Unlocking and network compatibility.

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Level 1

15 points

Unlocking and network compatibility.

Hurrah! Unlocking in now mandatory.

Now that phone unlocking is now legal and carriers are obliged to unlock eligible phones per a consumers request. These carriers have taken to being rather evasive about what phones are compatible with which carriers. Often stating that your phone may not work fully or not at all with your new carriers network. They do not provide any breakdown of what phones are compatible with which networks.

I was hoping that Apple would be willing to help out its customers here. Could Apple put together a comprehensive list of which iPhones and iPads are compatible with which carriers? A guide on what steps we should take to successfully transition our devices from one network to another could be good too.

Another potential hurdle is that your chosen prospective new carrier may refuse service to you with your device from a former carrier. Instead, requiring you to purchase a new phone branded for their network (even if the old one is technologically compatible with their network). In effect attempting to bully their customers like a tantrum throwing adolescent.

Posted on Feb 12, 2015 5:57 PM

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Answer 1

deggie

Level 10

167,183 points

Feb 12, 2015 6:31 PM in response to plaguebearer

For the most part everyone in the US, at least the majors, were unlocking eligible iPhones. I've done 2 on AT&T.

You won't see any such guide from Apple.

Any unlocked GSM phone can technically work on any other GSM network. The early Verizon iPhone 4 is a CDMA phone and will not work on any GSM network. CDMA phones aren't locked but CDMA operators often do not accept walk in phones. You would have to check with whichever cell provider you want to use the phone with.

The iPhone 4s for Sprint and Verizon are global phones and the GSM side can be unlocked. Verizon will now unlock the GSM side for domestic use while Sprint will not. Sprint will also not unlock the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus for domestic use. The same phones with Verizon are not locked on the GSM side due to an agreement they made with the FCC for bandwidth.

For the iPhone 5, if you have an early unlocked AT&T model it will not work on T-Mobile as they require a phone with AWS. Later models will work.

LTE capability is an entirely different matter and will take research on the consumers part and checking with the cell provider. If you are going to move to an Apple approved carrier the configuration file from the carrier will set up the phone. If you choose a non-approved carrier you will have to manually set up your APN settings.

Your "Hurrah" really on applies to Sprint and the Verizon iPhone 4s. Nothing else has changed.

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