Carrier Unlock your AT&T Next Device or Device still in contract for FREE (YMMV)

[lkim03]

What service are you using to make your calls over data?

To call ATT customer care when you are abroad, you dial +1-916-843-4685 and according to this, it is free when on international roaming.

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/faq.jsp

Q. How do I contact Customer Care from abroad?

A. If you have problems or questions while roaming outside the U.S., call AT&T at +1-916-843-4685 (a free call from your wireless phone).

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They have a study abroad package for students who are studying abroad:

http://www.corp.att.com/edu/studyabroad/
http://www.corp.att.com/edu/docs/study_abroad_faq.pdf


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How long have you been with ATT? Are you on a family plan with your parents?

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What about the unlock services? Idk anything about them and some are scams but I know some people use them successfully.

I'm currently just using airplane mode + wifi = no calls atm. I've been using whatsapp or a equivalent to keep in touch with family.

+Thanks! I'll loook into the study abroad plans and see if it would be worth it rather than getting a local plan..

I'm in a family plan with 4 lines total, we've had a cingular plan before, switched to verizon recently, and came back to at&t. The only phone on contract is mine, and everyone else got second-hand phones. I've been paying for my iphone 5c for almost a year, on the NEXT plan?

 

[JulesJam]

The only phone on contract is mine, and everyone else got second-hand phones. I've been paying for my iphone 5c for almost a year, on the NEXT plan?

Well that isn't on contract, Next is an installment plan. On contract is when your line is on contract and you have to continue service for 2 years. With Next you are not on contract, but the phone is financed. You can leave AT&T w/o an ETF, but you still have to keep paying for the phone.

Do you get a discount off of your bill for buying a phone through Next?

 

[ssl0408]

Well that isn't on contract, Next is an installment plan. On contract is when your line is on contract and you have to continue service for 2 years. With Next you are not on contract, but the phone is financed. You can leave AT&T w/o an ETF, but you still have to keep paying for the phone.

Do you get a discount off of your bill for buying a phone through Next?

If you're on a 10gb or higher mobile share plan, there is a $25 monthly discount on each line. The monthly charge for each line becomes $15.

 

[JulesJam]

I've been paying for my iphone 5c for almost a year, on the NEXT plan?

For future reference, both Best Buy and Apple will finance phones for you and you can get the unlocked version of the phone. All Next is is a financing program.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/global-...ng/pcmcat228200050011.c?id=pcmcat228200050011

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/finance/instant_credit


On Verizon's installment plan (Edge) you get a discount on your bill depending on how much data you pay for each month. However, you get that same discount if you are off contract although you do have to ask for it. Idk how discounts work with Next.

 

[lkim03]

Well that isn't on contract, Next is an installment plan. On contract is when your line is on contract and you have to continue service for 2 years. With Next you are not on contract, but the phone is financed. You can leave AT&T w/o an ETF, but you still have to keep paying for the phone.

Do you get a discount off of your bill for buying a phone through Next?

Ahh, I didn't know. Haha I'm actually not sure.. I can find out by tomorrow! Other than that I tried chatting with an ATT rep about study abroad plans, and they couldn't even offer any information because I was not the account owner. I'll have to get in touch with my family ....

 

[JulesJam]

If you're on a 10gb or higher mobile share plan, there is a $25 monthly discount on each line. The monthly charge for each line becomes $15.

Thanks! Is it like Verizon where you can get that same discount if you are off contract? With Verizon, you get that same discount if you buy a phone through Edge or if you are off contract. Below 10GB you still get $15/mo discount if you are on Edge or if you are off contract.

 

[JulesJam]

Ahh, I didn't know. Haha I'm actually not sure.. I can find out by tomorrow! Other than that I tried chatting with an ATT rep about study abroad plans, and they couldn't even offer any information because I was not the account owner. I'll have to get in touch with my family ....

On Verizon the account owner could make you an account manager with the authority to make plan changes. Idk about ATT.

 

[ssl0408]

Thanks! Is it like Verizon where you can get that same discount if you are off contract? With Verizon, you get that same discount if you buy a phone through Edge or if you are off contract. Below 10GB you still get $15/mo discount if you are on Edge or if you are off contract.

