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Why do VZW reps say the iPhone 6 is locked?

M

mikeytwice

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 19, 2005
73
0
This morning I asked two Verizon reps via Live Chat whether the iPhone 6 is locked, and both told me it's locked if bought on contract. That seems to go against everything I've read, but I want to be certain as I travel to Brazil often and don't want to pay international roaming.

Why would they say this? There hasn't been a change in policy, has there?
 
when vzw reps say its locked , what they mean is , you can't take it to sprint.

it is unlocked for any other gsm carrier, worldwide

it will work no poblem anywhere in the world, probably even brazil, but it may not work on another carriers cdma only network. but if its gsm or lte then it should be fine
 
rigormortis said:
when vzw reps say its locked , what they mean is , you can't take it to sprint.
Click to expand...
I thought the agreement with the government required that VZW offer their 4G phones unlocked. Are you saying that CDMA portion is locked or both LTE and CDMA?
 
I used to be a Verizon Wireless tech support rep.

The basic customer service reps get told some info, but often not a lot. One key piece of info they're either not told, or told to lie about to get people to get international voice/data plans is that every 4G LTE phone is required to be unlocked now by the FCC. The exception being Sprint(but Sprint sucks)

They want to make as much money off you as possible, so when you mention going out of country they'll have to go through their little dialogue about "Our great international plans!"(They aren't great.) Even Verizon realizes getting a local sim is crazy cheap, so most reps won't tell you, or are told to lie by their supervisor.

The moment you buy a Verizon phone, wether on contract or paying full price, it is by law required to be unlocked. Failure on Verizon's end to do so would breach their deal with the FCC. The only signals they won't have are Sprints, but who would want theirs?
 
Daveyote said:
The moment you buy a Verizon phone, wether on contract or paying full price, it is by law required to be unlocked. Failure on Verizon's end to do so would breach their deal with the FCC. The only signals they won't have are Sprints, but who would want theirs?
Click to expand...

Thanks so much. I figured the problem was just ignorance or misleading info on the part of the reps. I just don't want to get stuck with a locked phone.

I'm curious--do you know where I can find this law? People always cite it, but I've never seen any links to the law itself.

rigormortis: I specifically asked if it was GSM unlocked, and they told me no.
 
maflynn said:
I thought the agreement with the government required that VZW offer their 4G phones unlocked. Are you saying that CDMA portion is locked or both LTE and CDMA?
Click to expand...


what i mean is that when a verizon person tells you that the iPhone 6 is locked the only thing they could possibly mean is

that sprint won't acivate your verizon device
and verizon won't activate your sprint device

other then that restriction, the sim slot is totally wide open on any verizon iPhone 5 and above and go eat your heart out. just don't try to take it to sprint
 
maflynn said:
I thought as long as you pop in a sprint sim on your phone that you bought at VZW, it would work, as it would if you put an ATT sim in the VZW phone.
Click to expand...

i don't know. i never tried it. all i know is sprint has special sprint firmware and they got a deal with apple that allows their sim slot to be locked shut to all domestic carriers except them.

i assume if you brought over a vzw iPhone to sprint, they would say its not a compatible device.

----------

i can't find a page on sprint to check any of my imei to see if its sprint compatible
 
The website seems to be down, but Macruqmor's has an older article with a quote that has the rule:

https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/2...s-required-by-fcc-network-access-regulations/

Edit: Sprint just does not like their customers being able to leave with their phones, or new customers bringing their own phones. Very few phones will work coming from another carrier to Sprint, same with a phone coming from Sprint to another carrier.
 
whats interesting i just discovered is that ting doesn't seem to care about verizon phones, and they will allow them to be brought in

also in feb ting will also be going GSM too
 
rigormortis said:
i assume if you brought over a vzw iPhone to sprint, they would say its not a compatible device.
Click to expand...
Of all phones, VZW is compatible, at least on 3G because both use CDMA, and since the governments insistence on requiring VZW to unlock their phones - a requirement that allowed VZW to purchase spectrum that was up for auction, their phones can be used on any network.

Now Sprint may not like it, so you cannot come over as a new customer but I think if you're an existing customer and pop a sim in, it will work fine.
 
maflynn said:
I thought as long as you pop in a sprint sim on your phone that you bought at VZW, it would work, as it would if you put an ATT sim in the VZW phone.
Click to expand...

Only a phone "signed by" sprint will work on sprints network. This is a limitation sprint sets and not Verizon or the government though.
 
maflynn said:
Of all phones, VZW is compatible, at least on 3G because both use CDMA, and since the governments insistence on requiring VZW to unlock their phones - a requirement that allowed VZW to purchase spectrum that was up for auction, their phones can be used on any network.

