How to identify factory unlocked iPhone 5?

Question

Level 1

28 points

How to identify factory unlocked iPhone 5?

I'm going abroad for a while and wanted to get a factory unlocked iPhone 5S before leaving, but it appears that the factory unlocked iPhones won't be available for a 1-2 months. So I've decided to purchase a used iPhone 5 instead. However, when looking at listings for used iPhones, I noticed that there are numerous descriptions when it comes to "unlocked" iPhones. It seems that there are carrier unlocked phones, meaning the iPhone was once locked to a particular cell phone carrier in the US and was later unlocked by the owner with the assistance of the carrier, or there are iPhones that came unlocked from Apple. I want to buy the later, not the former. However, some people do not disclose whether the phone is "carrier unlocked" or "factory unlocked" in their advertisement, while it seems that others are being purposely deceptive. Is there a way to definitively identify whether an iPhone 5 is factory unlocked, meaning it came unlocked from Apple? Are there particular model numbers that specify a factory unlocked iPhone 5? I called Apple and the reps could not give me this information. It seems that there should be model numbers that specify whether an iPhone 5 came factory unlocked when purchased. Thanks for your help.

iPhone 5, iOS 6.1.4

Posted on Sep 21, 2013 1:50 AM

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Answer 1

Terrible

Level 1

4 points

Jul 10, 2014 8:44 PM in response to Terrible

Info is info, time is relative. Said it can't be done.

Iphone 5

Here are some confirmed model numbers that we have for the US version of the iPhone 5:

Apple iPhone 5 16GB White AT&T MD635LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB Black AT&T MD634LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB White AT&T MD637LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB Black AT&T MD636LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB White AT&T MD645LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB Black AT&T MD644LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB White Verizon MD655LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB Black Verizon MD654LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB White Verizon MD659LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB Black Verizon MD658LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB White Verizon MD665LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB Black Verizon MD664LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB White Sprint MD657LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB Black Sprint MD656LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB White Sprint MD661LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB Black Sprint MD660LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB White Sprint MD668LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB Black Sprint MD667LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB White GSM Officially Unlocked MD294LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 16GB Black GSM Officially Unlocked MD293LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB White GSM Officially Unlocked MD296LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 32GB Black GSM Officially Unlocked MD295LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB White GSM Officially Unlocked MD643LL/A

Apple iPhone 5 64GB Black GSM Officially Unlocked MD642LL/A

CANADA iPhone 5 Model Numbers:

iPhone 5 16GB Black & Slate (GSM) Unlocked MD293C/A

iPhone 5 32GB Black & Slate (GSM) Unlocked MD295C/A

iPhone 5 64GB Black & Slate (GSM) Unlocked MD642C/A

iPhone 5 16GB White & Silver (GSM) Unlocked MD294C/A

iPhone 5 32GB White & Silver (GSM) Unlocked MD296C/A

iPhone 5 64GB White & Silver (GSM) Unlocked MD643C/A

Other International iPhone 5 Model Numbers:

ITALY iPhone 5 16GB Nero e ardesia (GSM) Senza scheda MD297IP/A

ITALY iPhone 5 32GB Nero e ardesia (GSM) Senza scheda MD299IP/A

ITALY iPhone 5 64GB Nero e ardesia (GSM) Senza scheda MD662IP/A

ITALY iPhone 5 16GB Bianco e argento (GSM) Senza scheda MD298IP/A

ITALY iPhone 5 32GB Bianco e argento (GSM) Senza scheda MD300IP/A

ITALY iPhone 5 64GB Bianco e argento (GSM) Senza scheda MD663IP/A

New Zealand iPhone 5 16GB Black & Slate (GSM) Unlocked MD297X/A

New Zealand iPhone 5 32GB Black & Slate (GSM) Unlocked MD299X/A

New Zealand iPhone 5 64GB Black & Slate (GSM) Unlocked MD662X/A

New Zealand iPhone 5 16GB White & Silver (GSM) Unlocked MD298X/A

New Zealand iPhone 5 32GB White & Silver (GSM) Unlocked MD300X/A

New Zealand iPhone 5 64GB White & Silver (GSM) Unlocked MD663X/A

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Answer 2

mabaeyens

Level 5

4,566 points

Sep 21, 2013 2:19 AM in response to Entropee

Hi,

There is no possibility to find out if it was factory unlocked by model number. Note that once the device has been unlocked, it will work with any other carrier, regardless it was locked by the carrier before or factory unlocked.

