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Unlocked, SIM-Free iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models Now Available in U.S. with 3-5 Day Shipping
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Is it possible the world-phone chipsets weren't available in sufficient quantity at that time? I'm just glad to see this rolled out now, vs. waiting for the next generation of iPhone. Once the carriers realized that unsubsidized phones could work to their advantage, it really seems to have changed the whole equation.
An unlocked world-phone version of the iPhone would probably have the highest potential resale value in the US of A if the IMEI numbers are in fact whitelisted by VZW and S. Absent that (and we just don't know for certain yet), the Verizon iPhones would probably have the next best resale value based on built-in CDMA and VZW support and the fact that they are all factory unlocked for GSM/LTE networks. The older unlocked T-Mo 6/6+ models would probably be next, since they effectively limit national carrier choice to T-Mo or AT&T.
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That was my question. Was told that it's AT&T policy. I did think about walking away, but...
Long story bear with me:
A few years back I tried to get AT&T to unlock my 2 iPhone 4S', they refused unless I cancelled my contract and paid the ETF. I didn't want to cancel my contract, was just going to Japan with my wife (it's where she is from). I ended up buying gray market unlocks and we used the phones in Japan.
We both got an iPhone 6 at the same time using AT&T Next. So we are not in phone contracts with AT&T, but are financing the phones with them via NEXT.
My wife is going back to Japan in 2 months and I wanted to unlock her phone so I was looking at the gray market again and it seems to cost between $75 to $120. I decided to go in my AT&T account and request an unlock. I did my phone and before I could even check the status it was Unlocked. My wife texted me her IMEI number and I requested hers, it's been 24 hours and hers is still processing. If it gets rejected I may just request again. Maybe it is just hit or miss with who processes it.
Other info, a few years back I went back and forth with the CEO via email and another board member about this unlock and their unlocking policy. He told me if he had it his way they wouldn't sell subsidized phone, and if people want them unlocked they should buy the phone for full price. I informed him that many people would if you lowered the cost of the service. It is pointless to pay full price for the phone and still have a plan at the subsidy rate. It looks like the market is now paying attention.
It's not. Not if bought from an Apple Store and purchased at full retail price. No subsidy. No Next plan.
If I paid full price and my phone was locked, I'd be livid.
Seems to work very well in Central Edinburgh and London, along with doing quite well abroad, although no LTE with Feel At Home unfortunately.
Unfortunately, the information on Wikipedia is incomplete.
It is common knowledge that China Unicom and China Telecom use LTE FDD as their primary 4G LTE technology. China's Ministry of Industries and Information has approved their LTE FDD network along with TD LTE bands. They have the license to build both, with TD bands being supplementary only in reality. The only reason they have the TD bands is the Chinese government want to bundle FDD and TD together. But the coverage of FDD is already sufficiently wide in cities.
The reason you couldn't accesee LTE with your T-Mobile phone is not because of lack of LTE FDD coverage of China Unifom in Beijing. If you are roaming with a foreign SIM, the reason should be they didn't give permission for roaming users to accesee LTE network. If you are using China Unicom's local SIM, you should make a call to their call center, and the LTE FDD will be available to you at no additional charge.
A successful swap
Thanks for all your help, people. Apple exchanged my T-Mobile unlocked for the new Worldphone unlocked. I put my Cricket SIM into the new phone and the network came right up. BTW, Cricket (and also Straightalk, I believe) use the AT&T network. (Cricket is actually a subsidiary of AT&T). Their plans are very inexpensive. The only disadvantage I have found is that Cricket limits download speeds to 8 Mbits/sec, but I don't really notice the difference when loading maps in the car. And with Cricket you will have to fend for yourself when overseas. However, I wanted a network that would allow me to install a SIM overseas, so I am fine with that trade-off.
Thanks for all your help, people. Apple exchanged my T-Mobile unlocked for the new Worldphone unlocked. I put my Cricket SIM into the new phone and the network came right up. BTW, Cricket (and also Straightalk, I believe) use the AT&T network. (Cricket is actually a subsidiary of AT&T). Their plans are very inexpensive. The only disadvantage I have found is that Cricket limits download speeds to 8 Mbits/sec, but I don't really notice the difference when loading maps in the car. And with Cricket you will have to fend for yourself when overseas. However, I wanted a network that would allow me to install a SIM overseas, so I am fine with that trade-off.
That have never been the experience for me. I have used three quite a lot but did stop using it over three years ago. Now both friends of mine say the signal gets weak and the data slows terribly quite frequently on urban areas, but strangely enough is better on rural areas where thy work (like in Wales for example)
And their customer service? Friendly but terrible on getting things done. I had to call them when I had a problem with a delivery.... like every day.
I guess I'm a 'good German', and took it... I'll try their unlock service and see what happens.
I do have an option for traveling as I have a 5 that is unlocked.
