Educate me on unlocked iPhones!

[Olphart]

I'm looking for techie guys that know, not guesses.

I'm needing info about unlocked phones so that I can use it with any carrier I chose. It is my understanding that even though some carriers will unlock it, some will "blacklist" it from being used elsewhere. Is this true or BS?

Wife has a POS Sami Galaxy and I want to get her an iPhone 6. I have an iPhone 5s and will also be looking for an iPhone 6 for use with a carrier other than AT&T, which we have now. They've been pretty good but we can cut our bill way down if we switch to Consumer Cellular. Our contract runs out in August and I want to locate some phones before switching.

Thanks for the help!

[35remington]

The only reason I'm aware of why cell phone company will blacklist a phone would be if the customer didn't pay their bill. Just about any iPhone you would by today should come with the ability to use it on almost any network. I think Verizon phones may not get as good of service on AT&T networks as AT&T phones do, but they still work.

[Olphart]

Hmmm, not slighting you, 35remington, but only 1 response? Thanks for your reply!

What you say is probably correct about the "blacklist." Not so sure about the switch from someone like AT&T to Verizon as most of those listed for sale on other sites specify that if it is/was from AT&T, it won't work on Verizon (and vice versa). That isn't an issue for me though as I will ensure they were with AT&T, which is compatible with whom we are moving to.

[35remington]

Try google

[Stan R]

Never heard of a company not taking a unlocked phone if that phone will work on their network.

I just moved an I phone from at&t to Verizon with no issues. Bought a better AT&T unlocked iPhone and put my sim card in and it works fine.

Back up you phone to iTunes before reset or replace your existing phone..

[Olphart]

I saw you sold yours Stan. If you look at Amazon or Ebay, the sellers emphasize their phones won't work on a different system than what they were designed/programmed for (AT&T, t-mobile vs Sprint, Verizon) etc. Yes, I know about backing up my data, so that isn't an issue.

Heck, I don't know; that's why I'm asking on this thread. Don't want to spend 2-300 on a phone that won't work on my chosen network.

[35remington]

New iPhones have both CDMA and LTE radios built in

[Olphart]

Aha! Is that "new" as in 7s? Reason I ask is that the 6's aren't...based on what's for sale.

[Guest.1]

There are 2 types of phones

CDMA and GSM

CDMA usually has no SIM card

GSM has a SIM card

CDMA networks are Verizon and Sprint

GSM networks are ATT and TMobile

An unlocked phone costs more because it is not locked to Att Verizon sprint T-Mobile s network

Even with an unlocked phone you still have to use cdma phones on cdma networks and

GSM phones on GSM networks

So if you want a true unlocked phone that will work on everyone's network

Buy an iPhone directly from Apple.com

Why?

It's unlocked

And

It is both cdma and gsm

This applies to iPhone 4 and newer

Look for a pin size hole on the edge and insert a pin and the sim tray will eject

If it's a cdma phone the tray will be empty

But- it still has a tray

I prefer android but for your $$

Buying an iPhone direct from Apple.com is the only way it will be compatible on all network s

Even overseas


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Olphart]

Thanks Robby!

[.270]

Groupon.com

[Jackal]

Some of the Samsung phones are made to work on any service. I know that BestBuy has the S7 in their stores that will work on any of the networks that they sell.

[Olphart]

Not interested in an Android OS phone, but thanks.

[ash00141]

There are 2 types of phones

CDMA and GSM

CDMA usually has no SIM card

GSM has a SIM card

CDMA networks are Verizon and Sprint

GSM networks are ATT and TMobile

An unlocked phone costs more because it is not locked to Att Verizon sprint T-Mobile s network

Even with an unlocked phone you still have to use cdma phones on cdma networks and

GSM phones on GSM networks

So if you want a true unlocked phone that will work on everyone's network

Buy an iPhone directly from Apple.com

Why?

It's unlocked

And

It is both cdma and gsm

This applies to iPhone 4 and newer

Look for a pin size hole on the edge and insert a pin and the sim tray will eject

If it's a cdma phone the tray will be empty

But- it still has a tray

I prefer android but for your $$

Buying an iPhone direct from Apple.com is the only way it will be compatible on all network s

Even overseas


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is your best bet and pretty much spot on. Ordering the sim-free will pretty much guarantee you that it will work on any network. The only thing I'd add to this is that iPhones with CDMA capabilities (Verizon and Sprint) will work on GSM networks (AT&T or T-Mobile), but not the other way around.

So a Verizon or Sprint iPhone will work on AT&T's or T-Mobile's GSM network, but an AT&T iPhone will not work on Verizon's or Sprint's CDMA network if you try to switch it over. I recently unlocked and switched an iPhone 6 from T-Mobile to AT&T with no issues. But had I wanted to go to Verizon or Sprint, I would have needed a new phone.

[Olphart]

Thanks for that reply.