Unlocked model in Apple Retail?

[Trauma1]

This was not the case with the last two iPhones that I got. If you buy an AT&T iPhone at full-price from an Apple store, it's automatically unlocked when you sync with iTunes. The phone can then be used with any GSM carrier like T-Mobile.

This makes sense as carriers cannot expect to keep the phones locked when customers pay the unsubsidized price.

But did you buy on launch day?

This was discussed many times over last year, and the previous year. Apple prevented the carriers from selling the phone unlocked for a while (to ease the scalping issue). Within the first week or so, some IMEI numbers were whitelisted and some people got lucky. But Apple has nothing to do with the process of unlocking phones; that's the carriers. Apple will only sell unlocked phones.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1463240/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1442449/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1445227/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1459429/

Again, in the past the full-priced phones were not supposed come out of the box unlocked on the launch day. This article is for those who did purchase the full price iPhones on launch day, but later unlocked it after the fact. If they were unlocked out of the box in the first place, then they wouldn't need to do this.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/26/to-unlock-a-full-price-att-iphone-5-just-restore-it-in-itunes/

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Yes, but that was to point out that T-Mobile will have the 5s from launch day.

Well there is one option.

 

[NikFinn]

Do you need to sync to iTunes?? I'm not doing that in ages, I always setup from iCloud or new phone.

You don't need to, but I like to have a full backup on iTunes as well as iCloud. I don't believe there is any way to see it on the phone itself whether it's unlocked unless you actually try a nano-sim from another carrier.

The only other method I know about is the site imei.info.

 

[Trauma1]

That was not the case when I bought my iPhone 5 from the Apple store at full price last year, before the official unlocked version became available. I had to call AT&T and submit my sales receipt showing that I paid full price, then AT&T agreed to unlock it.

Exactly. The phones were not supposed come out of the box unlocked.

You could ask the carriers after the fact, but it had nothing to do with purchasing from Apple.

 

[curtoise]

Exactly. The phones were not supposed come out of the box unlocked.

You could ask the carriers after the fact, but it had nothing to do with purchasing from Apple.

Ok then if I'm in the middle of an At&t contract and I need to iPhones but I do not want to sign another 2 years and use the early upgrade my only options is to hope that they sell the T-mobile unlocked on day one or ask for a full price At&t phone and then request the unlock to At&t?

 

[Yoonoo]

But did you buy on launch day?

This was discussed many times over last year, and the previous year. Apple prevented the carriers from selling the phone unlocked for a while (to ease the scalping issue). Within the first week or so, some IMEI numbers were whitelisted and some people got lucky. But Apple has nothing to do with the process of unlocking phones; that's the carriers. Apple will only sell unlocked phones.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1463240/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1442449/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1445227/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1459429/

Again, in the past the full-priced phones were not supposed come out of the box unlocked on the launch day. This article is for those who did purchase the full price iPhones on launch day, but later unlocked it after the fact. If they were unlocked out of the box in the first place, then they wouldn't need to do this.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/26/to-unlock-a-full-price-att-iphone-5-just-restore-it-in-itunes/

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Well there is one option.

I did not purchase on launch day but I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

There appears to be an automated process at Apple retail that marks iPhones for unlocking when they are purchased at full-price. As a matter of fact the second time I wanted to get an unlocked iPhone the salesperson explicitly said that the AT&T phone I was purchasing was still going to be locked even though I was paying full-price, I knew that wasn't going to be the case and went ahead with the purchase anyway.

As expected, as soon as I connected the phone to iTunes I got the message "Congratulation your phone has been unlocked". So there must be some kind of automated back-end process that automatically unlocks these phones when they are purchased at full-price from Apple.

 

[Trauma1]

I did not purchase on launch day but I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

It does make a difference, that's the whole point. Read the first article I linked.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/apple-begins-selling-unlocked-iphone-5-in-the-us-from-649/

Previously, Apple did not want unlocked phones floating around before they officially started selling them, which was two months after launch day. Anytime after that was fine.

