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

if someone makes a youtube video or writes a news story about my post, this time around i really would appreciate some credit. saying rigor mortis from apple discussions' is good enough.

it turns out that the iPhone 6 and 6 plus model numbers #1459 and #1522 are universal. and both have the CDMA radio enabled. However, Sprint models are still separate as far as i know. i did not test Sprint. but as far as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, go , it is the EXACT same phone. i was playing around with my iPhone 6 on launch day. i wanted to see if "ask maggie" was right and the phone was locked to a specific carrier. i tried the T-Mobile and AT&T sims that i had. they do not have service.

however when i inserted my LIVE and ACTIVATED Verizon Sim into my iPhone 6 , my iPhone suddenly became a verizon iPhone. i was able to Place and Receive calls using CDMA, i was able to use DATA services, and i was able to send SMS messages. i assumed that VoLTE was not enabled. and it was not. i assumed

that you had to buy a Verizon model to get Volte. but i was wrong. it just took a while to activate. and i did see use VoLTE in settings, for Voice and DATA

however, since the IMEI and MEID serial numbers are not listed with Verizon, you are not able to either Sign up to verizon, or to transfer service to your new iPhone 6. your service is still tied to your SIM card. and when the iPhone 6 is running and active with your sim card, your device listed on "MY Verizon" will be shown as NON VZW device and it will only show the sim card. but a pre-activated sim card pulling from another device will work in the iPhone 6.

this is just like the iPad Air and the iPad Mini Retina. the only difference between these phones is the serial number is put in some list that tells someone which

carrier it supposed to belong to, and if it is locked or not. and which sim card came with the device. other then that. there are no technical differences between them. except for sprint of course.

whenever i inserted a new sim card into the iPhone 6, it automatically got carrier settings and changed its baseband.

Posted on Sep 22, 2014 9:25 AM

229 replies

Oct 10, 2014 10:18 AM in response to rigormortis

Thank you all for your help. I just want to confirm that visual voicemail does indeed work on a Tmo unlocked 6 Plus.

Oct 10, 2014 11:14 AM in response to Rippedoff1963

Hi,

That's because you cannot activate a non Verizon phone with Verizon. In order for it to work, you need to have a pre activated Verizon sim, meaning that you were using it on a Verizon branded phone before you put in in the unlocked iPhone 6.

As for the T-mobile version, people have already stated and I can confirm as well, if you buy it directly from Apple, it will be unlocked. Don't activate it with Tmobile. I'm not sure if Tmobile locks it if you activate it, but if your intention is to buy a Tmobile version from Apple the phone will be fully unlocked, just don't use the Tmobile sim inside.

If you buy the phone from Tmobile or possibly other resellers like best buy or target, the phone will be locked to Tmobile and will have to meet their unlock requirements.

If you buy the Verizon model, it will be unlocked regardless of whether it's a contract or not. I was able to buy a Verizon model at full price without activating a plan and contract. I just popped in my prepaid sim and walked out the store with my unlocked Verizon phone.

Oct 10, 2014 11:23 AM in response to ianhall186

When I put my wife's iphone 5 sim in it works perfectly...but with her number of course. So the phone is unlocked. Is there any way I can activate the verizon sim that I have before putting it in the iphone 6. I have a droid maxx so I can't just put that card in the iphone.

Oct 10, 2014 11:46 AM in response to Rippedoff1963

You have to get a nano sim. You can activate the new sim with your wife's phone then pop the sim back to your phone. Then your wife can put her sim back in her phone.

Oct 10, 2014 11:50 AM in response to rigormortis

Can anyone give a definitive answer if visual voicemail works using a Tmo unlocked device on Verizon?

Oct 10, 2014 11:57 AM in response to jon4lakers

Yes. Visual voicemail works. You do have to setup your regular voicemail first and VV should start working after a while. All other features work as well including VOLTE, except for prepaid which doesn't have it yet. Also only the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus work, the 5S and other non Verizon iphones don't work.

Oct 10, 2014 11:57 AM in response to ianhall186

Wonderful, thank you!

Oct 10, 2014 12:02 PM in response to rigormortis

Just to add....

I bought the Tmobile unlocked. EVERYTHING worked great, except VOLTE did not. I called VZ and they told me that I was not using Verizon Equipment and they couldn't activate "Advancing Calling 1.0" features unless I had a "Verizon phone". I really needed VOLTE and they would not activate it.

I was able to trick VZ by activating my wife's VZ iPhone 6 on the SIM and turning on "Voice & Data" for LTE and then moving the SIM back to my Tmobile (paid full retail at Apple Store) and it did work. BUT, I am sure at some point, VZ would see I had a non Verizon phone using advanced features and they would turn it off.

I exchanged the Tmobile unlocked iPhone 6 for a Verizon one (paid full retail) and all is now working perfectly.

Oct 10, 2014 5:39 PM in response to rigormortis

So does anyone currently have a full-priced T-Mobile iPhone 6 that they purchased from Apple working on Verizon?

rigormortis Author

Level 2

251 points

Oct 11, 2014 1:36 AM in response to mkarolian

yes, my full price t-mobile phone works perfectly on verizon. i am afraid i have 15 days left on my contract. i am worried verizon will get mad about me having a device that s not an official verizon device and charging me $120 , i test it once in a while to make sure it works 100 % of the time but

i don't want to get busted!

Oct 11, 2014 10:01 AM in response to rigormortis

Does Verizon care that the deice isn't an official Verizon device?

Oct 11, 2014 3:25 PM in response to ianhall186

Thank you. It works perfectly now.

The only thing I miss is insurance but I can use square trade or ensquared for that. I'd like to thank apple for a unlocked device and not thank verizon for wasting hours of my time.I would have just bought it from verizon had they offered it without a contract. It was only after the fact they informed me I could get it off contract. Very sneaky... disappointed.

Oct 11, 2014 7:41 PM in response to rigormortis

So I have an iPhone 5s on verizon and i still have till april 2015 on my contract... If i buy a t mobile iPhone 6 i can take my sim and put it in there and it will work perfectly with no problems at all?

Oct 11, 2014 7:51 PM in response to nayabryan

is it still working with no problems at all?

Oct 11, 2014 7:54 PM in response to pastywantaun77

some me have had problems and some haven't. I started off with a TMobile and returned it for a VZW (paid full retail at Apple store) and all is well

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