Yes, below 10gh it's a $15 discount, but above 10gb it's a $25 discount. Off contract and NEXT customers both get the discounts.

 

[JulesJam]

Yes, below 10gh it's a $15 discount, but above 10gb it's a $25 discount. Off contract and NEXT customers both get the discounts.

OK just like Verizon then. Usually Verizon and AT&T are about the same in their pricing with AT&T being slightly lower but not by much.

Ahh, I didn't know. Haha I'm actually not sure.. I can find out by tomorrow!

For future reference, since you get the same discount if you are off contract as you get with Next, if you want to finance an iPhone, go to Apple or Best Buy and buy an unlocked iPhone through their financing programs.

With Verizon, all of the Verizon iPhones are unlocked out of the box so Edge isn't a bad option. But with AT&T, Next makes no sense at all unless you can't get approval at Best Buy or Apple for their financing programs or if you need the 24 month financing to lower your monthly payment.

 

[JulesJam]

So for one of the iP5s that was an Apple replacement device I received an unlock approval. No surprise there. But for that one, I didn't receive an immediate denial.

I found the original receipt for this iP5s and it turns out it was not a replacement device.

Idk why they will unlock one and not the other. They were both bought on the same day from Best Buy on the same receipt.

 

[jent]

To answer my earlier question, it was the primary account holder's name needed when putting in an AT&T unlock request for another line on a family plan.

I submitted my request today for my in-contract iPhone 5s, which was purchased shortly after the launch. Within a few hours I was approved! I popped in another carrier's SIM card and it worked just fine.

I put a request in for my wife's in-contract iPhone 6 and within a few minutes she was denied. I repeated this again for three total attempts and none of them worked. Any other tips for getting a 6 unlocked? To be honest, I'm even surprised my 5s was unlocked. It was rejected when I tried late last year, and the ChronicUnlocks economy service couldn't unlock it last week, as it is still in contract.

None of the phones in my family plan use Next.

 

[JulesJam]

To answer my earlier question, it was the primary account holder's name needed when putting in an AT&T unlock request for another line on a family plan.

It is the account owner's name. The primary line on my family member's plan is in her daughter's name but she is the account owner.

Whoever is liable for the bill.

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I submitted my request today for my in-contract iPhone 5s, which was purchased shortly after the launch. Within a few hours I was approved! I popped in another carrier's SIM card and it worked just fine.

I put a request in for my wife's in-contract iPhone 6 and within a few minutes she was denied. I repeated this again for three total attempts and none of them worked.

There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to it. I upgraded 2 iP5s last year on Black Friday, same transaction, 1 they would unlock and the other they wouldn't.

 

[pdxmatts]

I requested unlocks on all 4 of our iPhone lines and they were all approved within 12 hrs! Even our 2 i6's that are on the Next program.

 

[JulesJam]

The 2nd Prepaid/GoPhone unlock request was successful, lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got both on contract iP5s unlocked!!! Thanks so much for this thread

For the record, I probably submitted 40 requests on this phone from Thursday until today. All but the 2 Prepaid/GoPhone requests were denied immediately. The 1st Prepaid/GoPhone request was submitted on Friday and denied this morning. The 2nd was submitted before noon and approved this evening.

So I think it is BS that they flag your IMEI. My immediate denials were from the very first request yet the Prepaid/GoPhone requests were both put under review.


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Ahh, I didn't know. Haha I'm actually not sure.. I can find out by tomorrow! Other than that I tried chatting with an ATT rep about study abroad plans, and they couldn't even offer any information because I was not the account owner. I'll have to get in touch with my family ....

My 2nd Prepaid/GoPhone unlock request was successful!!!!! Try it again dude!

 

[scjr]

Congrats!!

They probably got sick of seeing all your requests or you brought their system to its knees.

 

[MaskedCarrot]

Ok here's a good question. We all know that if you get your phone unlocked and later have to get it swapped out at Apple they will replace it with an unlocked device.

But what after getting it unlocked you have to do an Asurion claim? I doubt they have unlocked phones to send. I am thinking they would send you a regular locked phone.

Any ideas?

