not only is the iPhone 6 unlocked, but the t-mobile phones work on verizon!

The opening screen on the device after it's turned on with the AT&T SIM and the opening screen when the device is connected to iTunes with the AT&T SIM both say the phone can only be activated to the Verizon number I used the upgrade on. I'm fairly certain that Verizon can switch this to another Verizon number but I can't out of the box without getting Verizon tech support involved. AT&T will activate any unlocked or AT&T phone to the AT&T number desired (I get a new iPhone every year using my upgrade one year and my wife's the next and they have no problem giving me a new SIM card to activate the phone from her upgrade on my number). I assume Verizon will do the same (though their CS is 100 times worse than AT&T). I just don't want to use the device on my Verizon account.

jackfromcamarillo wrote:

That's exactly what I thought. But my AT&T SIM card will not work in this Verizon iPhone 6 Plus. My impression was that if the phone was never turned on with a Verizon SIM that is could be used with any SIM. I can't get past the Verizon activation that Apple has built into this device. I assume that the LTE bands supported by Verizon will work on AT&T.

Any ideas on how to get around the Apple/Verizon activation screen on the device and on iTunes?

Your best bet to having this work with an AT&T SIM card is to just go through the activation process. There is no way around that. Once that is done and you are at the home screen, try inserting your AT&T SIM card. Like I said before, even if your phone is locked to Verizon, it is not locked to your phone number.

jackfromcamarillo wrote:

I just don't want to use the device on my Verizon account.

Because you purchased the device with an upgrade and got a subsidy on the phone, you cannot avoid this. That's why it's forcing you to go through the activation process with the phone number that you used to get the subsidized price ($199) for the phone. There is no way around this.

However, like I just said, once you go through that activation process with the phone number that you used to do the upgrade and get the subsidized price, it is very possible that it will work with your AT&T SIM card.

bmc205 wrote:

KiltedTim wrote:

ALL new LTE capable devices sold by/for Verizon are GSM unlocked. This is legally required as a condition of Verizon winning an FCC spectrum auction several years ago.

Are you sure that this is true for domestic GSM carriers? I know it to be true for international GSM use, but I'm reasonably sure that an in-contract Verizon phone will not work with domestic SIM's to prevent an in-contract phone from being used with AT&T or T-Mobile.

Yes. I am absolutely positive. It's the law.

KiltedTim wrote:

bmc205 wrote:

KiltedTim wrote:

ALL new LTE capable devices sold by/for Verizon are GSM unlocked. This is legally required as a condition of Verizon winning an FCC spectrum auction several years ago.

Are you sure that this is true for domestic GSM carriers? I know it to be true for international GSM use, but I'm reasonably sure that an in-contract Verizon phone will not work with domestic SIM's to prevent an in-contract phone from being used with AT&T or T-Mobile.

Yes. I am absolutely positive. It's the law.

Can you cite a source for that information? I'm not trying to be difficult or argumentative, I'm just skeptical because I have worked extensively with iPhones for the last 2 years, and have never known this to be the case, much less a law.

So you're saying to activate it with the Verizon SIM then insert the AT&T SIM? I thought once you activate it with a Verizon SIM, you lock the device to Verizon? The activation process is ONLY for the Verizon number I upgraded from.

The Verizon number I have is on a $9.99/month plan (an old LG). Activating the 6 Plus on Verizon will bump me up to one of their $50.- $60./month plans. That's not a genie I want to try to put back in the bottle.

jackfromcamarillo wrote:

So you're saying to activate it with the Verizon SIM then insert the AT&T SIM? I thought once you activate it with a Verizon SIM, you lock the device to Verizon? The activation process is ONLY for the Verizon number I upgraded from.

Once you activate it with the Verizon SIM and the phone number/line you are upgrading, yes, the phone will then be "in-contract". Again, there is no way around this because you bought the phone at a subsidized price using an upgrade.

jackfromcamarillo wrote:

The Verizon number I have is on a $9.99/month plan (an old LG). Activating the 6 Plus on Verizon will bump me up to one of their $50.- $60./month plans. That's not a genie I want to try to put back in the bottle.

That is how Verizon will recoup (and then some) the $450 subsidy that they gave you when you purchased the phone for $200 instead of the full $650.

When the new iPhones come out, I sell my old ones o eBay. AT&T unlocks them and they ALWAYS sell for more than the new iPhone costs me. I tried this with my son's Verizon iPhone 5 and Verizon refused to unlock it for use with ANY domestic carrier. I had a senior advisor with Apple on a conference call with a supervisor from Verizon and Apple asked them to unlock the phone and they refused. Their version of unlocked is to use it on an international carrier but NOT with a domestic carrier.

bmc205 wrote:

Can you cite a source for that information? I'm not trying to be difficult or argumentative, I'm just skeptical because I have worked extensively with iPhones for the last 2 years, and have never known this to be the case, much less a law.

I'm sure I could hunt down the FCC regulation if I felt inclined to take the time to do so just to satisfy your curiosity, but it's far easier to look a Verizon's own stated policy: http://www.verizonwireless.com/aboutus/commitment/safety-security/device-unlocki ng-policy.html

• We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
• We do not lock our 4G LTE Prepaid devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.

Actually the no contract T-Mobile iPhone 6 Plus 128GB including tax is $1,020.

The subsidized price is a mere $550. with tax

Not for nothin', but Verizon LIES!!!!!!

jackfromcamarillo wrote:

Actually the no contract T-Mobile iPhone 6 Plus 128GB including tax is $1,020.

The subsidized price is a mere $550. with tax

Sorry, I was just assuming that you had a 16 GB version. My point(s) remain the same regardless.

Whatever. You can believe what you want.

If you bought an LTE capable device from Verizon and you believe it's carrier locked, then complain to the FCC if you can't get Verizon to resolve the problem.