-people that do not qualify for subsidized upgrades yet
-t mobile customers
-BYOD and prepaid carriers
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Carrier (T-Mobile iPhone 5s is LOCKED- Unlocked iPhone 5s Discussion)
- Thread starter MicroMacTosh
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
-people that do not qualify for subsidized upgrades yet
-t mobile customers
-BYOD and prepaid carriers
Hi I got my tmobile iphone 5s (contract free) from the apple online store and was excited to find out if it's unlocked.
Unfortunately even though I restored the phone to factory settings twice using itunes, the message "your phone is locked" has not showed up!
Also, the iphoneimei.info site shows lock status as "UNKNOWN"
I'm going to check if I can run an ATT sim prepaid tomm. and if that doesn't work off to the store to return the iphone and get a iphone 5c factory unlocked as Apple is selling.
Unfortunately even though I restored the phone to factory settings twice using itunes, the message "your phone is locked" has not showed up!
Also, the iphoneimei.info site shows lock status as "UNKNOWN"
I'm going to check if I can run an ATT sim prepaid tomm. and if that doesn't work off to the store to return the iphone and get a iphone 5c factory unlocked as Apple is selling.
I personally paid full price for an unlocked iPhone because I travel abroad several times a year and the benefits of being able to utilize foreign networks by simply purchasing a temporary SIM justify the cost.
OKAY: Heres your final final answer.
I received my T-Mobil unlocked phone from my apple on line order today (Champaign 64GB) , popped in my AIS sim from Thailand where I live and work and it activated and I"m online perfectly.
Phones ordered directly from Apple are unlocked.
Some of you appear to continue to have problems, if you get your new phone this week from orders placed on line do the following.
Unwrap your new phone.
Take out the t-mobil or AT&T sim
Put in the sim you want to use from your old phone (make sure your old phone is backed up if you have one)
Plug in your new phone to iTunes and follow the instructions.
I ordered three phones and all three work perfectly with non T-Mobile sims.
I received my T-Mobil unlocked phone from my apple on line order today (Champaign 64GB) , popped in my AIS sim from Thailand where I live and work and it activated and I"m online perfectly.
Phones ordered directly from Apple are unlocked.
Some of you appear to continue to have problems, if you get your new phone this week from orders placed on line do the following.
Unwrap your new phone.
Take out the t-mobil or AT&T sim
Put in the sim you want to use from your old phone (make sure your old phone is backed up if you have one)
Plug in your new phone to iTunes and follow the instructions.
I ordered three phones and all three work perfectly with non T-Mobile sims.
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Is anyone else on this T-Mobile plan? $30/month unlimited web, text, 100 minutes talk?
It's not the regular contract-free T-Mobile, it's the prepaid plan from before T-Mobile switched to contract-free.
Can I use the sim they include in the phone to switch my plan over and keep my number? Or would I need to cut my sim to a nano?
It's not the regular contract-free T-Mobile, it's the prepaid plan from before T-Mobile switched to contract-free.
Can I use the sim they include in the phone to switch my plan over and keep my number? Or would I need to cut my sim to a nano?
Call or go to a retail store and have them switch your account over to the second SIM.
I'm on the same plan. I have activated micro sim in my 4s. If I cut it to nano size I won't be able to use it again in my 4s so I was thinking it might be better just to activate the new nano sim in the 5s. Will I be able to reactivate my 4s micro sim again it I end up returning the 5s?
I went to the Apple Store in Monterey, CA yesterday morning 15 minutes before opening. The employee forming the line outside for iPhone buyers asked me which version I wanted to buy. I simply said "device only," to which he replied "just so you know, all the iPhone 5s's are locked to carriers at this point if you were interested in an unlocked one. Those won't come out for another couple of months." Of course I did my research on this thread and knew he was either lying or misinformed (nice enough dude) and I didn't have time to follow the line only to get into an argument with the sales rep, since I had to go to work. Plus, I want to be 100% sure it will be unlocked since I travel overseas a lot and don't want to be stranded somewhere with a locked iPhone. Anyway, my concern is that Apple is waking on thin ice with consumers right now. The fact that they are changing the wording on-line, and that the employees at retail stores are saying they are all locked to carriers leads me to believe there is some sort of law being broken. Yes, manufacturers and carriers are allowed to SIM-lock devices in the U.S. (which is stupid) but why sneakily try and prevent users from purchasing a full-price phone that is SIM unlocked, albeit not advertised as such. My conclusion: Simple, really. Imagine how much it costs for a 2-year iPhone plan. AT&T is almost 90 USD per month. This includes a shameful amount of data, minutes few people use anymore because of Skype and other such services, and a mostly irrelevant high priced text messaging plan. Texting on a smart phone in the United States is becoming irrelevant since most smart phone users communicate over IP - iMessage, email or FaceBook for example. AT&T REQUIRES this plan if you want a subsidized price. Check out their other plans or their prepaid service. Over that two year span that they lock you into with the attractive subsidized price, people are spending thousands in the long run on a 650 device. You are basically getting a loan to buy an iPhone, and paying it back at an extremely high interest rate. Some of this "interest" is going into Apple's pockets from the carriers, and some of it the carriers keep. It's a win-win for all of them. Result: Apple Retail employees are supposed to lie to you. In my opinion this is all bordering on breaking Anti-Trust laws. There is no locked or unlocked iPhone, they are identical until the sales representative marks it as such on their servers when you pay for it. Every time you boot up your phone it cross-checks the IMEI with Apple's white list. Hell, this isn't even the carriers' technology. The carriers, and Apple, just sit and watch the 90/month from a large portion of American pockets stream into their off-shore and tax-free bank accounts.
