using verizon iphone 6 with at&t sim card?

For me, it was not as simple as popping in the AT&T sim card in the formerly Verizon iphone 6. I had to contact AT&T and have them the IMEI number, as well as the ICCID number (sim card number), and have them add that information to my account to activate it. After doing that, all of the functionality of the phone appears to work.

If you bought it on contract (which means you are legally obligated to pay Verizon the full price of the phone, plus the usage fees), then your phone is locked to Verizon. After you have paid off the contract (perhaps by way of early termination fees, or ETFs), then you can request that Verizon unlock your phone.

Sorry, RichmondDan. That's incorrect. All new LTE capable devices sold for Verizon are GSM unlocked. That's legally required as a result of Verizon winning a spectrum auction a few years ago.

A Verizon iPhone 6 can be used on any compatible GSM carrier, including AT&T.

RichmondDan wrote:

After you have paid off the contract (perhaps by way of early termination fees, or ETFs), then you can request that Verizon unlock your phone.

Additionally, Verizon's unlock policy doesn't require that you wait until the end of a contract. Verizon will unlock phones (e.g. an iPhone 4S) for anyone who has been a customer in good standing for at least 60 days.

Thanks for the information! It sounds as though I bought the wrong phone (an unlocked T-Mobile iPhone 6 from Apple for full price). I wanted one with maximum flexibility. It sounds as though I should have bought one from Verizon under contract, then paid off the contract after 60 days. That way, I'd have one that works with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, etc. Is this correct?

As a sidenote, what's to prevent someone from buying an iPhone under contract to Verizon, then after 60 days getting Verizon to unlock it, then putting in an AT&T SIM and never paying Verizon another penny? Or were you implying that after 60 days, you'd need to pay off the Verizon contract before they will unlock it?

A Verizon iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, or 6 Plus is unlocked out of the box. There is absolutely nothing preventing you from buying one at full price and using it with any GSM carrier you want. You will NOT be able to use it with any CDMA carrier (e.g. Sprint) other than Verizon.

If you were to buy one under contract with Verizon and not pay for the service, you'll be hounded by collectors, your credit rating will take a dump, and you will find it nearly impossible to get service from any other US cell carrier without putting down a hefty security deposit.

You could also be subject to legal action for breach of contract, and possibly theft.

Must I buy the unlocked (full price) Verizon iPhone from Verizon, or can I get it directly from Apple? Regardless of whether I get it from Verizon or Apple, can I just stick an AT&T SIM card in and go, or do I need to actually use Verizon service for some period of time? (I'm curious, because I'd like the added flexibility of being able to use Verizon at some point in the future if I move...for now, AT&T has the best coverage in my area.)

(Also, I wasn't contemplating cheating Verizon, I was just curious what they were doing in lieu of locking it. Sounds like standard legal procedures in that case.)

RichmondDan wrote:

Thanks for the information! It sounds as though I bought the wrong phone (an unlocked T-Mobile iPhone 6 from Apple for full price). I wanted one with maximum flexibility. It sounds as though I should have bought one from Verizon under contract, then paid off the contract after 60 days. That way, I'd have one that works with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, etc. Is this correct?

You can cancel a contract with Verizon at any time and pay the ETF. There's no need to wait 60 days with an unlocked phone. However, by the time you've paid for the phone, the activation fee, the ETF and any service you've used, you've paid as much as you would have for an unlocked phone plus, you've had to give your credit information and go through all the other steps of setting up service with Verizon. Simpler just to buy a phone at full retail from Apple to start off with.

Unfortunately, I can't find any way to purchase a Verizon/CDMA for full price on Apple's website. The only unlocked and contract-free phone I see is for T-Mobile.

The Verizon iPhones are not advertised as "unlocked". You will need to be a Verizon customer to order a Verizon phone from Apples on-line store or you will need to sign up as a Verizon customer to do so.

That is correct. Verizon iPhones sold from Apple are heavily subsidized by Verizon. And as such require you to set up a contract. There is no full Price Verizon iPhone sold by Apple. Only Subsidized ones.

Verizon may sell you one at full price, but you would need to talk to a Verizon Rep in a Verizon Store.

If you want to use the iPhone on Verizon, then you need to buy a Verizon iPhone if you simply want to use it on a GSM carrier and not on Verizon ever, then you can buy the full priced T-Mobile Unlocked version for that. No need to go through Verizon.

RichmondDan wrote:

Unfortunately, I can't find any way to purchase a Verizon/CDMA for full price on Apple's website. The only unlocked and contract-free phone I see is for T-Mobile.

You can buy an iPhone at full retail price from Verizon, if you activate it. There would be no contract or early termination fee but you HAVE to activate on Verizon. They won't sell them unactivated. Again, why would you go to all that trouble when you can just buy an unlocked phone from Apple?

As I said in my previous reply, a T-Mobile phone will never work on Verizon. A Verizon phone will work on AT&T and T-Mobile. I have moved many times in my life and would like the ability to choose the carrier with the best coverage. At present, that is AT&T, which means the T-Mobile phone will work fine. But if I move to an area where Verizon coverage is better than AT&T's, I'm out of luck if I buy the T-Mobile version.

When I "chatted" with Verizon online, they said I could buy the phone for full price online or in the store, but would have to activate with Verizon, then cancel the service. (It would be a pay-as-you-go plan, rather than a contract, so there'd be no ETF.) Seems strange, but if that's what it takes, I'll do it.

Why are you involving Verizon at all? The AT&T phone is the same SKU; just buy one from AT&T and use it. If you want to switch later, it's just a matter of a SIM swap anyway.