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Carrier (T-Mobile iPhone 5s is LOCKED- Unlocked iPhone 5s Discussion)
- Thread starter MicroMacTosh
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There is no agenda !! I have an unlocking site, but this has nothing to do with it.
I'll remove my sig to prove it
Curious what they said after that? I also see on Apple site for T-Mobile that you may use internationally with a local carriers GSM sim, so doesn't that mean it's truly unlocked ?
Why are apple reps giving conflicting stories on the T-mobile version ?
It's really crazy, I'm ready to go to the Santa Monica store in a few hours, and feverishly researching what to buy.
If T-mobile is locked, as my gut is telling me, then AT&T would be better option, as can be unlocked fast and cheaply.
Verizon is also unlocked, but not advertised so by Apple .
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The caveat is T-mobile will not unlock immediately ... after 40 days minimum .. .DESPITE BUYING AT FULL PRICE.
After 40 days, T-Mobile will not unlock it until after 40 days of use, filling at least with $50 prepaid ... trust me, I was on the phone for an hour digging to get to the root
I was ready to buy T-Mobile versions, but after what I learned today, I'm staying far away from T-mobile 5s.
It's really crazy, I'm ready to go to the Santa Monica store in a few hours, and feverishly researching what to buy.
If T-mobile is locked, as my gut is telling me, then AT&T would be better option, as can be unlocked fast and cheaply.
Verizon is also unlocked, but not advertised so by Apple .
----------
The caveat is T-mobile will not unlock immediately ... after 40 days minimum .. .DESPITE BUYING AT FULL PRICE.
After 40 days, T-Mobile will not unlock it until after 40 days of use, filling at least with $50 prepaid ... trust me, I was on the phone for an hour digging to get to the root
I was ready to buy T-Mobile versions, but after what I learned today, I'm staying far away from T-mobile 5s.
This is no surprise...unlocking is takes like 5 seconds after you call them.
Actually it doesn't. It's often more like 12 hours for it to roll through the systems and then however long it takes you do to a full backup, restore etc to get the lock off yr phone
Worst case scenario, it shows up, my AT&T sim doesn't work, I'll bitch to Apple with my screenshot evidence of them misinformation me and hopefully I'll get an exchange or full refund.
Person you talked to could be a clueless newbie. Or they could also be lying to discourage resellers which is a major issue in LA
In the past, AT&T iPhones 5 bought at the apple store for full price and no-contract (meaning you just bought the phone itself and not tying it to a contract or phone number/account) were unlocked the moment you hooked up to iTunes and clicked restore.
This might be true for the 5S as well, although idk if the apple store reps will sell the iPhones not tied to a contract.
But then again, the Verizon 5S is SIM unlocked already, so you could buy that full price and then pop in a sim no questions asked. The only hesitation is that LTE on other carriers might not work on the Verizon phone (like it didn't on the 5), but since theyre essentially the same models that support the same band...maybe it will work.
I wanted an unlocked phone, but seeing how those aren't available, i'm going to just try my luck and buy a full price 5S without tying it to a contract.
This might be true for the 5S as well, although idk if the apple store reps will sell the iPhones not tied to a contract.
But then again, the Verizon 5S is SIM unlocked already, so you could buy that full price and then pop in a sim no questions asked. The only hesitation is that LTE on other carriers might not work on the Verizon phone (like it didn't on the 5), but since theyre essentially the same models that support the same band...maybe it will work.
I wanted an unlocked phone, but seeing how those aren't available, i'm going to just try my luck and buy a full price 5S without tying it to a contract.
You don't need a reason to return an Apple product ...
I'm mad because stocks will be sold out, and I DO NOT want to be stuck with phones that are difficult to unlock, or not unlocked.
I just need accurate information. T-Mobile is DIFFICIULT to unlock. Costs over $100 a phone- compare to AT&T, where $2 to unlock.
So, I'm taking no chances. Buying Verizon and AT&T ones, unlocking the AT&T and Verizon ones will be unlocked.
WRONG SIR, WRONG!
T-Mobile is being advertised as contract free, not unlocked.
IT IS NOT APPLE UNLOCKED AND SIM FREE!
What do I have to do to get it into your thick heads.
So you recomend I buy the Verizon version full-price ? Will Apple need me to activate it first with Verizon , or can it be used immediately by popping in a prepaid SIM like net 10. I'll try popping in my prepaid tmobile sim and report
both of you are right, and both of you are wrong. It used to say unlocked and contract free, but it must've been a mistake because Apple changed the store wording to Contract-Free Only. I've called two apple stores and two different reps said the Tmobile version would be locked.
I'm just going to buy an AT&T Version full price, hopefully without tying it to an account.
Very frustrating news as I was also looking to get an unlocked version. But now leaning towards having to use my early upgrade. I still want to try and buy but my gut also says T-Mobile will indeed be locked as you've found out along with other folks here.
I said this already. We already knew this. Apple switched the wording because it didn't make sense.
They were selling the real unlocked phone, right next to the T-Mobile phone which is not unlocked. Plain and simple.
Now the unlocked version is gone and only the T-mobile remains.
Apple is not selling unlocked right now. You can't have one!
Everyone said the same thing ...
This feels like Russian roulette.
Need 4 phones for me and family .... no chances !
I honestly don't know, it will probably depend on the person. If you can get away with it go ahead. If it doesn't work, you can always return. Apple has a very generous return policy. But i know 100% for sure the Verizon one is unlocked SIM.
Alternatively, you can always sign up for new service, and then CANCEL. Even with the $350 ETF, + $199 + tax for a 16GB, it will still be less than the $650 + tax. Well i guess once you add in a $80/service or whatever, it will equal out or whatever. But that's another option (albeit slightly long and complicated).
Why would anyone call T-Mobile to ask for or about an unlocked phone anyway?
Only Apple sells unlocked.
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I'm not a US citizen, and don't qualify for the subsidized $100/200 price.
I'm paying full-price, and don't want to sign a contract and all that hoopla, I want to buy full-price, walk out, insert SIM of my choice, voila.
By the time it's back up you won't have time to read descriptions. You're either going to have only enough time to click click buy, or read descriptions and see "shipping in 5 weeks"