Cannot activate iPhone 5 (iOS 6.0) SPRINT-USA, Unlocked (Blocked Policy). Anyone else facing this?

This issue has nothing to do with carrier lock. Apple is currently experiencing an issue with their Activation servers for iPhone 4s and 5 devices that are the CDMA version (IMEI starting with 9900). This has been going on for several months but there have been short windows of time where it will work for a day or two. This is also not strictly due to the iPhone being an obsolete model because the GSM versions activate okay (IMEI starting with 01) as well as iPhone 1, 3G/3GS, and iPhone 5 models. There is something broken on the Activation servers. Hopefully Apple will figure it out and get it fixed soon. There are many people waiting for a fix.

ncdai wrote:

I’m currently living in Viet Nam. My only goal is to activate the phone so that I can use it with local carriers here in Viet Nam, not with T-Mobile/Sprint in the U.S.

You told us

* Contacted Apple → they confirmed the device is still locked by the carrier.

* Contacted T-Mobile US (who took over Sprint) → they said unlock can only be processed in-store in the US, which I cannot access.

Sounds like you were telling us that the phone is carrier-locked. Also that it is locked to T-Mobile US, and that they said that will only unlock the phone in one of their physical stores in the U.S..

Whether that is true, or is a convenient story they were telling you to make you go away, the fact remains that if this phone is locked to T-Mobile, only T-Mobile can unlock it – if they so choose. Which means that even if you could activate it with Apple's servers, unless T-Mobile is more helpful than they have been to date, the best you could hope for is to use that phone as an "iPod touch" - with no cellular phone, text message, or data service.

How to unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier - Apple Support

"Apple can't unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier. Only your current carrier can unlock your iPhone."

As for what "Unlocked (blocked policy) means", I found this: Consumer cellular unlocked blocked policy - Apple Community .

"“unlock blocked policy”, if it is correct, means that the carrier will refuse to unlock it for any reason."

You say that according to Apple, the phone is carrier-locked to T-Mobile/Sprint, and that T-Mobile says that they are only able to unlock the phone if you physically bring it to one of their U.S. stores.

So, does T-Mobile/Sprint operate a 2G/3G network in your part of the world, and did you get a SIM card from them? (In the U.S. carriers have shut down their 2G/3G networks and an iPhone 5 would be useless as a cell phone.)

Thank you for the photo.

-------

Activating an iPhone 5:

That is a pretty obsolete phone. If you are looking to use it, you need to get connected to the internet. Use iTunes on a PC to perform this.

"No SIM"

Go Here: If you See 'invalid SIM' or 'no SIM' on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

This has nothing to do with the activation servers and the person you replied to has no idea what they are talking about.

Your phone doesn't recognize the SIM card, that is the issue at hand.

Apple has nothing to fix, this is between you, your locked phone and T-Mobile