I bought iPhone 7 128GB SIM Free (Model A1660) from USA and brought it to India. Now I’ve tried many telecom providers but phone displays “SIM not supported”. I read online that Model A1660 is considered global phone and should work with both GSM and CDMA networks. Can anyone help me?
iPhone 7, iOS 10.1.1
The phone you bought is carrier locked to a US carrier. "SIM Free" does NOT equal "unlocked". The only source for unlocked iPhones in the US directly from Apple. If you bought it anywhere else (Best Buy, etc) then you did NOT buy an unlocked phone.
ONLY the carrier the phone is locked to can authorize unlocking it.
Okay. I bought it from BestBuy. Since I'm in India, is there anything I can do now to unlock the phone myself? If not, and if I take it to US, will it work with any carrier provider there as it was sold to me as SIM-free phone?
No. ONLY the carrier it is locked to can authorize unlocking it. If it was sold "SIM free" though the US Reseller flex policy by Best Buy, it MUST be activated on a US carrier. It will then lock to the US carrier used to activate it, after which you can request an unlock from them.
SIM Free is NOT the same as unlocked. Your issue is with Best Buy, and the fact that you did not properly research the purchase before you made it. I would advise you return it to the store where you bought it, but it's probably too late to do that now if you're already back in India, not to mention the cost of a plane ticket would be more than the price of a new phone.
Issue with US iPhone 7 model A1660 compatibility in India.
