Is the Tmobile contract free iphone 5s unlocked? Will I be able to use it with a local network in Ireland?

I have the same question but for Peru, South America.

Does anyone know?

thanks,

Currently the only unlocked iPhone 5s available from the Apple Store is the T-Mobile model. By the time you get here they may offer a model just unlocked or they may not. Right now the 5s is in very short supply.

There is no guarantee the you will be able to access your carriers LTE capabilities and you will have to return to the US for warranty service.

a T-Mobile iPhone 5S from Apple store ( and only Apple Store ) apparently will work anywhere ON 3G

It will not work on LTE (4G) anywhere outside North America

You will have no warranty outside US nor any post warranty service

Generally not a good idea as if you need warranty you will have return to US or send it to a friend in US

You cannot mail in

It is not unlocked, at this moment you would have to have it unlocked from the carrier. Apple should start selling unlocked versions on the website sometime later on.

"If you buy iPhone for T-Mobile, it will arrive with a nano-SIM card already installed that you can activate by visiting an Apple Retail Store or a T-Mobile store or by calling T-Mobile. When you travel internationally, you can use a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5s from a local GSM carrier. For details on LTE support, see www.apple.com/iphone/LTE."

If you buy it from the Apple Store you can activate it when you buy it.

Peter, it will work on LTE outside the US. Apple makes no guarantees on which systems it will work with.

I did say NA and I wouldn't recommend anyone buying a US model for use on LTE in Europe ,would you ?

But it will work outside the US on LTE, inlcuding Europe which is outside NA. And no, unless they can afford the return trip or have friends/relatives here I would not recommend it.

Not challenging but if that is the case why have Apple profiferated models ( hardly cost cutting )for discrete geographies across the world

I have no idea why Apple does anything but I do know that the A1533 will work with some out of NA LTE systems.

Ok thanks

I'm interested to see how many of T-Mobiles systems it will work on since the just announced their new program where there is no roaming charge on any of their systems around the world.

Yes that is interesting and possibly ground breaking for US ??? although 3 in UK also do the same where they have a "sister "company , mind you I am sure we will hear about the LTE ......

The T-Mobile version is perfectly unlocked. If they release an unbranded unlocked version it will be the exact same device minus the T-Mobile card. So it will work just the same.

The only thing linking it to T-Mobile is the sim card it comes packaged with; which you can remove and throw away if you want to and place a sim card form your preferred carrier inside.

Though there is info that suggests that this only works for carriers outside of North America. Can't comment on that though.

In any case the T-Mobile version is currently the unlocked model Apple offers. Whether they release a different unbranded version is unknown. So you may very well be waiting for nothing.