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When will Apple finally release iPhone 7 unlocked

I'm from outside the US and I want to know when will apple sell the iPhone 7 (& plus) sim free/ unlocked so that I can use where I live. If there is another option (other than that) please tell me what can be done so that I can buy mine soon. Thank you!

Posted on Sep 19, 2016 7:01 AM

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Posted on Sep 19, 2016 7:08 AM

All iPhones 7 currently being offered by Apple are unlocked if you pay full price for them.


They are not sim free, since they come with a sim for a selected carrier, but are entirely unlocked, and can be used with other compatible GSM carriers.


User uploaded file


The easiest option is to choose T-Mobile as your carrier. Then simply remove the Sim card from the iPhone when it arrives.


Note that Warranty is not international. So if anything happens to the iPhone that needs service it will have to be taken back to the country of purchase for warranty service.

39 replies

Oct 5, 2016 7:40 PM in response to 0p3raGh05t

did you buy it from Apple Store if so then you should know there's two code of iPhone even if it's factory unlocked one support GSM only and the other one support CDMA and GSM,like Verizon and sprint, personally I had T mobile one and I put Dubai SIM card it works then I install AT&T works fine so you need to check your SIM card from your carrier if it's under any rules or contract.

Oct 5, 2016 10:14 PM in response to mohamad 7898

You are obviously confused.


T-Mobile iPhones do support carriers in China and Hong Kong.


Further, you claim that you bought a full-priced T-Mobile iPhone 7 and activated it with a Dubai SIM card is not credible. Apple says it's impossible. From personal experience it's impossible. The T-Mobile iPhone 7 you buy at the online Apple Store cannot be activated unless on T-Mobile network. After activation, however, it is unlocked and will work on any other carrier SIM.

Oct 6, 2016 7:38 AM in response to 0p3raGh05t

I Don't know sir ,but when I bought my iPhone from Apple Store this is what I did the guy told me T mobile phone not connected to any service for T mobile so I removed the card before I switch it on and i put my sim card and then connected t iTunes and I finished the setup it works,and then I remover Dubai sim card to try AT&T it works so it's unlocked ,I know T mobile support carriers in china, but apple selling that iPhone comes with t mobile SIM card support GSM only model number 1784 , and this model will not work in China and hong kong and I don't know why.....

Oct 6, 2016 8:11 AM in response to 0p3raGh05t

0p3raGh05t wrote:


Regarding warranty service, you must certainly can get warranty service overseas. I've had two iPads completely replaced overseas. Granted, both were on Apple Care and at first the Apple Store resisted, but after they checked with Apple Care they replaced them. We had an iPhone 6S replaced overseas. We had to agree to accept a different model number since they didn't carry the specific model number we had, but they did replace it. Maybe this wouldn't work in some third-world cesspool like Ghana, but it works in civilized Europe and also Hong Kong.


iPads are not iPhones. You cannot get warranty service for iPhones outside of the country of purchase. This has been proven countless times over the years with people trying to get an iPhone repaired in a country they did not buy it and and being rejected. Actual experience, and evidence by numerous people in these forums will show that.


non-cellular iPads (Wifi only) and other apple hardware do not have this constraint and can get warranty service anywhere in the world that Apple has a presence or Authorized service providers.


Unlocking only applies to GSM. If buying a Sprint or Verizon Phone, the GSM portion can be immediately used on any GSM carrier around the world, but the CDMA portion will likely not be activated with any CDMA carrier except Sprint or Verizon.


Beyond that, yes you need active service when buying a Sprint, Verizon, or even AT&T iPhone, but, here's the real kicker, the GSM sim slot is still unlocked, so you can simply replace the sim card with a sim card from a supported GSM carrier and it will work.


Whether you still need to deal with AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint about the currently active service does not in any way stop the phone from being unlocked.


With that said, T-Mobile iPhones as has been the case since the 4s was introduced, have never required activation on T-Mobile prior to usage.


This is just a corporate line T-Mobile and Apple spew out. But again over the years, it has been proven by many many people you can in fact stick any sim card from a supported GSM carrier and the iPhone will activate.


For all those that don;t believe this, I activated a T-Mobile iPhone 7 bought at the U.S. online store with a Mexican carrier's sim card, and guess what? it activated fine.



So again, just to outline once more and attempt to pout this to rest:


1. When buying an iPhone for Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint you need active service at the moment of purchase. This means either a current number with the selected carrier, or to activate service with them at that time. This however has nothing to do with iPhone's actual activation.


2. The T-Mobile version does not require active service, or activation with them at all. Simply remove the T-Mobile sim and activate with sim card of a carrier of your choice.


