Why doesn't the unlocked iPhone 4S work with Sprint or Verizon?

Unlock my phone. I bought the phone it does not work in Russia.

Serial Number: C3xxxxxTD3

https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

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No one here can unlock your phone. ONLY the carrier it is locked to can unlock it. Contact them.

After talking to carrier support, I understand that all US carriers lock their network to block iPhones not pre-configured for their networks. The network blocks the handset IMEI (IMEI is a unique handset serial number that networks access).

iPhone subsidy is not the reason why IMEI blocking exists in the US. Subsidized iPhones are always tied to a 1 or 2 year contract with cancellation penalty. US carriers could sell subsidized unlocked iPhones without problems, because enforcing contract obligations are easily done in the US.

As far as I know, the US in the only country where that IMEI block exists. Several international carriers block iPhones the usual way: via network selection. Not using IMEI. Others sell unlocked iPhones.

I don't believe Apple created or stimulated that policy, because it does not benefit Apple. On the contrary, it gets customers angry and it is an iPhone disadvantage (I am not aware if that policy applies to other smartphones).

That policy also creates problems for foreigners visiting the US, because their iPhones will not work with a SIM card from a US carrier. Foreigners are either forced to pay expensive roaming fees or use their phones via wifi only. Who profit from that? Carriers, not Apple.

Until recently T-Mobile was accepting customers to use their unlocked iPhones on its network, via the BYOD (bring your own device) program. Since there were no news that Apple forced T-Mobile to stop BYOD for iPhones, seems that there is a "carrier dynamics" going on in the US to diminish competition.

US Regulators should focus on that, shouldn't they?

I don't think you understand what this Thread is about. This thread is about why phones not sold for CDMA carriers won't work on those networks. In order for a phone to work on a CDMA network, the phone's information has to already have been loaded into the carrier's database. For all practical purposes, is means that "bringing your own phone" is impossible.

You also seem to have misunderstood what Apple requested of TMobile. Apple didn't not do anything g to stop TMobile from activating unlocked iPhones. You can still do that.. They demanded that TMobile stop using Apple's trademarked terms and images in their advertising.

Dear Meg St. Clair

You are correct, I did not noticed that the thread was about CDMA only. However, I believe most of my comments are still valid.

My comments about the reasons for locking a handset do not depend on network technology, they apply to CDMA, TDMA and GSM. I've seen angry comments blaming Apple for locking iPhones to carriers, but I guess that is not being done by Apple, but by carriers.

I am afraid you are mistaken about BYOD being impossible on CDMA networks. If the handset supports the CDMA network frequency, loading the handset data into the carrier database can be easily done - if the carrier allows it, of course.

In fact, I already brought my own device to a CDMA carrier abroad, many years ago. The handset was of course unlocked and it was fully configured on a carrier store in 20 minutes. After that, I had to wait a few hours for the new handset information to be loaded into the CDMA network and I was all set - hapilly using my handset on the CDMA network. The handset was a brand new Motorola model, not yet launched in that country, given to me by a friend that worked at Motorola.

I am not living in the US, therefore I have limited access to what goes on on the US telecom industry. Thank you for letting me know that T-Mobile still accepts iPhones on their BYOD program.

I will be back for Xmas and would like to use my unlocked iPhone 4S. I've called Sprint today (I am a customer and have a Nextel Blackberry) to ask about that. Sprint's answer was "no, you cannot use your iPhone bought abroad on our network" because iPhones are network locked by IMEI. That was surprising, because CDMA carriers typically lock handsets via ESN, not IMEI. Anyway, Sprint does not allow me to use my iPhone due to company policy, there is no technical barrier.

It was was very nice from you to kindly let me know that Apple requested T-Mobile to stop using Apple's trademark in their advertising.

I am afraid you are mistaken about BYOD being impossible on CDMA networks. If the handset supports the CDMA network frequency, loading the handset data into the carrier database can be easily done - if the carrier allows it, of course.

In fact, NONE of the CDMA carriers (in the USA) allow use of BYOD. They all require purchasing phones already configured by the carrier.

Thank you for letting me know that T-Mobile still accepts iPhones on their BYOD program.

They "accept" iPhones, but still don't fully support them. In most areas, they use incompatible 3G/pseudo 4G frequencies and you're limited to 2G. (No LTE at all). MMS, FaceTime and iMessage don't always work as expected.