 

[Trauma1]

As a matter of fact the second time I wanted to get an unlocked iPhone the salesperson explicitly said that the AT&T phone I was purchasing was still going to be locked even though I was paying full-price, I knew that wasn't going to be the case and went ahead with the purchase anyway.

As expected, as soon as I connected the phone to iTunes I got the message "Congratulation your phone has been unlocked". So there must be some kind of automated back-end process that automatically unlocks these phones when they are purchased at full-price from Apple.

You bought a locked phone. The salesperson was absolutely correct. If you put in another carrier's SIM card in the phone before you synced to iTunes, it wouldn't work because it was locked. Now, you did hook it up to iTunes and unlocked it that way afterwards, but it still doesn't change that fact that what you bought was a locked phone. The only reason you were able to unlock was because your carrier approved your account. This is same official AT&T unlock process for phones after two contract years.

Just like the phones have different model/part numbers for color and capacity, there are different numbers among the carriers and unlocked versions.

 

[iosuser]

Unless Apple has made a change since I bought my full price iPhone 5 (about 2 weeks after initial launch), it definitely wasn't the case. The Apple rep told me exactly what he told you about locked AT&T iPhones. Of course I had to try anyway, restoring in iTunes. Nope never got the Congratulations message. It took almost 2 weeks after I submitted my full price receipt to AT&T before the unlock went through. I verified this with an online IMEI check. I never did restore it to see the Congratulation message. The online IMEI verified that it was unlocked and that was good enough for me.

I'll swing by the Apple store Friday for fun. If they happen to have unlocked TMobile version available I'll pick one up. It shouldn't be too tough to sell my mint unlocked iPhone 5 with AppleCare+.

There appears to be an automated process at Apple retail that marks iPhones for unlocking when they are purchased at full-price. As a matter of fact the second time I wanted to get an unlocked iPhone the salesperson explicitly said that the AT&T phone I was purchasing was still going to be locked even though I was paying full-price, I knew that wasn't going to be the case and went ahead with the purchase anyway.

As expected, as soon as I connected the phone to iTunes I got the message "Congratulation your phone has been unlocked". So there must be some kind of automated back-end process that automatically unlocks these phones when they are purchased at full-price from Apple.

 

[Yoonoo]

You bought a locked phone. The salesperson was absolutely correct. If you put in another carrier's SIM card in the phone before you synced to iTunes, it wouldn't work because it was locked. Now, you did hook it up to iTunes and unlocked it that way afterwards, but it still doesn't change that fact that what you bought was a locked phone. The only reason you were able to unlock was because your carrier approved your account. This is same official AT&T unlock process for phones after two contract years.

Just like the phones have different model/part numbers for color and capacity, there are different numbers among the carriers and unlocked versions.

I'm aware of the existence of a separate iPhone model which is unlocked and doesn't come any SIM card. I'm just speaking based on my own experience, getting a carrier version at full-price may be an alternative when the unlocked SIM-free version is not available.

However, I understand that this may not be an option on launch day or immediately afterwards.

 

[DarkSel]

Ok then if I'm in the middle of an At&t contract and I need to iPhones but I do not want to sign another 2 years and use the early upgrade my only options is to hope that they sell the T-mobile unlocked on day one or ask for a full price At&t phone and then request the unlock to At&t?

This is exactly my question.

I'm also wondering whether I can wake up around 1 AM to potentially order the unlocked version online.

 

[JCCL]

That was not the case when I bought my iPhone 5 from the Apple store at full price last year, before the official unlocked version became available. I had to call AT&T and submit my sales receipt showing that I paid full price, then AT&T agreed to unlock it.

For the 5S the Tmobile version sold at the Apple store is the unlocked version.

I bought a full Price AT&T iPhone 5 one or two weeks after launch in an Apple Store. Inserted my SIM which is not AT&T (I live outside the US however go there often) and it worked. I got the congratulations, iPhone unlocked prompt.

I think that also worked with the 4S, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with this one.

I think AT&T or T-Mobile should be the ones to get.

EDIT: I remember the issue in the past had a lot to do with some stores refusing to sell the model at full Price, only with contract, however if you are able to get it it should work.