3. Warranty is not, and has never been International on iPhones. Apple specifically states this.

Oct 6, 2016 8:30 AM in response to Phil0124

Reading is a good skill. You should try to master it.


The Terms and Conditions in iPhone warranties specifically state "may" as previously pointed out. The T&C of iPad warranties state the same. You neeed to stop spreading your "unique understanding" and start telling the truth. I have had iPhones replaced overseas. The overseas Apple Store may hesitate, but as long as you are willing to accept, if necessary, the different model number they offer, you will be ok.


You also invent stories about activation. There is no such thing as activating GSM vs CDMA portion of the iPhone. The phone itself will not activate unless on the network through which Apple sells the phone, period. Until you activate the phone, the GSM SIM slot is useless on a Sprint device. Again, Apple support has stated this several times. Many people have attempted and failed to activate their phone because they were using a SIM card other than the network to which the phone is initially bound.


Before unfortunate victims actually believe your story and lose money, they should contact Apple support. Prior to activation a Sprint phone is just a brick. It cannot be activated in any manner unless done over the Sprint network. Once activated, you can use it on any other network you choose.

Oct 6, 2016 8:54 AM in response to 0p3raGh05t

0p3raGh05t wrote:


Reading is a good skill. You should try to master it.


The Terms and Conditions in iPhone warranties specifically state "may" as previously pointed out. The T&C of iPad warranties state the same. You neeed to stop spreading your "unique understanding" and start telling the truth. I have had iPhones replaced overseas.


Unique?


What part of the thousands of people that have posted on these forums and all over the internet, and that were denied service outside of the country where they purchased the iPhone in is unique?


Are you seriously suggesting that all those people are wrong? They did not get denied? They were making it up? Apple will and in fact has denied a service for iPhones outside of the country of purchase. This is something that actually happens, there's evidence. It is not my unique understanding. It has been proven many many times, by many many people. I'm not denying you got an iPhone serviced, you may have, but its not the norm, and I woudl not suggest this is true in every case.



0p3raGh05t wrote:


Reading is a good skill. You should try to master it.




You also invent stories about activation. There is no such thing as activating GSM vs CDMA portion of the iPhone. The phone itself will not activate unless on the network through which Apple sells the phone, period.

This is again wrong. There is a difference between CDMA and GSM activation. CDMA is tied to the carrier it was sold for yes. GSM in unlocked iPhones is not. The entire point of being unlocked, is that activation can be done with a GSM sim card from any carrier at all. Otherwise its not unlocked.


If you knew anything about CDMA and GSM, you'd know that CDMA carriers did not use sim cards until LTE was introduced. Activation on CDMA requires the device exist in the carrier's database before activation.


Unlocking does not apply to CDMA and as such requires the original carrier the iPhone was sold for in most cases.


0p3raGh05t wrote:



Until you activate the phone, the GSM SIM slot is useless on a Sprint device. Again, Apple support has stated this several times. Many people have attempted and failed to activate their phone because they were using a SIM card other than the network to which the phone is initially bound.




And again it is wrong. Unlocked means unlocked. It does not mean locked until activated with some specific carrier.


The GSM slot is unlocked and can be used with a sim card from any carrier.


Otherwise, and here is the big problem with this, Apple and the carriers could be sued for misrepresenting the product as unlocked. As in they would be lying by telling people it is unlocked when it is not.


The only one who needs to stop making things up, and trying to sound knowledgeable about things they have no idea about this is you.


I've been doing this with iPhones since the 4s was released, and every year the same thing happens: confusion misinformation, and every year it ends up being the same. Unlocked iPhones are unlocked. Period.


Stop misguiding people.

Nov 2, 2016 11:38 AM in response to lalachahin

I can say this, the wife and I walked into an Apple store on Monday and told them we were with AT&T and wanted to buy a black iPhone 7 128 Gig out right and pay cash. Told them we were not on contract (with AT&T) but came to AT&T via "Bring your own device" a few years back which were 4S models. He turned to the guy retrieving the phones from the back and told him that we wanted an unlocked phone and AT&T sim card. I figured that meant we were not on any contract with a carrier, and would get a phone that would work with AT&T network and similar, end of story. After we walked out of the store I was reading on the back of the box and it says "Supports: CDMA, GSM, UMTS, TD-SCDMA, and LTE (FDD and TD) cellular technologies." Sounds to me like this "unlocked" phone will go to any carrier I want if I use the correct sim card. In the USA anyhow, beyond that I do not know. Hope this helps some with questions out there......

When will Apple finally release iPhone 7 unlocked

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