I bought iPhone 6s without the contract. When I tried to activate it, I cannot, because "The SIM is not supported...". Apple support denies to help me even to say what company locked my new legally purchsed iPhone. What to do? I

Go to the place where you have purchased this phone and ask for a refund.

Apple does not have a database with all phone contracts in it.

Apple has no involvement with the locking or unlocking of your phone. carriers are the only companies who can lock or unlock phones.

You're angry at the wrong people.

Buying a phone without a contract is not the same as buying an "unlocked" phone. You probably bought a "sim free" phone, which locked to the first sim that you placed in it. In your case this would be T-Mobile. That is where you need to direct your questions.

They CAN'T help you.

Apple does not lock or unlock phones. It has nothing to do with your loyalty or honesty.

Apple has no knowledge of your phone contract.

Why do you think this? You're chasing the wrong company.

To start with, Target in the US does not sell unlocked phones, they never have. You purchased a device locked to a US carrier, that is why your SIM will not work. Apple does not unlock phones, they cannot help you. You will need to check that Target receipt to find out who that device is locked to. Your other issue is the fact that your device's warranty is only valid in the US. Not a very good idea to purchase an iPhone in a country you do not intend to use the device in.

As far as your statement regarding Apple monitoring the community and helping, that isn't going to happen either. This is a user to user support forum, and Apple does not participate here. Only the carrier your device is locked to can unlock the device, Apple does not unlock phones. The only place right now that can help you is the Target where you purchased the device and tell you what carrier it is locked to. From there, you will need to contact that carrier and see if they provide unlocking services. If they do, ask if you qualify for an unlocked. If you do, then follow their instructions. If you do not, then you are out of luck.

You have to understand, that certain statements regarding cellular devices differ in different countries. The idea of SIM Free and Unlocked phones is rather new in the US, as subsidized phones and contracts were always the way to get phones here. Those things are changing. Used to be the only way to purchase an unlocked device in the US was to purchase it directly from the Apple Store. In many European countries, locked phones cannot be sold, so there is a different expectation when it comes to purchases. Then comes the regional phones, that support different LTE bands, and the fact that the iPhone warranty is not international, only valid in the country of purchase. Way too many reasons not to purchase a device outside of the country you are going to use it in. Maybe you can sell your device to someone in the US via eBay or something like that and then use that money to purchase one in your home country. Good luck.

NO - you are incorrect. No warranty on the iPhone is an international warranty. Warranty on the iPhone is country specific, so if you purchased the phone in the US, the warranty is only covered for the US, with the exception of Europe, where the EU is considered to be one country.

If you think about it logically, warranty for the iPhone cannot be international, because there are so many makes and models of phones that differ between countries to accept different LTE and 4G signals.

iPhone warranty is NOT international.

agershun wrote:

The phone was purchased at full cost ($799), so it was not subsidized. And it was sold by official dealer and purchased by me as "no contract" phone especially to prevent this locking situation.

Unfortunately, there is no information about the such important difference between Apple Stores and their (even major) dealers.

BTW "iPhone warranty is not international" - I am not sure, but I will check,,, At least for this phone the technical support is international (according Apples databases).

Anyway, thank you again for advices. I will continue to fight 🙂

That is fine that you purchased it at full cost, however as I stated earlier, full cost does not guarantee unlocked phone. And, Target does not sell unlocked phones. No contract means just that, no contract, it does not mean unlocked. I'm thinking that your receipt from Target will show a carrier, but I cannot be sure of that, since I haven't purchased a phone from Target. Big box electronic stores are not considered a major Apple dealer, at least not in the sense I believe you are referring to. They are an authorized reseller, but that is all.

You can check all you want, the iPhone warranty is not international. You will not be able to receive warranty service on that device anywhere except in the US. Technical phone support is not warranty. You can receive phone support, but not warranty support for mail-in or walk-in service at an Apple store.

Fight as you wish, but the fact is, the device is locked, and the only way to get it unlocked is to find out who it is locked to and contact them about unlocking. Only the carrier the device is locked to can authorize the unlock. I'm a little confused by the statement you made where you said that Apple could not tell you who the device was locked to. It has always been the case where people can contact Apple Support and they will be able to advise them what carrier a device is locked to. I would contact Apple again to discover who the carrier is and that is where you need to focus this "fight".