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Carrier (T-Mobile iPhone 5s is LOCKED- Unlocked iPhone 5s Discussion)

Iphone 5s T-mobile Contract Free

Purchased a contract free T-Mobile Iphone 5s via Apple website and received the phone last week. Took the phone to Indonesia and used a local SIM card from Telkomsel with a pre-paid minute plan with a 5 gig internet use monthly option. The Iphone 5s works flawlessly.

Indonesia uses GSM like most countries in Europe and Asia (except South Korea and Japan which run on CDMA network). While I can't be sure my phone will work in countries that use CDMA network, the phone works without a hitch here in Indonesia. Therefore, it appears that contract free Iphone 5s are being delivered to customers by Apple unlocked.

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Purchased a contract free T-Mobile Iphone 5s via Apple website and received the phone last week. Took the phone to Indonesia and used a local SIM card from Telkomsel with a pre-paid minute plan with a 5 gig internet use monthly option. The Iphone 5s works flawlessly.

Indonesia uses GSM like most countries in Europe and Asia (except South Korea and Japan which run on CDMA network). While I can't be sure my phone will work in countries that use CDMA network, the phone works without a hitch here in Indonesia. Therefore, it appears that contract free Iphone 5s are being delivered to customers by Apple unlocked.
 
Ny4nae said:
Purchased a contract free T-Mobile Iphone 5s via Apple website and received the phone last week. Took the phone to Indonesia and used a local SIM card from Telkomsel with a pre-paid minute plan with a 5 gig internet use monthly option. The Iphone 5s works flawlessly.

Indonesia uses GSM like most countries in Europe and Asia (except South Korea and Japan which run on CDMA network). While I can't be sure my phone will work in countries that use CDMA network, the phone works without a hitch here in Indonesia. Therefore, it appears that contract free Iphone 5s are being delivered to customers by Apple unlocked.

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Purchased a contract free T-Mobile Iphone 5s via Apple website and received the phone last week. Took the phone to Indonesia and used a local SIM card from Telkomsel with a pre-paid minute plan with a 5 gig internet use monthly option. The Iphone 5s works flawlessly.

Indonesia uses GSM like most countries in Europe and Asia (except South Korea and Japan which run on CDMA network). While I can't be sure my phone will work in countries that use CDMA network, the phone works without a hitch here in Indonesia. Therefore, it appears that contract free Iphone 5s are being delivered to customers by Apple unlocked.
Click to expand...

Maybe you bought at$t one? Tmobile supposed to be locked.
 
truelies said:
Maybe you bought at$t one? Tmobile supposed to be locked.
Click to expand...

All T-Mobile iPhones sold at the Apple Retail store or on Apple's website are unlocked.

His post clearly says he purchased a T-Mobile version and he posted evidence that it worked in other countries showing it is unlocked. Yet you claim it's not. :p
 
(T-Mobile iPhone 5s is LOCKED- Unlocked iPhone 5s Discussion)

Guys. let me confirm one thing.. bought an iPhone 5S Gold 16GB today from Apple store at full price (T-Mobile) i connected it to iTunes and the first message which i got on iTunes was " CONGRATULATIONS YOU IPHONE IS UNLOCKED"

Yes. it is unlocked.
 
chaudhry747 said:
Guys. let me confirm one thing.. bought an iPhone 5S Gold 16GB today from Apple store at full price (T-Mobile) i connected it to iTunes and the first message which i got on iTunes was " CONGRATULATIONS YOU IPHONE IS UNLOCKED"

Yes. it is unlocked.
Click to expand...

Thanks for confirming this!
 
chaudhry747 said:
Guys. let me confirm one thing.. bought an iPhone 5S Gold 16GB today from Apple store at full price (T-Mobile) i connected it to iTunes and the first message which i got on iTunes was " CONGRATULATIONS YOU IPHONE IS UNLOCKED"

Yes. it is unlocked.
Click to expand...

I just chatted with someone at the Apple Store (online) and they directly told me the T-Mobile full price phone is not unlocked and that I would have to go through whatever waiting period T-Mobile has (40 days and $50) before T-Mobile would unlock it. I specifically asked if I could put in a SIM from another carrier without activating it with T-Mobile and they said it would need to be activated with T-Mobile first.

So you did not activate the phone with T-Mobile first, correct? What carrier's SIM are you using with it?
 
