Is iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are unlocked devices by default? Can I use different simcards abroad?

rockboxzy wrote:

Is iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are unlocked devices by default? Can I use different simcards abroad?

I use H2O wireless carrier. Last year I bought iPhone 6s (verision) from best buy and this worked perfectly fine in US and abroad as I used H20 Wireless simcard here in US and different simcards

in Germany.

This time when I went for pre-booking for iPhone 7 Plus, salesman told me that this time phones will only work abroad if they are sim free <that will be +$50> otherwise phones under 4 carriers <AT&T, Verision, T-Mobile and Sprint> will only work in International roaming mode not with any other sim card.

Is this true? That means I have to wait until unlocked phones or simfree phones are launched.

The only place to buy a SIM-free phone in the US is directly from Apple. NOT from Best Buy (although they will lie about it). If you go to the Apple website you will see an option for unlocked phones with no carrier affiliation. With the 7 and 7+ all phones cover all cover all LTE bands.

I have been researching the iPhone 7 & 7 plus as I need it for use in the US and EU occasionally. I found the international success is very much dependent on the model number of the iPhone, not the SIM card. Verizon or AT&T most likely will not work internationally and they may not be able to use all models of unlocked iPhones and insert their SIM card. Even some of their older iPhones have trouble reading certain GSMs and bandwidths. Carriers that use the 1700+ series are most likely to be compatible in EU. This is T-mobile in my area as well as in the area in EU I will be in. Metro uses a 16xx which may work but the 1700+ series reads a wider range of networks and bandwidthS. So I suggest you check the tech reviews, other than Apple, and find which model works in the country you need it. If a business account covers this, you may want to buy a second phone once at your destination.