Wrong, I activated my Max on Verizon, which I purchased full price from verizon, and then put my T-Mobile sim in it. It would not allow it. I also have an X from Verizon and I have no problem swapping the Verizon and T-mobile sim cards. The Xs and Max are locked even after activation and even if you pay full price.
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iPhone XS Verizon XS is carrier LOCKED
- Thread starter kdkool
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For a period of time, yes. Otherwise you’d just activate with a friend’s SIM and then swap. I’m not sure how long the activation lock lasts.
60 days at least. You can't use your friend's sim card in your verizon phone. it will only work with the sim card you activated the phone with. All other sim cards will not work after that, for at least 60 days.
It might be a theft control tool. Yesterday my Max was stolen right out of my UPS box. UPS delivered a empty box to me kinda of a let down I have to say.
I checked with VZ on Twitter and they said it’s only activation locked, not SIM locked.
I don’t trust front line reps but... this needs an official response.
I don’t trust front line reps but... this needs an official response.
That's probably correct. Once you activate the phone on Verizon, it is locked to Verizon, for at least 60 days.
Thanks for pointing this out, I confirmed with a rep before ordering the new phone as I will be in Asia soon. They also told me it was not locked. And I use a local Sim. I will have to contact them I guess. Let us know if you get it unlocked.
Got my iPhone XS yesterday. Bought from Apple using Verizon installment plan. After activating my phone I popped my Greek SIM in and asked from a friend in Greece to send me a text. Got the text no problem. I also did not get any invalid/locked message when I inserted my Greek SIM.
Something must be happening the last few hours. I tried again with my t-mobile sim, and voila, it worked. It wasnt working yesterday through this afternoon. So my max is indeed unlocked.
I just called, they claim it shouldn’t be locked for foreign SIM cards. I don’t know if I have an old foreign card or not. I have a Straight Talk card I will try later and see. She said I can put my Foreign SIM card in the phone along with the Verizon SIM. Does two SIM cards fit in the one slot?
To use 2 sims, one must be an esim. Since Verizon hasn't activated their esim service yet, you will have to pull your Verizon sim out. I always get a local sim when I travel. Just be careful if you have 2 factor authentication setup. You will need another device besides your phone to verify, since your Verizon number won't be functioning.
No my friend, with the exception of those iPhones sold in mainland China, yours only has one SIM slot. It will be considered a duel SIM device after a future iOS update activates the E-SIM.
It is only locked to Verizon in the US. You can't switch to T-Mobile, AT&T etc. If you travel internationally, you just take out your sim and put in a local sim. I have been doing this with Verizon and the iPhone since the iPhone 5. Just be careful if you use 2 factor authentication as you won't have your Verizon number to receive a text on.
I thought so too, until this evening. Could not get my T-mobile sim to work in my VZW Max, then this evening, tried again and it connected to the t-mobile network and worked perfectly.
Verizon don’t lock their phones like this.
This whole thread was probably spawned by some bug in the activation servers.
I agree. Tried an active att sim today in my financed max and it worked great.
I just checked mine with a Straight Talk SIM and it works fine. So it’s unlocked.
Hi all..just to clarify...
It seems like the phones that are locked are specific to Verizon iPhones that were sold or financed through Verizon itself.
If you bought an XS or XS Max through Apple (and are either on Apple's iPhone upgrade Program but chose Verizon or you bought the sim-free version), my understanding is that those phones remain unlocked....correct?
It seems like the phones that are locked are specific to Verizon iPhones that were sold or financed through Verizon itself.
If you bought an XS or XS Max through Apple (and are either on Apple's iPhone upgrade Program but chose Verizon or you bought the sim-free version), my understanding is that those phones remain unlocked....correct?
Verizon phones are now locked if purchased on a payment plan. You may have just found some old verbiage on the website that they have not updated.
Basically, in 2008, the United States had a 700 Mhz radio spectrum auction that AT&T, Verizon and other companies participated in. Google also participated in the auction, but their motives were not to win, but rather drive the bidding up past the reserve price so that the spectrum will definitely sell and would prevent a spectrum auction with less rules on the spectrum. Google was basically acting if favor of Net Neutrality. They figured if they were "in the game" for buying it, they could suggest rules to the FCC about how the spectrum could be used. The rules were put in place and basically said that any networks or devices that used the frequencies had to be "open." Verizon NEEDED this spectrum to build their LTE network, so they were forced to accept (although they tried to sue, to get them dropped on constitutional grounds).
Basically, for Verizon to be able to build a network using band 13, that network must accept unlocked compatible devices. And for them to sell devices intended to be used on band 13, those devices had to be unlocked. And they did it.....
These rules were put into place by the FCC of 2008. Obama's FCC. Pro net neutrality FCC.
Fast forward to a few months ago. Verizon now locks it's phones... not because the rules were dropped, but because the current administration's FCC will not enforce the rules. The current FCC is headed by Ajit Pai... the same guy that killed Net Neutrality rules. The guy that used to work for Verizon. Ya that's him.
So yeah... Verizon phones are locked now.
Basically, in 2008, the United States had a 700 Mhz radio spectrum auction that AT&T, Verizon and other companies participated in. Google also participated in the auction, but their motives were not to win, but rather drive the bidding up past the reserve price so that the spectrum will definitely sell and would prevent a spectrum auction with less rules on the spectrum. Google was basically acting if favor of Net Neutrality. They figured if they were "in the game" for buying it, they could suggest rules to the FCC about how the spectrum could be used. The rules were put in place and basically said that any networks or devices that used the frequencies had to be "open." Verizon NEEDED this spectrum to build their LTE network, so they were forced to accept (although they tried to sue, to get them dropped on constitutional grounds).
Basically, for Verizon to be able to build a network using band 13, that network must accept unlocked compatible devices. And for them to sell devices intended to be used on band 13, those devices had to be unlocked. And they did it.....
These rules were put into place by the FCC of 2008. Obama's FCC. Pro net neutrality FCC.
Fast forward to a few months ago. Verizon now locks it's phones... not because the rules were dropped, but because the current administration's FCC will not enforce the rules. The current FCC is headed by Ajit Pai... the same guy that killed Net Neutrality rules. The guy that used to work for Verizon. Ya that's him.
So yeah... Verizon phones are locked now.
Not all Verizon phones are locked. I have 2 Samsung galaxy S9s, financed and purchased through Verizon store that are unlocked. Works fine with AT&T and Xfinity chip.
Old "verbiage"? That's what is currently on their site. Every link that states otherwise are from non-Verizon sites. I'll take what's on their site over a 3rd party site.
Update : Phone is now unlocked even though it's on a payment plan bought through Verizon. Until they update their "old verbiage", I'll believe the Verizon site and take it as a hiccup on a new phone release. I get another XS in a few days. I'll update whether that device is unlocked or not.