Ok, here't the thing.
T-mobile phone (contract free for full price) is locked and works only with T-Mobile while it is completely unlocked for international carriers! I just purchased one from local Apple store and put international sim card in it and it works perfect! So it is locked for US and unlocked for international usage.:):):):) hope it helps because I was confused myself as well….
 
typ993 said:
I just chatted with someone at the Apple Store (online) and they directly told me the T-Mobile full price phone is not unlocked and that I would have to go through whatever waiting period T-Mobile has (40 days and $50) before T-Mobile would unlock it. I specifically asked if I could put in a SIM from another carrier without activating it with T-Mobile and they said it would need to be activated with T-Mobile first.

So you did not activate the phone with T-Mobile first, correct? What carrier's SIM are you using with it?
Click to expand...
Either they were ignorant and didn't know or they straight up lied to you. The T-Mobile version from the Apple retail store and website is UNLOCKED PERIOD!

You do not have to activate it with T-Mobile first. Get the iPhone in the mail. Remove the T-Mobile SIM, put in your SIM, turn it on and activate.

The Apple rep told you T-Mobile's policy as if you were buying a locked T-Mobile iPhone directly from T-Mobile.

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zjazz said:
Ok, here't the thing.
T-mobile phone (contract free for full price) is locked and works only with T-Mobile while it is completely unlocked for international carriers! I just purchased one from local Apple store and put international sim card in it and it works perfect! So it is locked for US and unlocked for international usage.:):):):) hope it helps because I was confused myself as well….
Click to expand...
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! This is so wrong.

If you bought it from the Apple store and it works with an international SIM it is UNLOCKED!! It works with any carrier. Inside the U.S. and out.

If you don't know, please do not respond to posts. You're posting incorrect information that will confuse people.
 
Coleman you are the 808th comment to this rather simple question. Why doesn't everyone just get it? The online tmobile iphone 5s is unlocked and ready for domestic and foreign sim use right out of the box......period!
 
Coleman2010 said:
Either they were ignorant and didn't know or they straight up lied to you. The T-Mobile version from the Apple retail store and website is UNLOCKED PERIOD!

You do not have to activate it with T-Mobile first. Get the iPhone in the mail. Remove the T-Mobile SIM, put in your SIM, turn it on and activate.

The Apple rep told you T-Mobile's policy as if you were buying a locked T-Mobile iPhone directly from T-Mobile.

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Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! This is so wrong.

If you bought it from the Apple store and it works with an international SIM it is UNLOCKED!! It works with any carrier. Inside the U.S. and out.

If you don't know, please do not respond to posts. You're posting incorrect information that will confuse people.
Click to expand...

Im going to make a video to prove it and end this thread.
 
typ993 said:
I just chatted with someone at the Apple Store (online) and they directly told me the T-Mobile full price phone is not unlocked and that I would have to go through whatever waiting period T-Mobile has (40 days and $50) before T-Mobile would unlock it. I specifically asked if I could put in a SIM from another carrier without activating it with T-Mobile and they said it would need to be activated with T-Mobile first.

So you did not activate the phone with T-Mobile first, correct? What carrier's SIM are you using with it?
Click to expand...

As i said i bought it from apple store fifth ave NYC at full price, though, i am using T Mobile, but when i connect my iPhone with iTunes to restore from backup, the first message that comes on iTunes was "Congrat your iPhone is unlocked" then i checked using my phone with AT&T sim card and it works well. so apple guys might not well informed about it, but i am telling you my personal experience.
 
Coleman2010 said:
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! This is so wrong.

If you bought it from the Apple store and it works with an international SIM it is UNLOCKED!! It works with any carrier. Inside the U.S. and out.

If you don't know, please do not respond to posts. You're posting incorrect information that will confuse people.
Click to expand...

You don't know what u talking about! Don't confuse people. I went to the store and bought the phone and tried it, so don't tell me I don't know! I'm not posting any incorrect information, this is FACTS based on my experience!
The full price phone is locked to US carriers and will work only on tmobile, but it is unlocked for international carriers. read this as on apple site: "When you travel internationally, you can use a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5s from a local GSM carrier. "- thats not my wording or "wrong" information as you stating, this is from apple!!! So I guess everyone should call you and ask true information because you "know" everything and tell everyone that they are wrong.
 