Marcos Colagrossi wrote:

I am afraid you are mistaken about BYOD being impossible on CDMA networks. If the handset supports the CDMA network frequency, loading the handset data into the carrier database can be easily done - if the carrier allows it, of course.

I believe you must also have missed the phrase "for alll practical purposes" in my post. Although, technically, Verizon does allow BYOD, it is, again, way to difficult to be practical for almost anybody.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

Although, technically, Verizon does allow BYOD, it is, again, way to difficult to be practical for almost anybody.

No, I did not miss your sentence. I wrote on my post that loading a new handset on a CDMA carrier network can be easily done. There is nothing difficult there. It is a simple procedure, not much different than porting a number from one carrier to another.

The post question is:

Why doesn't the unlocked iPhone 4S work with Sprint or Verizon?

The answer is simple: carrier policies.

Why have those policies been put in place?

Maybe those carrier policies are imposed by Apple or influenced by Apple, maybe not. I believe they are not imposed by Apple, but they may (or may not) be influenced by the agreement with Apple.

I don't have enough information to answer, but my guess is: they are carrier policies not influenced by Apple.

Marcos Colagrossi wrote:

Why have those policies been put in place?

Maybe those carrier policies are imposed by Apple or influenced by Apple, maybe not. I believe they are not imposed by Apple, but they may (or may not) be influenced by the agreement with Apple.

They have nothing to do with Apple.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

They have nothing to do with Apple.

I believe you are correct, I don't see why Apple would benefit from those policies. On the contrary.

Carrier specific locks do certainly affect switching between the big four. But there is a way to switch between CDMA carriers; to a sub provider or MVNO when it comes to Boyd carriers like Page Plus that run on the Verizon network one can use devices like the Verizon iPhone. As long as you could activate it on Verizon (clean esn) you can activate it just the same on PP. Same goes for AT&amp;T and h2o. No nasty jailbreak, no void anything. Just plug and play. Sprints mvno Boost shares in the non-Boyd sauce, so there out; T-mobile is yet to add an iDevice to there lineup. The only thing stopping the switch are company policies. Sprint still can't go to Verizon, nor can AT&amp;T go to Sprint or Verizon, etc... However, If all you need is cheap service for Timmy's iPhone you have some options. So in short, the possibilities are there, but capitalism of certain bands of our precious radio wavelengths strikes again. Don't know if you can take a clean esn Sprint iPhone and put it on Page Plus, never tried it. But I have doubts.

Factory unlocked CDMA iPhone 4S from Verizon and Sprints works only outside of US because it only unlocks the GSM bands 900MHz and 1800MHz. US GSM uses 850MHz and 1900MHz. 4s is a world phone on a hardware specs but baseband firmware is not. Bottom line US carriers wants us to buy new phones every time we jump carriers.

jamnjunbug

Bottom line US carriers wants us to buy new phones every time we jump carriers.

I fully agree!

The mobile telecom market in the US is not as developed when compared to Japan, Europe and even some Latin American countries, mostly due to "receiving party pays" policy and carrier policies. Japan is not a good comparison because they are many years ahead, Europe is more similar to US and a simple penetration comparison shows how underdeveloped the US mobile market is.

On the other hand, US tariffs are among the lowest worldwide and smartphone penetration is high because US users can afford smartphones. They are less expensive here than in most countries, even without subsidy, and the US per capta income is high.

It is up to us, users, to complain in order to change handset lock policies. But there is a potential tradeoff: carriers might lower handset subsidy if they are forced to unlock handsets.

Really? The Japanese carriers do not allow unlocking of iPhones. How does that make them "more developed" than other markets?

KiltedTim North-East Ohio

Really? The Japanese carriers do not allow unlocking of iPhones. How does that make them "more developed" than other markets?

Market development is typically measured by service penetration (percentage of the population that has an active mobile account) and VAS (value added services) usage (percentage of active customers that frequently use services other than voice). Other measures are VAS offer comparison (how many VAS services are available to customers) and 4G penetration (percentage of active customers using 4G).

Mobile telecom service penetration in the US is around 103%. In Brazil, a poor country, it is higher than 110%. UK has 130% and Portugal 156% penetration.

Japan has 106% penetration but VAS service offering and usage is far beyond any other country. They have developed a strong mobile telecom culture years ago.

The main penetration barrier in the US is the "receiving party pays" policy. Handset lock policy is not a major factor for developing a mobile telecom market.