Unlocked IPhone 5S International use?

Question

Level 1

5 points

Unlocked IPhone 5S International use?

Hello there,

In April of this year I bought an Iphone 5S in the Apple store in the US. I live in France. I therefore put in the SIM and the phone has worked perfectly all these month here in Paris.

We are coming back for the holidays next week and will spend two weeks in the US.

Questions that even the mighty "Google" doesn't seem to have an answer for :

1 - If I buy a SIM card (T-Mobile, Verizon or ATT) will it now work on this phone that it has been used on French operator for 7 months (Orange)?

2 - If indeed I can use the American SIM when we return home in three weeks will the phone accept its "normal" European French SIM operator without going through a million unlocking procedures?

Thank you for any info.

Jonathan Dunford, Paris

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Dec 8, 2014 5:40 AM

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Answer 1

Marin Marais Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 9, 2014 4:19 AM in response to Marin Marais

Negligence - excuse me.

I bought the Iphone 5S UNLOCKED from Apple...

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Answer 2

wegras

Level 6

15,311 points

Dec 9, 2014 5:36 AM in response to Marin Marais

I would look at the Sprint version BUT only at an Apple Store

It is the A1586 which is essentially the model sold in Europe and will support all EU 4G bands

HOWEVER .

The Apple warranty is NOT international and the Apple stance on this is as follows

I

MPORTANT RESTRICTION FOR iPHONE AND iPAD SERVICE.

Apple may restrict warranty service for iPhone and iPad to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device.

and Apple DO restrict and you may have to return the iPhone to US

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Answer 3

Marin Marais Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 9, 2014 6:07 AM in response to wegras

Thank you for your answer.

Let me be a little clearer if I may.

- I bought the Iphone unlocked (5S) at the NYC Apple store.

- I immediately put in a FRENCH sim card for Orange France (in New Orleans and it picked up the Orange France carrier in the US which is ATT)

- back home it also happily picked up our "normal" service = Orange France 4G

- it worked perfectly and has for the last 7 months (we live in Paris)

The question is :

- now if I do the opposite, that is by a SIM card for a two week period in NYC at ATT or T-mobile, Sprint or whatever

- will it :

1- Work (we'll see right away at the store so that is easy enough to answer)

2 - After the two weeks back in the US will we have the "ugly" discovery that now the French SIM card is rejected?

Usually I just buy a go phone but since Apple has upgraded its International technology I would be as happy to invest in a two week American SIM if it won't damage my phone for my permanent (Paris) home use.

Thanks for any insight!

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Answer 4

wegras

Level 6

15,311 points

Dec 9, 2014 7:12 AM in response to Marin Marais

When you purchased the 5S I suspect Apple had started to formally sell unlocked iPhones

I do not believe that is yet the case with the iPhone 6 formally

Read this carefully to understand the varoius models and their relevance to your plans

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

At this time I would be very very careful with using or putting a US sim in an iPhone 6 when you plan to return to Europe with it

Fact is no one knows all the claims are totally anecdotal that they do and will work

What ever you do at this time has risk attached to it depends on how prepared you are to potentially waste hundreds of dollars

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Answer 5

Marin Marais Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 9, 2014 7:20 AM in response to wegras

"At this time I would be very very careful with using or putting a US sim in an iPhone 6 when you plan to return to Europe with it"

Sorry!

It's and Iphone 5 - S

not an Iphone 6.

------

Let me be a little clearer if I may.

- I bought the Iphone unlocked (5S) at the NYC Apple store.

- I immediately put in a FRENCH sim card for Orange France (in New Orleans and it picked up the Orange France carrier in the US which is ATT)

- back home it also happily picked up our "normal" service = Orange France 4G

- it worked perfectly and has for the last 7 months (we live in Paris)

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Answer 6

wegras

Level 6

15,311 points

Dec 9, 2014 7:34 AM in response to Marin Marais

Sorry misread your original post ,

if purchased at an Apple Store as unlocked and genuinely unlocked then it is unlocked and has no link to any Carrier ,it can be used anywhere in the world with a suitable sim ,including the US

Good luck I hear that US carriers are not as accommadating as EU carriers with PAYG offerrings etc

ps and in case you are tempted you also now understand the risks of buying an iPhone 6 at this time 😉

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