 

[JulesJam]

Ok here's a good question. We all know that if you get your phone unlocked and later have to get it swapped out at Apple they will replace it with an unlocked device.

I think you get a locked replacement phone but if you do the unlock request, AT&T unlocks it.

But what after getting it unlocked you have to do an Asurion claim? I doubt they have unlocked phones to send. I am thinking they would send you a regular locked phone.

AFAIK Apple gives you regular locked phones too. It is just that in AT&T's database the replacement phones don't show up as associated with any contract, so they unlock them upon request.

It's probably the same with Asurion.

 

[MaskedCarrot]

I think you get a locked replacement phone but if you do the unlock request, AT&T unlocks it.

AFAIK Apple gives you regular locked phones too. It is just that in AT&T's database the replacement phones don't show up as associated with any contract, so they unlock them upon request.

It's probably the same with Asurion.

That's not what I read. From what Ive heard, is if your phone is unlocked by att and you get a swap out at Apple, Apple knows that your phone is unlocked and replaces it with an unlocked phone.

It makes sense, since you may not be using att anymore after your phone is unlocked and a locked replacement phone would not be a like for like replacement.

Asurion on the other hand is a different story. Hence my question.

 

[JulesJam]

That's not what I read. From what Ive heard, is if your phone is unlocked by att and you get a swap out at Apple, Apple knows that your phone is unlocked and replaces it with an unlocked phone.

That is the complete opposite of what I have read. AFAIK, you get a locked to AT&T device from Apple b/c they replace like with like. But since AT&T doesn't have that IMEI associated with your contract, they will unlock it upon request.

 

[PLin]

That is the complete opposite of what I have read. AFAIK, you get a locked to AT&T device from Apple b/c they replace like with like. But since AT&T doesn't have that IMEI associated with your contract, they will unlock it upon request.

Apple always looks up the iTunes Activation profile associated with the phone you're getting replaced, so if your phone has been unlocked, the replacement will be unlocked without having to send another request to AT&T. I've had a few AT&T unlocked phones replaced in the past few years, and the replacements were always unlocked already even when the original phone was unlocked using a 3rd party service.

 

[lkim03]

The 2nd Prepaid/GoPhone unlock request was successful, lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got both on contract iP5s unlocked!!! Thanks so much for this thread

For the record, I probably submitted 40 requests on this phone from Thursday until today. All but the 2 Prepaid/GoPhone requests were denied immediately. The 1st Prepaid/GoPhone request was submitted on Friday and denied this morning. The 2nd was submitted before noon and approved this evening.

So I think it is BS that they flag your IMEI. My immediate denials were from the very first request yet the Prepaid/GoPhone requests were both put under review.


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My 2nd Prepaid/GoPhone unlock request was successful!!!!! Try it again dude!

Oh man, congrats! Now it's just my turn

 

[JulesJam]

Apple always looks up the iTunes Activation profile associated with the phone you're getting replaced, so if your phone has been unlocked, the replacement will be unlocked without having to send another request to AT&T.

Gtk, thanks.

I've had a few AT&T unlocked phones replaced in the past few years, and the replacements were always unlocked already even when the original phone was unlocked using a 3rd party service.

great news!

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Oh man, congrats! Now it's just my turn

Let us know how it goes!

 

[noobinator]

I'm glad this thread is helping many people at least own the phone they own.

It's not hurting AT&T any to do this so not sure why they don't unlock everyone.

People are still tied to ETFs/contracts/Next payments etc...

 

[JulesJam]

I'm glad this thread is helping many people at least own the phone they own.

It's not hurting AT&T any to do this so not sure why they don't unlock everyone.

People are still tied to ETFs/contracts/Next payments etc...

Can you change the thread title to be more explicit so more people will know what the thread has become about?

I don't think the current title is clear enough. Alot of people would like to do this I am sure.

I am going to advertise this on Slick Deals and link to this thread.

 

[noobinator]

Can you change the thread title to be more explicit so more people will know what the thread has become about?

I don't think the current title is clear enough. Alot of people would like to do this I am sure.

I am going to advertise this on Slick Deals and link to this thread.

Sure, how's that?