For people that don't travel much, and especially for those that 'take it up the backside' for the outrageous charges when they have used their devices 'off island', a trip to the UK, the AT&T rate, per minute was something north of fifty cents, and the rate for an 'over their' SIM was less than FIVE CENTS!
Oddly enough, for some reason, the only place (aside from the Caribbean) that I've had issues with getting a SIM for my phone was in Canada. Extreme northwestern Canada. It seems that Rogers wants you to be a Canadian citizen to get a SIM from them. One guy laughed at me and told me that I'd have had to have moved there six-months before I stopped to get a SIM. Yeah, right... I said that if they didn't want my money, I'd just keep it and that I didn't know that cell phone service providers were that flush with cash that they would turn away an American looking to not be raped for using their phone while on holiday. He mumbled something about it being a provincial law or something. Seems odd. But whatever...
FWIW, Verizon didn't exactly do that out of the goodness of their hearts. It was a requirement for the 700MHz C-Block spectrum they got in a US Govt. auction in (IIRC) 2012.
So you had an existing Verizon account, correct?
Will they activate the sim free version on a new account?
Yes, I already had an existing account. I'm assuming a new account would work the same way being that the serial number is already in Verizon's system.
That is the problem. The ATT/T-mobile versions work for verizon in this capacity. If you already have a verizon account you can use those phones on verizon.
You cannot activate a new account with the ATT/T-mobile iphones. That is what people want to know. Can you activate a new account on verizon with the "official" unlocked variant.
You just confirmed what people already knew
That is the problem. The ATT/T-mobile versions work for verizon in this capacity. If you already have a verizon account you can use those phones on verizon.
You cannot activate a new account with the ATT/T-mobile iphones. That is what people want to know. Can you activate a new account on verizon with the "official" unlocked variant.
You just confirmed what people already knew
Yes, you can. Someone just posted this to one of the threads in the iPhone forums. So yes, Apple's website was correct when it said that the SIM-free version would work with Verizon.
Yes, you can. Someone just posted this to one of the threads in the iPhone forums. So yes, Apple's website was correct when it said that the SIM-free version would work with Verizon.
Thanks! Making it the most valuable iphone
Ugh. Just picked one of these up today and the one I got has about a 1"X1/2" streak of back bleed along the top. A few smaller areas along other parts of the edge of the screen.
Don't know if this thread is active but I appreciate those who posted meaningful information and wanted to share my experience (positive) in the event others are interested.
I had not previously owned a smartphone but decided to pick up the SIMS free version of the iPhone 6+ just released. Picked it up at a local Apple store and proceeded to a Verizon Wireless store. I had an existing pay-as-you-go "dumb" phone account with Verizon using an 8-year old flip phone). Again, I had no smartphone account with Verizon Wireless.
The guy at Verizon wanted to know where / when I bought the phone. He seemed to have no trouble opening a new account that included unlimited voice/text and 1-GB of data (per month). Cost with tax is ~$67 and I have no contract (i.e., can drop with no penalty whenever I want).
Everything's working well.
I had not previously owned a smartphone but decided to pick up the SIMS free version of the iPhone 6+ just released. Picked it up at a local Apple store and proceeded to a Verizon Wireless store. I had an existing pay-as-you-go "dumb" phone account with Verizon using an 8-year old flip phone). Again, I had no smartphone account with Verizon Wireless.
The guy at Verizon wanted to know where / when I bought the phone. He seemed to have no trouble opening a new account that included unlimited voice/text and 1-GB of data (per month). Cost with tax is ~$67 and I have no contract (i.e., can drop with no penalty whenever I want).
Everything's working well.
Don't know if this thread is active but I appreciate those who posted meaningful information and wanted to share my experience (positive) in the event others are interested.
I had not previously owned a smartphone but decided to pick up the SIMS free version of the iPhone 6+ just released. Picked it up at a local Apple store and proceeded to a Verizon Wireless store. I had an existing pay-as-you-go "dumb" phone account with Verizon using an 8-year old flip phone). Again, I had no smartphone account with Verizon Wireless.
The guy at Verizon wanted to know where / when I bought the phone. He seemed to have no trouble opening a new account that included unlimited voice/text and 1-GB of data (per month). Cost with tax is ~$67 and I have no contract (i.e., can drop with no penalty whenever I want).
Everything's working well.
Welcome to the world of smartphones.
1GB isn't a ton of data if you watch videos, do a bunch of downloads, stream music, etc. Best bet is to install the free My Verizon app which makes it easy to monitor data usage as you go: https://itunes.apple.com/app/my-verizon-mobile/id416023011
Once installed, you can also add a data usage widget to your notifications screen. (Notifications, Today, Edit, then select the green "+" next to "My Verizon Data")
Hi, if I get the SIM-Free iPhone and use it with T-Mobile in the U.S., is it possible that when I will be traveling internationally that it will pick up CDMA networks for their free roaming, or do they only stick with GSM providers? What about within the U.S.? When I travel upstate there's a lot of areas with no T-Mobile service, any chance they will stick me on some CDMA networks for free?