The iphone 5s unlock A1533

If you want an unlocked iPhone 5S in the US, get the "T Mobile" model which is the unlocked iPhone. Apple just includes a T-Mobile SIM for convenience, so they don't have to stock two indentical models with just a SIM in one. Do not get the AT&T model which will be locked to that carrier.

Regards.

Another alternative is to buy the Verizon or AT&T models "device only." Don't tell the associate "unlocked," just say "device only." They will be unlocked, and this year the Verizon and AT&T models support the same LTE bands. So either will work with AT&T or T-Mobile.

The Apple store is guilty if misinformation as it clearly states that each selection of iPhone works only with the selected carrier.

"Your iPhone will work only with the carrier you choose."

akuska wrote:

Another alternative is to buy the Verizon or AT&T models "device only."

Cannot be done - neither AT&T nor Verizon will allow that. If you choose either one of them, the device will only be sold to you under contract. AND the device will be locked in hardware to the carrier.

It's possible to buy a phone "device-only" in the store. I have done that for each of the last three releases, most recently Saturday when I bought the Verizon 5s device-only and inserted my AT&T SIM. I'm on LTE right now.

Michael Black wrote:

akuska wrote:

Another alternative is to buy the Verizon or AT&T models "device only."

Cannot be done - neither AT&T nor Verizon will allow that. If you choose either one of them, the device will only be sold to you under contract. AND the device will be locked in hardware to the carrier.

If it's through the online reservation system, I agree with you, that yes, they take your contract information. However, it is possible to buy a phone "device-only" in store, if they have the phone in stock. All phones sold full price by Apple are unlocked. All Verizon LTE phones period (from Apple, Samsung, HTC) on contract or off are unlocked per their agreement with the FTC. AT&T's policy is to unlock any phone sold at full price. But full-price Apple Store phones are never entered into the lock database if they are sold device only. I know from personal experience, most recently this Saturday when I bought a Verizon iPhone 5s device only, and last year when I bought an AT&T iPhone 5 device only.

flyguy2929 wrote:

"Your iPhone will work only with the carrier you choose."

That's the official line, but an unlocked phone is an unlocked phone, and this year both the 5c and 5s phones sold by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile support all the same GSM, UMTS, and LTE bands used in North America.

flyguy2929 wrote:

The Apple store is guilty if misinformation as it clearly states that each selection of iPhone works only with the selected carrier.

Perhaps, but I'm guessing that its a contractual requirement not to publicize it. And for the vast majority of people who buy their phones on contract at a subsidized price and/or from a carrier store, it is true (except for Verizon, but that's true of all their LTE phones). The only "unlocked" phones right now are device-only AT&T and T-Mobile phones bought at full price from the Apple Store, and Verizon iPhone 5 and 5s models.

akuska wrote:

All phones sold full price by Apple are unlocked.

That statement is not true.

KiltedTim wrote:

akuska wrote:

All phones sold full price by Apple are unlocked.

That statement is not true.

If that's not the case, I've never experienced it. What phones sold full price by Apple are locked? I agree that phones sold at carrier stores are locked. I've never ordered a full-price phone online from Apple, and I don't think you are able to purchase a phone device-only online unless you are not eligible for any type of subsidy whatsoever, but every phone I've ever bought in an Apple Store at full price has been unlocked.

Apple sells phones in store for all supported carriers in the U.S. MOST of them are not unlocked and can not be unlocked.

Sprint, for example. Sprint phones can only be unlocked by Sprint, and only for use on non-U.S. carriers. Regardless of whether one askes for a "device only" phone or not.

The SIM slot on a Verizon phone is unlocked because it's legally required to be.

The AT&T phone, when purchased device only, will be unlocked if it's restored with iTunes because that is AT&Ts policy.

That does NOT apply to most of the supported carriers in the US.

T-Mobile in the US does not subsidise phones at all. All iPhones sold for T-Mobile in the U.S. are unlocked out of the box.

The blanket statement that "All phones sold full price by Apple are unlocked" is false.

KiltedTim wrote:

Apple sells phones in store for all supported carriers in the U.S. MOST of them are not unlocked and can not be unlocked.

The blanket statement that "All phones sold full price by Apple are unlocked" is false.

Actually, your first statement is incorrect. First, all Verizon phones are unlocked. Second, AT&T phones are unlockable if bought for full price, or at the end of the contract. Third, T-Mobile phones are unlockable after 40 days of service (provided that the phone has been paid in full). So it's only Sprint phones that aren't unlocked or unlockable.

Also, AT&T, T-Mobile, and of course Verizon phones sold at Apple Store retail stores "device only" are factory unlocked. If the associate clicks the "device only" screen they are added to the white list. They are added to the locked list only if they are sold with a contract.

I don't know why you keep on arguing with me. I have done this 3 years in a row. In October 2011, I bought an "AT&T" 4s device only a good 2-3 weeks before the "official" unlocked version was released, and actually used it with non AT&T SIMs. In September 2012 I did the same with an AT&T iPhone 5. On Saturday I bought a Verizon iPhone 5s. All were at Apple retail stores. Never once was I forced to sign a contract or even acknowledge having an account with a carrier. I paid the full price, took the phone out of the box, popped my SIM (last year I had to transfer the SIM first since the size changed but that was a simple phone call), and activated the phone. All were unlocked.

Apparently you've been living in a box for a while.

There are 28 distinct supported carriers in the US.

I'm arguing with you because you are wrong.