iPhone unlocked by carrier, will Apple replace with an unlocked phone in the event of a warranty replacement?

Just to clarify the iphone warranty is only 12 months, are you paying off more than 2 years to terminate your contract?

sure, if the iphone is unlocked and you make a repair/replacement by apple, than you will get a same device back (unlocked, same colour, capacity etc.)

As royalts84 says, as long as it is under warranty Apple will replace it like for like so it will be unlocked as it will already show that way on their server.

When a carrier initiates an unlock of an iPhone, it sends this information to Apple, and Apple is the one who actually does the unlocking.

Obviously, therefore, Apple has the database on which phones have been legitimately unlocked

Are you sure about this? I thought so too, but when I received my replacement iPhone 6, it was locked again.

I bought a carrier locked iPhone. Then it was replaced with another carrier iPhone. This second phone (first replacement) was then unlocked. Later the unlocked iPhone was replaced with a third phone (second replacement). To my disappointment the second iPhone replacement is locked.

The Authorized Service center said that Apple made a mistake and should unlock it remotely ASAP. Apple Support however, says that iPhones are replaced with specifications of the originally initially purchased iPhone. If the original was unlocked, they would replace it with unlocked, but if it was locked then replaced with a locked and then unlocked by carrier. The carrier should be contacted again to unlock future replacements. I know it sounds ridiculous and illogical.

If an iPhone has been unlocked (obviously by a carrier), why would you replace it with a locked iPhone and ask the customer to contact his carrier and request another unlock for the replacement iPhone? So inefficient and could be a problem if the carrier allows only one unlock per year per line like most do, or if you are no longer a customer of that carrier.

Interestingly I found the following on Apple's "Hardware Warranty". Retrieved from: https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/products/ios-warranty-document-us.html):

"Following warranty service your Apple Product or a replacement device will be returned to you as your Apple Product was configured when originally purchased, subject to applicable updates.”

What I understand from this is that replacements will be configured exactly as the originally purchased including any updates made to it. I believe unlock is considered an update.

Apple Support argues that the second device was unlocked (updated), but the original (initial / first) device was not unlocked. Therefore, I should deal with my old carrier to unlock this one.

How insanely ridiculous is that???

I have been told to contact a senior adviser and try to figure this out, since I am no longer a customer of the original carrier. But according to Apple Support, it is not their responsibility to unlock it or replace it with an an unlocked as the most recent one replaced under warranty

The locking and unlocking of a wireless profile is completely at the discretion of the carrier. When you go through the activation process, the device reaches out to the carrier network and grabs your activation profile. If you profile is unlocked, it will be unlocked on the device. If your wireless profile is locked, it is up to the carrier to unlock it. If the profile is unlocked, but the device is locked, then a restore of the iOS will update the profile back to unlocked.

Apple doesn't track wireless profiles, why would they? It's none of their concern whether you're locked to ATT or Verizon, or whoever. They only manage and support the hardware and software of the iphone. NOT your wireless profile.

How insanely ridiculous is that???

Probably up there with replying to a 4 year old post

If you have an iPhone replaced by Apple under warranty or as an Out of Warranty exchange device ,if you ensure the Genius is clearly aware that the iPhone was unlocked by the Carrier ,the replacement will similarly be unlocked

The unlocking procedure involves the Carrier reversing the lock Command to the Apple Activation Servers which was set when new and purchased with subsidy under Contract

Once reversed the iPhone should never be locked ,unless the replacement is incorrectly coded when you receive it from the Genius Bar

Thats the thing. The authorized Apple technician showed me the activation profiles. The first said unlocked = False, the second said unlocked = True, but the the third (one that I have now) said unlocked = False. It seems like whoever put the activation profile on the third iPhone (that replaced the second) put the one of the first (initial) iPhone rather than the second (that replaced the first).

This morning, Apple Support told me to take it back to the store and demand to have it unlocked or replaced with one with unlocked activation profile.

Now, Apple Support says that only the carrier could unlock it.

There was no reason to inform the Technician that it is unlocked, because there are no locked phones in Greece (my current location). It looks like the replacement was incorrectly coded (according to the technician of the Apple Premium Service Provider)

Where was this iPhone originally purchased? What carrier was it locked with? Did you go through that carrier to have it unlocked?