try a different Apple store. I waited in line for the 5S and was worried that my prepaid tmobile account wouldn't be enough. The employees mentioned earlier that you needed an authorized cellular account in your name ( I didn't). I go in to purchase my phone and the employee who was helping me put in my prepaid number to check my credentials. It didn't register but the employee sold me the phone anyway.
Hi
My name is Liran I'm from Israel
Not a troll...
What I wanted to say is that apple employees have no clue about the lock/unlock situation,
1 can say this and the 1 next to him can say that!!
It's so annoying
My uncle got the 5s from a Verizon store in San Diego full price unlocked
Good luck every 1
My name is Liran I'm from Israel
Not a troll...
What I wanted to say is that apple employees have no clue about the lock/unlock situation,
1 can say this and the 1 next to him can say that!!
It's so annoying
My uncle got the 5s from a Verizon store in San Diego full price unlocked
Good luck every 1
Bought a 5s from Apple today "device only" now when i plugged it in. I didn't get the "Congratulations, your iPhone is now unlocked"
I did do a restore from backup.. So is that why i never got the message?
I did do a restore from backup.. So is that why i never got the message?
That's funny. I wonder why my iPhone 5 and now my 5S purchased at full price from Verizon (last year) and BestBuy (this year) work with my T-Mobile SIM installed? You'd think I wouldn't get full LTE on T-Mobile's network using a Verizon phone by reading this forum. There's some misinformed trolls on here, man.
I ended up purchasing an AT&T iPhone 5s 64GB Space Gray device only. Not much interaction with the Apple Store employee as I was on the phone cancelling my T-mobile iPhone 5s 64GB placed through Apple.com (A total of three device only would be a little much. I was able secure a device only AT&T iPhone 5s 64GB Silver for Monday delivery through Premiere.) I received the Congratulations Unlock message on the iPhone 5s.
Going back to my iPhone 5 preparing for sell on eBay and I tried the restore as new, but did not get the Congratulations Unlock message (wanted to take a screen shot). When I first set this device up a year ago, I saw the message. I confirmed its unlocked through IMEI check. What happened?
Going back to my iPhone 5 preparing for sell on eBay and I tried the restore as new, but did not get the Congratulations Unlock message (wanted to take a screen shot). When I first set this device up a year ago, I saw the message. I confirmed its unlocked through IMEI check. What happened?
I believe you only get the Congrats message the FIRST time you plug your iPhone into iTunes.
Try restore to factory defaults and see if you get the unlock message. I made the same mistake.
All Verizon (CDMA) iPhone 5, 5s are completely unlocked on (GSM) networks. T-mobile is a gsm network. This is not the case with (GSM) phones such as ATT. AT&T can lock their phones from being used on other networks if you get the phone subsidized by them.
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Not a restore from back up. Do a reset to factory default. Then you should see the unlock message.
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If purchased "device only" from an apple store the AT&T version is unlocked.
Hi Coleman, I got the contract free tmobile version of the iphone 5s (16gb).
I'm hearing different things from different Apple employees (store, applecare, online chat etc).
Is it the case that when I will plug my tmobile iphone 5s (contract free) for the first time to itunes, it should say "congrats your phone is unlocked" ?
Thanks in advance!
I'm hearing different things from different Apple employees (store, applecare, online chat etc).
Is it the case that when I will plug my tmobile iphone 5s (contract free) for the first time to itunes, it should say "congrats your phone is unlocked" ?
Thanks in advance!
Don't worry about anything and don't believe what they're saying. If you bought the T-Mobile version from Apple it's unlocked. Unlocked is always unlocked and can never lock, ever. I don't know where everyone gets these theories from.
It's impossible to **** up and accidentally lock your phone.