The Apple employee tells me the phones are locked so as to reserve the first supply of iPhone to the herd of 2-year contract-era. Then, when the feel like it, and they got enough people plugged into that system, they'll sell me a phone that I can freely swap carriers to avoid roaming charges internationally. Or maybe I just want two different SIM cards in my briefcase in case I find myself where one carrier has no service? Come on.
Every day I wait for this make-believe special unlocked version, my old phone decreases resale value. Not cool.
The Apple employee tells me the phones are locked so as to reserve the first supply of iPhone to the herd of 2-year contract-era. Then, when the feel like it, and they got enough people plugged into that system, they'll sell me a phone that I can freely swap carriers to avoid roaming charges internationally. Or maybe I just want two different SIM cards in my briefcase in case I find myself where one carrier has no service? Come on.
Every day I wait for this make-believe special unlocked version, my old phone decreases resale value. Not cool.
Since you already know that a device-only AT&T or T-Mobile phone and any Verizon phone are unlocked, why didn't you just make the device-only purchase? For all anyone knows you are just adding it to an existing account.
Anyway, I doubt Apple is violating laws. They would be doing so if they said the phone was unlocked but it wasn't. The carriers commit to buying a certain number of phones, and in exchange Apple agrees to a period of "exclusivity" where they get first crack at the supplies. Regardless of what a particular associate may say, the store has the discretion to sell a device-only phone during this period (though they also reserve the right not to). As for anti-trust, there are 4 major carriers, and the DOJ just blocked a merger to keep it that way. All of them carry the iPhone.
I'm currently on ATT, with grandfathered unlimited data. If I'm happy to stay with ATT and get locked into another 2 years, why SHOULDN'T I just get the subsidized ATT 5S and then use one of the third party unlock services to unlock the phone immediately so I can use it when I travel internationally?
I like the idea of the factory unlocked phone, but if spending $2-5 with an unlocking service gets me the same thing, I'd rather get the subsidized phone and save $450 (64gb model).
Any advice?
I like the idea of the factory unlocked phone, but if spending $2-5 with an unlocking service gets me the same thing, I'd rather get the subsidized phone and save $450 (64gb model).
Any advice?
If you are ok with extending your contract for another 2 years, and don't plan on leaving AT&T in that time frame, then yes, use the upgrade. On AT&T you pay subsidized rates whether you use the subsidy or not, so might as well use it.
But will using a $2-5 unlocking service truly unlock the phone just like a factory unlocked one? So I could do this from day 1 with a subsidized phone and have my 5S fully unlocked?
I think that is very possible. However, it is also possible that not all unlocking services use the same technique.
Also, you may be unlocked, but still tied to a contract.
Judging by Apple's previous track record, the official unlocked model won't be available until about a month later. So just the big 4 right now. When the regionals get it we might see the unlocked models a while after.
Well the merger they blocked has little to do with iPhone since these carriers offer way more devices than just iPhones. The exclusivity to carriers with 2-year deals at launch that you mention is not right, in my opinion. It should be available to anyone right off the bat and I don't want to be lied to or taken advantage of. And to answer your question earlier, I would have bought it because I know what the situation is, but I was running late.
tmobile unlock
Ok so I bought tmobile iphone 5s 64gb on the 20th from Apple store. when i was out in the line..apple store employees kept saying all tmobile iphones are locked. got home used at&t sim to activate and it was UNLOCKED.. just took a chance and it worked.
Bought another tmobile iphone 5s from tmobile over the phone(paid full price)..this one is locked now
requested tmobile to unlock it and received an email after 24 hours to wait for 72 hours and then follow the instructions..let see if it works after 72 hours or not.. it still showing locked on iphoneimei.info..any one else able to get iphone 5s unlocked from tmobile yet??
Ok so I bought tmobile iphone 5s 64gb on the 20th from Apple store. when i was out in the line..apple store employees kept saying all tmobile iphones are locked. got home used at&t sim to activate and it was UNLOCKED.. just took a chance and it worked.
Bought another tmobile iphone 5s from tmobile over the phone(paid full price)..this one is locked now
requested tmobile to unlock it and received an email after 24 hours to wait for 72 hours and then follow the instructions..let see if it works after 72 hours or not.. it still showing locked on iphoneimei.info..any one else able to get iphone 5s unlocked from tmobile yet??
That was fast. They didn't ask you to wait 7 days or have active service for 40 days?
I just ran the numbers, The no contract option costs $18 more over 2 years than the regular contract option. You're paying 2% interest BY utilizing AT&T Next.
Coleman2010:
First rep told me that I have to be active with them for 40 days before they can unlock. When I bought the phone the salesperson told me I would be able to use this phone internationally. I called again and told the rep that I want to return the phone she asked why? I explained her that I am travelling out of the US this weekend and if they cant unlock it I want to return the phone. she processed the unlock request.
First rep told me that I have to be active with them for 40 days before they can unlock. When I bought the phone the salesperson told me I would be able to use this phone internationally. I called again and told the rep that I want to return the phone she asked why? I explained her that I am travelling out of the US this weekend and if they cant unlock it I want to return the phone. she processed the unlock request.
