SFSFSF2013

Q: Can I use unlocked Bell Canada Iphone 4s in U.S.A?

I have this unlocked Bell Canada Iphone 4S. I tried to ask Verizon and AT&T and was told by both that it will not work in their system. Can anyone advise which carrier in U.S. can I use for this phone?

thanks.

iPhone 4S, iOS 7.1.2

Posted on Aug 18, 2014 4:05 PM

Close

Q: Can I use unlocked Bell Canada Iphone 4s in U.S.A?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by Malcolm J. Rayfield,

    Malcolm J. Rayfield Malcolm J. Rayfield Aug 18, 2014 11:00 PM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 5 (7,945 points)
    Aug 18, 2014 11:00 PM in response to SFSFSF2013

    How did you get it unlocked?  If it is really unlocked it will work on AT&T.  It will not work on CDMA carriers, such as Sprint and Verizon.

  • by SFSFSF2013,

    SFSFSF2013 SFSFSF2013 Aug 19, 2014 6:34 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2014 6:34 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

    Thanks for your response! I called bell Canada and paid $50 to ask them to unlocked the phone. But when I brought the phone to AT&T, they said their system could not recognize the IMEI number. I suspected there possibly were two reason. One is maybe Bell Canada did not unlock it properly. Two, the person at AT & T did not know what he was doing. The while time he was trying to up sell me an Iphone 5 and I told him why I want a new phone when this one work perfectly. Then he almost seemed like trying really hard to convince me not to set up my phone with AT & T which was rather odd. Why would they try to push the business away.

    How can I find out if the phone is indeed unlocked ? Maybe I should try another AT&T store?

    Thanks again.

  • by pogster,

    pogster pogster Aug 19, 2014 6:44 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 4 (2,296 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 19, 2014 6:44 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    If you want to test if the phone is unlocked put in a friends sim card say from Telus and see if it works. I suspect the problem is with the AT&T person you talked to, not Bell.

  • by stedman1,

    stedman1 stedman1 Aug 19, 2014 6:46 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 9 (74,138 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 19, 2014 6:46 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    Have you followed the procedure as outlined below? If not the phone is not unlocked.

    iPhone: About unlocking

  • by SFSFSF2013,

    SFSFSF2013 SFSFSF2013 Aug 19, 2014 7:19 AM in response to stedman1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2014 7:19 AM in response to stedman1

    Thank you!  I did go through the " back up" and " erase" process as the last step of unlocking following bell Canada's instruction but I never got a message saying the phone was unlocked as they said on the instruction so I don't know for sure. I tried to put in my verizon SIM card it didn't work. I tried to put in a French SIM card which I got when I was traveling there, the phone did accept it but I could not know it does work for sure.

    I will probably try to call bell back to ask if they can see it's unlocked. Will the person at Apple store be able to tell if it's unlocked?

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Aug 19, 2014 8:18 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 9 (54,734 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 19, 2014 8:18 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    To unlock it you will have to restore it as a NEW iPhone, not from backup then you will get the message.

     

    How did you get a Verizon nanoSIM in an iPhone 4s?

  • by SFSFSF2013,

    SFSFSF2013 SFSFSF2013 Aug 19, 2014 8:55 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2014 8:55 AM in response to deggie

    I See, but it's still unlocked even I restored it with backup , right?

     

    Sorry, I don't understand your question. I have a verizon phone which is also iPhone 4s which I have been having trouble with lately. So I just took the SIM card from  that phone and put it in this phone. It says " no service " after it did the search. I went to verizon store and was told that verizon system won 't take any phone unless it's specifically designed for verizon.

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Aug 19, 2014 9:10 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 9 (59,473 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 19, 2014 9:10 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    SFSFSF2013 wrote:

     

    I See, but it's still unlocked even I restored it with backup , right?

     

    Sorry, I don't understand your question. I have a verizon phone which is also iPhone 4s which I have been having trouble with lately. So I just took the SIM card from  that phone and put it in this phone. It says " no service " after it did the search. I went to verizon store and was told that verizon system won 't take any phone unless it's specifically designed for verizon.

    The SIM you took out of your Verizon 4S is actually a Vodafone SIM for international roaming. It will not enable to use Verizon's network. Verizon gave you the correct information. Only phones sold for use on Verizon's network can be used on Verizon's network. Sorry.

  • by SFSFSF2013,

    SFSFSF2013 SFSFSF2013 Aug 19, 2014 9:47 AM in response to Meg St._Clair
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2014 9:47 AM in response to Meg St._Clair

    Thanks! How about AT & T, do you know if I can use for AT & T. And I called Bell and they said they phone was not unlocked. I just went through the process to unlock again. Hope this time it's really unlocked....

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Aug 19, 2014 9:49 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 9 (54,734 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 19, 2014 9:49 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    You should be able to use it with AT&T if it is unlocked.

  • by SFSFSF2013,

    SFSFSF2013 SFSFSF2013 Aug 19, 2014 9:52 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2014 9:52 AM in response to deggie

    Great! Thanks! I am going to try a different AT & T store today.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Aug 19, 2014 10:30 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 9 (54,734 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 19, 2014 10:30 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    Make sure you get the "Congratulations, your iPhone is now unlocked message" before you go.

  • by SFSFSF2013,

    SFSFSF2013 SFSFSF2013 Aug 19, 2014 11:29 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 19, 2014 11:29 AM in response to deggie

    great! I will let you know if I am able to sign up! thanks.

  • by needleman_mark,

    needleman_mark needleman_mark Aug 19, 2014 11:45 AM in response to SFSFSF2013
    Level 3 (979 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 19, 2014 11:45 AM in response to SFSFSF2013

    i believe if you get a phone unlocked through a carrier you have to restore it through itunes (you should back it up and sync it before you do the restore) so you can put everything back)

     

    During the itunes restore you should get a message saying

     

    Congratulations your iPhone is now unlocked

     

    if you have done this ignore my post - and of course trying a sim card like suggested below is the quickest way to test if your phone is unlocked

     

    If you buy the iPhone unlocked (not get a carrier to unlock it) you shouldnt need to go through the itunes process - i didnt for the iphone 5s i bought directly from Apple

Page 1 Next