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zjazz said:
You don't know what u talking about! Don't confuse people. I went to the store and bought the phone and tried it, so don't tell me I don't know! I'm not posting any incorrect information, this is FACTS based on my experience!
The full price phone is locked to US carriers and will work only on tmobile, but it is unlocked for international carriers. read this as on apple site: "When you travel internationally, you can use a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5s from a local GSM carrier. "- thats not my wording or "wrong" information as you stating, this is from apple!!! So I guess everyone should call you and ask true information because you "know" everything and tell everyone that they are wrong.
Click to expand...
We have 33 pages here OF EVERYONE posting that T-Mobile sold at the Apple Retail Store are unlocked. I have bought a T-Mobile iPhone 5s device only from Apple and used it in the U.S. with an AT&T SIM. So have hundreds of other posts here. How do you explain that?

You are the one lone person who claims otherwise. So EVERYONE in 33 pages is wrong and you are right. OK. Let's go wth that. LOL
 
I'm here to also confirm the contract-free T-Mobile 5S from the Apple store is unlocked and always has been. The T-Mobile 5S sold through T-Mobile is not unlocked. I believe the period is 45 days and then T-Mobile unlocks the phone.
 
Coleman2010 said:
We have 33 pages here OF EVERYONE posting that T-Mobile sold at the Apple Retail Store are unlocked. I have bought a T-Mobile iPhone 5s device only from Apple and used it in the U.S. with an AT&T SIM. So have hundreds of other posts here. How do you explain that?

You are the one lone person who claims otherwise. So EVERYONE in 33 pages is wrong and you are right. OK. Let's go wth that. LOL
Click to expand...


I'm not claiming anything Coleman. I'm just sharing my experience and info I got from apple directly.
I will try at&t sim and see if it's really unlocked for US carriers as well, I haven't tried US sim in it yet, only international which worked perfect… Well let's hope it will work as everyone in 33 pages:)))
 
I ordered a tmobile iphone and checked the imei in iphoneimei.info and it says this
 
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Guillermogm said:
I ordered a tmobile iphone and checked the imei in iphoneimei.info and it says this
Click to expand...

Mine says the same thing, I put in a Verizon sim in yesterday and it worked though.

I just checked mine again and now it says:

IMEI: **** (edited)
Serial Number: **** (edited)
Country Purchased: United States
Carrier: AT&T United States
SIM Lock: unknown.


Yesterday it said it was locked to AT&T, but it is a T-Mobile one. I think it's an issue with Apple servers, but not a big deal.
 
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zjazz said:
I'm not claiming anything Coleman. I'm just sharing my experience and info I got from apple directly.
I will try at&t sim and see if it's really unlocked for US carriers as well, I haven't tried US sim in it yet, only international which worked perfect… Well let's hope it will work as everyone in 33 pages:)))
Click to expand...
T-Mobile sells iPhones locked to their network. The Apple employee probably told you T-Mobile's carrier's policy.

All T-Mobile iPhones from Apple are GSM unlocked. It works with foreign or domestic SIM cards.
 
TheAppleFairy said:
Mine says the same thing, I put in a Verizon sim in yesterday and it worked though.

I just checked mine again and now it says:

IMEI: **** (edited)
Serial Number: **** (edited)
Country Purchased: United States
Carrier: AT&T United States
SIM Lock: unknown.


Yesterday it said it was locked to AT&T, but it is a T-Mobile one. I think it's an issue with Apple servers, but not a big deal.
Click to expand...
Have you called apple to check?
 
Guillermogm said:
May I ask you a favor? Could you call apple and ask if it is unlocked? I'm in Bolivia so I can't call them now
Click to expand...



No....it is unlocked. If I can use other sim cards it's unlocked. It's really that simple and there is no reason to call anyone. That is the purpose of unlocking, and I confirmed it with 100% accuracy, no reason to go any further.

You can do the same thing if you have another sim to try.
 
Hey guys, what's up? I live in Brazil and a friend of mine is spending some time in US and i asked him to bring me an iphone 5s, which i bought in the apple store online (full price t-mobile no contract). He received the device and i asked him to send me the IMEI number to check the "status" of the phone. But when i put it on iphoneIMEI.info it appears that the phone is from ATT. Is this a problem or just some bug on the site? I searched for another site to check and i found one that told me the phone is unlocked but nothing about the carrier. Should I be worried about this? Thanks for the help.
 
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