Unlocked Phone Question

[KBKellyUSA]

I am currently an AT&T customer. I'm looking specifically for a T-Mobile iPhone for two reasons. 1) I am going to be switching to T-Mobile and 2) I want to fully pay for the phone so it is unlocked for international travel so I may use a local sim card from another country.

If I buy a T-Mobile phone from an Apple store, my understanding is that it will be unlocked. I believe I have read that if you turn the phone on with the T-Mobile sim card still inside, it will be locked to T-Mobile only. Is this true?

I have also heard that Verizon is a truly global phone that is also unlocked. Would it make more sense for me to fully purchase a Verizon phone and replace the Verizon sim with a T-Mobile sim prior to turning the phone on?

Again, my goal is to be a T-Mobile customer AND have a fully unlocked phone for international travel.

Thank you for any feedback you may have.

 

[KBKellyUSA]

Does anyone out there happen to know the answer to the above question? Thanks.

 

[Applejuiced]

If you buy a full priced tmobile iphone it will be unlocked.
You can also buy a verizon iphone and will also be unlocked and work on tmobile and any GSM carrier in the world.
Up to you.

 

[KBKellyUSA]

Thanks for the reply. But will the TMobile phone purchased at the Apple store lock itself to TMobile if I use the sim card provided in the phone? I thought I saw a thread on this about a week ago or so.

I believe someone from another country bought a Tmobile phone and another poster made it clear that they should remove the tmobile sim card before turning it on or else the phone would be locked to tmobile and not be able to be used in the person's country.

I don't want the phone to lock itself to tmobile and therefore prevent me from using a local carrier's sim card in Brazil when I go there in a few weeks.

 

[Applejuiced]

Thanks for the reply. But will the TMobile phone purchased at the Apple store lock itself to TMobile if I use the sim card provided in the phone? I thought I saw a thread on this about a week ago or so.

I believe someone from another country bought a Tmobile phone and another poster made it clear that they should remove the tmobile sim card before turning it on or else the phone would be locked to tmobile and not be able to be used in the person's country.

I don't want the phone to lock itself to tmobile and therefore prevent me from using a local carrier's sim card in Brazil when I go there in a few weeks.

No, the full price tmobile iphone does not lock itself at all ever. Its a fully unlocked iphone.
It will be locked to tmobile if the user purchased it under a tmobile account while being on the tmobile "jump" program.
The jump program has the user make payments every month on the device until the iphone is paid off. If the device is on "jump" the phone is locked to Tmobile until the iphone is completely paid off through that instalment program.

 

[andrewxie]

If you want to buy a outright phone at the apple store, Verizon is always your best choice, it is unlocked right out the box.
Depends where you travel often and check the LTE network there, then make a decision.

 

[finetings]

On preorder day, I ordered 1 T mobile iphone 6 and 1 T mobile 6 plus. The 6 is for my sister who uses cricket, I would always hand her old iPhones, but this year I bought her a brand new One. What I did before turning on the device, is to swap out the t mobile SIM card and put in the cricket nano sim from her old iphone 5 and it was good to go. She had to call cricket for them to update her account because both phones would ring when she received a call. But it has been a go from day one. I used the t mobile 6 plus one on At &Tuntil I was able to find the 128 GB one that I want yesterday. I did the same thing of swapping SIM cards before turning on. I will be returning the t mobile iphone 6 plus Gold 64 gb that I preordered from Apple on 9/12. I used my AT&T upgrade since I was able to keep my grandfathered plan. So rest assured that it is fully unlocked. PM me if you want.

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Just purchase it from Apple online, do not purchase it from T mobile. Apple online does not ask for a wireless account information when purchasing the T mobile version.