Now Sprint may not like it, so you cannot come over as a new customer but I think if you're an existing customer and pop a sim in, it will work fine.
Click to expand...

sprint iPhones run with sprint ispws. i want to see proof

they might be compatible but they need to be listed as a sprint device by serial # before sprint activates it.

this does not apply to verizon, verizon does not care about iPhone 6 phones, as long as the sim is good verizon l let you use any iPhone 6

when my niece wakes up ill test her sprint sim in my tmo iPhone 6 ( that worked on verizon ) with her preactivarted sim and report back, heh

i hope my square trade covers this experiment
 
mikeytwice said:
I'm curious--do you know where I can find this law? People always cite it, but I've never seen any links to the law itself.
Click to expand...


Right here:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/27.16

(b) Use of devices and applications. Licensees offering service on spectrum subject to this section shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice on the licensee's C Block network, except:
(1) Insofar as such use would not be compliant with published technical standards reasonably necessary for the management or protection of the licensee's network, or
(2) As required to comply with statute or applicable government regulation.
Click to expand...


Also:

(e) Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee's standards pursuant to paragraph (b)of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers' networks.
Click to expand...


When Verizon purchased C Block spectrum, they agreed to the above conditions.

In a nuthsell: if a customer brings a technically-capable unlocked phone to Verizon that can access C block spectrum, then Verizon is required to allow it to be activated for use. (Technically, Verizon violates this agreement every time they tell someone an unlocked, non-Verizon iPhone 6/Plus can't be activated.) Also, Verizon cannot SIM lock or MSL lock any of the phones they sell which access C Block spectrum.

As for Sprint, the only reason no one can take a Verizon iPhone to Sprint is because Sprint doesn't allow it. Sprint didn't buy C block spectrum and aren't bound by any open handset agreements, and their policy is, only phones from their inventory can be used on their network (and no domestic unlocks for their phones, at least not until late February, maybe.)
 
Last edited:
mikeytwice said:
This morning I asked two Verizon reps via Live Chat whether the iPhone 6 is locked, and both told me it's locked if bought on contract. That seems to go against everything I've read, but I want to be certain as I travel to Brazil often and don't want to pay international roaming.

Why would they say this? There hasn't been a change in policy, has there?
Click to expand...
There are lots of temp reps manning the phones this time of year and even during less busy times, the reps don't know all of the details about all of the phones.

If you want to know specific information about using a particular phone for international use, you need to speak with the international department.

BTW - Apple reps will tell you the Verizon iP6 is locked too if you buy it on contract. When I have corrected them, they have told me that even if it isn't locked that they are instructed to say that it is.
 
mikeytwice said:
This morning I asked two Verizon reps via Live Chat whether the iPhone 6 is locked, and both told me it's locked if bought on contract. That seems to go against everything I've read, but I want to be certain as I travel to Brazil often and don't want to pay international roaming.

Why would they say this? There hasn't been a change in policy, has there?
Click to expand...

Is Brazil support GSM? VZM is CDMA locked but GSM working normal.
That why most iPhone 6 in Vietnam (Black Market) is from VZM and almost blacklisted :confused:
 
scaredpoet said:
Right here:

(Technically, Verizon violates this agreement every time they tell someone an unlocked, non-Verizon iPhone 6/Plus can't be activated.) Also, Verizon cannot SIM lock or MSL lock any of the phones they sell which access C Block spectrum.
Click to expand...

If you put an active SIM into an unlocked AT&T or Verizon iPhone 6 it work, including the CDMA functions. If VZW really is supposed to also "activate" it (ie allow a brand new customer to simply buy a SIM with service) and they aren't allowing it, perhaps someone should take them to task for this by attempting to do so and then petitioning the FCC when they don't.

----------
maflynn said:
I thought as long as you pop in a sprint sim on your phone that you bought at VZW, it would work, as it would if you put an ATT sim in the VZW phone.
Click to expand...

I thought Sprint used a different kind of SIM card that doesnt work the same way as Verizon or the GSM carriers. Even if it did work, you wouldn't get full LTE support since the non-Sprint models lack the TD-LTE bands.
 
JulesJam said:
What does this mean?
Click to expand...

This is story I hear from some seller in Vietnam. People in US buy Verizon phone, then they report lost/stolen to buy other with half price. Which lost/stolen phone reported (blacklisted of course) they send to Vietnam and sell to people here (iPhone 6 in Vietnam price around 800-900 usd) and it working normal even bad IMEI/ESN.

Sorry for my bad English, it not my primary language.
 
cuongnq said:
This is story I hear from some seller in Vietnam. People in US buy Verizon phone, then they report lost/stolen to buy other with half price. Which lost/stolen phone reported (blacklisted of course) they send to Vietnam and sell to people here (iPhone 6 in Vietnam price around 800-900 usd) and it working normal even bad IMEI/ESN.

Sorry for my bad English, it not my primary language.
Click to expand...
Got it. I thought iPhones had to be activated through Apple servers to work though and if they were reported stolen, I thought Apple blocked them from being activated.
 
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