iPhone 5s T-Mobile contract free version from Apple Store: LOCKED or UNLOCKED?

I believe Modular747 bought a T-Mobile iPhone 5 from the Apple Store and is using it on AT&T.

Okay, I stand corrected then! It will be interesting to see if the regulations they are trying to change here in the US regarding locking and unlocking of phones go through, and what affect it will have on phone pricing too.

What's even more interesting is T-Mobile's announcement on October 9. Starting in November, T-Mobile subscribers will have FREE UNLIMITED data when traveling in 115 countries. And phone calls from those same countries will be only 20¢ per minute. This is not an add-on plan; it is part of every T-Mobile contract and requires no activation or setup. So there is a lot less incentive to use local SIMs when traveling.

It also means that if AT&T doesn't match it I'm jumping ship. My contract is up next week.

I have bought iphone 5s on 20th September when it was showing unlocked instead on contract free. I didn't activated the t-mobile sim on it and using straight talk sim (AT&T) in it and it's working fine. I am able to get LTE and everything is working good.

I've purchased an Iphone 5S 32GB Tmobile Contract free from Apple Store 2 days ago.

I'm using it with foreign sim cad

It is UNLOCKED !!

🙂

Hello

I have just purchased iphone 5s contract free tmobile from apple store which delivers by nov 20 [which comes with an installed but unactivated Tmobile sim]. I may ahve to go to india for few weeks. Can i directly use Indian sim [nano sim] with iphone 5s or I need to get unlock codes from tmobile. I had chat with apple supporta nd they said, no need to activate anyting if you are using internationally, just use a compatible gsm sim and you are good to go. Depending on country lte may not be available and warranty outside us is not viable.

So please give your suggestion, i do not want to run around with a locked phone

Conversely, if it is locked, can i unlock it from India by contacting tmobile [i am not a tmobile customer]

Based on my recent experience, and what the Apple Store website explicitly states, then you will be ok.

According to my experience I'm still waiting and i will only tell if you can unlock it from T-Mobile been out of the states or not until next week when i complete the "40 days active" condition from T-Mobile... I restored and updated my phone as soon as i read yogilights post... But still did not worked for me.

Up to this point the only thing that comes to my mind is that probably i got this from the first batch (never tested before) that hopefully will not become a brick out of the US

The 5s purchsed from T-mobile is locked even you pay the full contract free price. The 5s purchased from Apple is unlocked.

The trick is "do not turn on the iPhone with T-mobile SIM in it and go through the initial setup". Replace it with the international SIM ( ask your friend in that country to mail you one nano SIM" ) and go through the inital setup. The 5s from Apple will work, the one from T-mobile store will not.

Hello

Thanks a lot this helped me a lot. Just to be sure, instead of mailing the nano sim, i am anyways going to india. so can i directly unlock in india as i may purchase a nano sim there

hi i want to buy the iphone 5s from america if i buy the t mobile on will i be able to use an kind of sim card internationally not gsm

Try reading the thread before posting a question that's already been answered.

hi i want to buy the iphone 5s from america if i buy the t mobile on will i be able to use an kind of sim card internationally not gsm

READ this thread. Your question has ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.

Hi Shilajit

I am also in a similar situation.. Did your iphone work in India?

Thanks!