Once you unlock the device, it keeps unlocked, no matter what contract do you get.

A different thing is that you have to pay some kind of fee for quitting your contract before it expires, but this has nothing to do with the phone be usable with other carriers SIM cards.

Hope that helps.

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Answer 3

Entropee Author

Level 1

28 points

Sep 21, 2013 3:47 AM in response to mabaeyens

Hmm.....I don't know if it's true that "carrier unlocked" and "factory unlocked" are the same. I had an iPhone 4S that was carrier unlocked (Verizon) and I tried to use it in China, and it was not very easy getting it to work. Furthermore, it's my understanding that the carrier unlocked phones and the factory unlocked phones do not support the same LTE bands, which is why you can use an AT&T carrier unlocked phone on AT&T in the US, but you cannot use a factory unlocked phone on the AT&T network in the US. I don't want to take any chances of getting abroad, only to find out that my phone doesn't work. So I would prefer to buy only a factory unlocked iPhone. Also, I found this information, although I do not know if it is accurate or up to date:

http://leimobile.com/iphone-5-model-numbers/

If anyone knows whether the information information in the above link is correct, please let me know. Thank you!

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Answer 4

Terrible

Level 1

4 points

Jul 10, 2014 3:04 PM in response to mabaeyens

Here's the numbers for 4s, when I get a second I'll do the same for the 5;

Phone 4S Part Numbers

Locked

US

AT&T

MC918LL/A - 16GB Black

MC919LL/A - 32GB Black

MD269LL/A - 64GB Black

MC920LL/A - 16GB White

MC921LL/A - 32GB White

MD271LL/A - 64GB White

Sprint

MD377LL/A - 16GB Black

MD379LL/A - 32GB Black

MD381LL/A - 64GB Black

MD378LL/A - 16GB White

MD380LL/A - 32GB White

MD382LL/A - 64GB White

Verizon

MD276LL/A - 16GB Black

MD278LL/A - 32GB Black

MD280LL/A - 64GB Black

MD277LL/A - 16GB White

MD279LL/A - 32GB White

MD281LL/A - 64GB white

Factory Unlocked

UK

MD235B/A - 16GB Black

MD242B/A - 32GB Black

MD258B/A - 64GB Black

MD239B/A - 16GB White

MD245B/A - 32GB White

MD261B/A - 64GB white

AU

MD234X/A - 16GB Black

MD241X/A - 32GB Black

MD257X/A - 64GB Black

MD237X/A - 16GB White

MD244X/A - 32GB White

MD260X/A - 64GB white

France

MD235F/A - 16GB Black

MD242F/A - 32GB Black

MD258F/A - 64GB Black

MD239F/A - 16GB White

MD245F/A - 32GB White

MD261F/A - 64GB white

Canada

MD234C/A - 16GB Black

MD241C/A - 32GB Black

MD257C/A - 64GB Black

MD237C/A - 16GB White

MD244C/A - 32GB White

MD260C/A - 64GB white

Since factory unlocked is now officially sold in the US, Mods, kindly update your matrix

USA Factory Unlocked:

MD234LL/A 16GB Black

MD237LL/A 16GB White

MD241LL/A 32GB Black

MD244LL/A 32GB White

MD257LL/A 64GB Black

MD260LL/A 64GB White

USA AT&T Locked (Carrier authorized unlocked if purchased "device only" or "contract free" from Apple store; paid full price)

MC918LL/A 16GB Black

MC920LL/A 16GB White

MC919LL/A 32GB Black

MC921LL/A 32GB White

MD269LL/A 64GB Black

MD271LL/A 64GB White

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Answer 5

Chris CA

Level 10

82,452 points

Jul 10, 2014 3:50 PM in response to Terrible

Terrible wrote:

Here's the numbers for 4s, when I get a second I'll do the same for the 5;

10 months later...

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