New Iphone 5s through Tmobile. Sim Problems

Question

Level 1

8 points

New Iphone 5s through Tmobile. Sim Problems

I bought this phone from a buddy of mine. Its brand new, never been through activation before. It will not activate through wifi, iTunes, or with the SIM card I bought for it. Have already spent hours on the phone with tmobile tech support and apple tech support. The SIM card is valid and activated, with a full account number and phone number. The service has been running now for almost two weeks. When I called Apple about the problem, they took the IMEI and ran it through their system. The IMEI is clear and there are no blocks on the phone as far as they can see. The phone is locked to Tmobile, we know that much. Tmobile was not willing to unlock it for me because I had not had it on a account yet for 40 days. So im trying to just activate it and use it for a little while then unlock it for use with other carriers. The will not recognize the SIM card at all, it reads it but says its invalid.... Which makes no sense, since its Tmobile SIM card in a Tmobile phone... Nobody is either willing or able to help me. I am new to Apple products and so far this has not been a welcoming situation... Please help anyway you can. I don't know the IOS either since I cant activate the freakin thing. So its running on what ever it came loaded with.

Thanks

iPhone 5s, Not sure what OS its running.

Posted on Mar 7, 2015 12:31 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 7, 2015 12:42 AM in response to shanethansen

Hi shanethansen, if you iPhone has T-Mibile simlock then please insert the T-Mobile simcard and follow these instructions: https://support.apple.com/en-is/HT202033

With kind regards,

David

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Answer 2

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 12:46 AM in response to david.menzel

Will try that david and then post my results

Thanks

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Answer 3

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 12:54 AM in response to david.menzel

I have followed those directions to the letter. As soon as I go to select a network it starts the activate then it gives me the SIM not valid message that says and I quote "The SIM card you currently have installed in this Iphone is from a carrier that is not supported under the the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the Iphone, Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this Iphone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more imformation."

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Answer 4

Mar 7, 2015 12:57 AM in response to shanethansen

Alright, then please contact Apple or your carrier, because we couldn't solve it here either.

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Answer 5

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 1:05 AM in response to david.menzel

I already did that and they cant tell me anything!

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Answer 6

Mar 7, 2015 1:07 AM in response to shanethansen

Ask T-Mobile for a new simcard or go to the next t-mobile shop. That's the only chance I see.

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Answer 7

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 1:15 AM in response to david.menzel

I have been to the only Tmobile store that is near me. The "tech" that was there didn't connect my phone, run diagnostics or anything. He literally said "I don't know what the problem is, we don't have the gear here to do anything with it. You could try contecting apple" That's when I told him that I already had done that and both Apple and Tmobile said to come here.

David, I feel like someone is giving me the run around or people are just to lazy to help. If there is anything other than contacting those idiots, you can suggest I do, anything at all, please tell me.

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Answer 8

Mar 7, 2015 1:19 AM in response to shanethansen

I don't say that you should run around, but in order to get the issue fixed, I thought that a new simcard could be the solution. Another option would be to ask someone with a t-mobile in your circle to insert the simcard in your phone, just to make sure that it works.

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Answer 9

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 1:24 AM in response to david.menzel

I understand what you meant. I was never going to just drive everywhere haha. I don't know what all my friends use, I will ask around and repost. Say I do find someone that uses GSM Tmobile. If their SIM card works in my Iphone, what does that mean? Also what does it mean if their SIM card does NOT work in my Iphone?

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Answer 10

Mar 7, 2015 1:29 AM in response to shanethansen

If the SIM card of your friend works, then contact T-Mobile and ask them to send you a new SIM card. If the SIM card of your friend doesn't work with your iPhone (with T-Mobile SIM lock), then contact Apple and tell them to help you, because the phone doesn't even work with SIM cards of the "correct" carrier.

With kind regards,

David

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Answer 11

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 1:40 AM in response to david.menzel

I guess I have some question to start asking. Thanks for your help David!!! What you said about not supporting SIM cards from the correct carrier though; If that's the case than Apple would be the only one that could help me with this? I do appreciate everything you have told me, its helped quite a but actually...

Thanks

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Answer 12

Ethmoid

Level 6

11,488 points

Mar 7, 2015 1:42 AM in response to shanethansen

If you get a message that says that the SIM card is not valid or is not supported, this means that the phone is locked to a particular network other than T-Mobile.

You should probably try another fresh T-Mobile sim card in the phone just to see what happens and if there was a fault in the original sim card and whether putting a new T-Mobile sim card in the phone solves the problem.

Other than that, are you sure that the friend who sold you the phone got it on T-Mobile? Could be that this is not a T-Mobile phone after all and that the phone for some reason is locked to another network.

Have you tried talking to your friend about it? Try this and seeing.

The only other way to find out which network a phone is locked to is to contact Apple directly and see if they will look in their database and tell you which network the phone is locked to - you would need to give them the EMEI number for them to look it up.

To find out if the phone is truly locked, you could always try another sim card from another operator such as AT&T and see if the phone will accept this sim card and then at least that way you could find out if the phone is locked or not. If the phone is not locked, then it should work with any sim card.

The other reason that the sim card might not work is that your friend gave you a phone that is a CDMA phone instead of GSM by mistake and if it is a CDMA phone, then it won't work with T-Mobile because T-Mobile is a GSM carrier and not a CDMA carrier and a CDMA phone will not work with a GSM carrier in the US - internationally, then yes it will because of the sim card tray, but in the US it won't.

So you now have several avenues to explore.

Firstly, try different sim cards and if none of these work, then contact Apple with the number of the phone and ask them whether it is showing up as locked to a particular network in their database - they can tell you that much, but they can't do anything more about it.

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Answer 13

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 7, 2015 2:10 AM in response to Ethmoid

I have already contacted Apple a few times about the issue, they confirmed, as well as Tmobile confirmed that it is a Tmobile phone and is indeed carrier locked to Tmobile. The phone was purchased by my friend at a electronics store down in Palm Bay FL, My friend and I live in Titusville FL. He decided to go a different route with an LG android device he already had and sold me the Iphone 5s at cost. The phone was still in the box when I got it, never even left the plastic sleeve it came in. On a side note, purely opinion, This is the exact reason I always stuck with CDMA and Andriod devices. The only reason I got this phone and am switching carriers is because my old HTC EVO is too old to upgrade past Andriod 2.2 lol. I literally don't have the space or hardware for it. The Iphone was an ok choice I thought, plus it came with a survivor case he had bought for it. Oh, and just to clarify so there is no doubt. I also got 2 Ipads from the same friend, one for me and my fiancée. The Ipads work flawlessly, only use them for WiFi but they work flawlessly. There is no question as to the validity of the Iphone as far as I am concerned. Not on his end anyways lol

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Answer 14

shanethansen Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 8, 2015 4:44 AM in response to shanethansen

:bump:

Still have not found a solution. Have yet to try a new SIM card. Cannot seem to find anyone with a Iphone 5s through Tmobile... Will be contacting Apple tomorrow about the issue once more. Don't really expect any results.

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