Why Have Carrier-specific iPhone 6 if They All Work Unlocked?

[Starfyre]

What is the point of having all of these carrier-specific phones if you can buy a AT&T phone and use unlocked on Verizon's and Tmobiles network and vice versa. It sounds like any of the phones just happen to work with each other.

Is there anything that is missing or being compromised by using one carrier specific phone on a different carrier?

 

[cnotes2019]

They all can't at least not easily in some cases. Sprints can't of course. If you buy from T-Mobile and Att they aren't unlocked. If you buy full price from Apple than they are . I would say wifi calling doesn't work on all but that's not true.

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They all can't at least not easily in some cases. Sprints can't of course. If you buy from T-Mobile and Att they aren't unlocked. If you buy full price from Apple than they are . I would say wifi calling doesn't work on all but that's not true.

Sadly this is only the case with iPhones. I wish more phones were like this . I love android but it needs to be lte set free more so than it is !

 

[rui no onna]

What is the point of having all of these carrier-specific phones if you can buy a AT&T phone and use unlocked on Verizon's and Tmobiles network and vice versa. It sounds like any of the phones just happen to work with each other.

Is there anything that is missing or being compromised by using one carrier specific phone on a different carrier?

Because Verizon and Sprint are set in their old ways and given the volume of their iPhone purchases, have quite a bit of say on iPhone models.

I think it's going to start changing next year with the FCC-CTIA voluntary unlock agreement going into effect. Alas, that's not really gonna help us right at this moment.

 

[CEmajr]

Locked phones serve to discourage customers from switching carriers by making it difficult and expensive to buy several new phones for the new prospective carrier. The costs can really add up if one is in a family plan desiring to switch to a new carrier. Just the way the cellular market is run here in the US.

 

[maflynn]

AFAIK, sprint is still holding out and not unlocking phones. This may come soon enough, as the market I think is moving this way.

 

[eyoungren]

What is the point of having all of these carrier-specific phones if you can buy a AT&T phone and use unlocked on Verizon's and Tmobiles network and vice versa. It sounds like any of the phones just happen to work with each other.

Is there anything that is missing or being compromised by using one carrier specific phone on a different carrier?

I'm guessing you've never been a Sprint iPhone user?

Your question says "All". I can assure you that there is no factory unlocked Sprint iPhone anywhere in existence that you can buy direct from Sprint or Apple.

So, from that standpoint alone your question is misinformed.

 

[rui no onna]

AFAIK, sprint is still holding out and not unlocking phones. This may come soon enough, as the market I think is moving this way.

Ironically, Sprint's model of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is the true world phone with 16 FD-LTE bands and 4 TDD-LTE bands. Alas, Sprint is not required to unlock it for domestic use. They're only required to unlock phones released after February 2015. They're hiding behind the excuse that the technology is different thus, it can't be unlocked for domestic use. Which is a load of BS when you can buy the exact same model unlocked from Hong Kong or something, bring it to the US and have it working on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon (granted, you'd have to jump through hoops to use it on Verizon).