Unable to use iphone 7 plus with Verizon after AT&T unlock

While previous iphones have had both GSM and CDMA capability, the iPhone 7 and 7+ do not. See iPhone 7 - Technical Specifications - Apple. And note the caveat in the cellular and wireless section:

Model A1778*

Model A1784*

Models A1778 and A1784 do not support CDMA networks, such as those used by Verizon and Sprint.

Basically with an iPhone 7 or 7+, if you wish to use Verizon you need to buy a Verizon (or Sprint) Model (i.e. a model A1660 or 1661).

You current AT&T version, now unlocked, will work with any GSM based provider. But it has no CDMA capability, so Sprint, Verizon and any MVNO,s that use their networks will not work.

https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/verizon-unlocking-guide

AT&T uses GSM. Verizon uses CDMA, could be the model iPhone you have can't work on both networks.

Best bet is to take the phone to Verizon so they can check if this model is compatible with their network.

Michael is indeed correct. But just to further clarify, since the AT&T iPhone 7 does not have CDMA capability, it will only get service from Verizon's LTE network via their sim card, but will be unable to drop down to their CDMA based 3G network when LTE reception is poor or not available.

I'm very surprised, the Verizon Techs do not know this.

Phil0124 wrote:

Michael is indeed correct. But just to further clarify, since the AT&T iPhone 7 does not have CDMA capability, it will only get service from Verizon's LTE network via their sim card, but will be unable to drop down to their CDMA based 3G network when LTE reception is poor or not available.

I'm very surprised, the Verizon Techs do not know this.

Verizon won't activate an iPhone 7/7+ from AT&T regardless of the locked status. So, it can't even get on to their LTE network.

The OP's iPhone 6 devices will work just fine.

But activation on their network is not required to use LTE. Just insert the Verizon LTE sim card and you're off to the races.

That's the point. Verizon should know this before handing over an LTE sim. It appears the just provisioned the sim without any further activation.

Hopefully the iphone 7 will be the only one with the limitation in the end. If Intel has their dual radio modems in place by the time the next iphone goes into production then it won’t matter whether Apple buys intel modems, Qualcomm modems or both and sticks either one in any device. Intels newest modems have both capabilities now I read and should be readily available in quantity by the end of this year.

Make an appointment at the genius bar of your local Apple Store. Explain what's going on. There have been multiple reports of customers switching from AT&T or T-Mobile to Verizon or Sprint receiving service replacements from Apple at no charge. I don't know if this is official policy at Apple, but there have been enough reports that it seems to be a fairly common practice.

Sorry to hear about the iPhone 7+ having issues. My iPhone 7 (not a +) has been fine with AT&T. If Apple admitted it was an acknowledged issue, you should press them for compensation then. Or an exchange for a Verizon model phone since you’ve already switched accounts over. If it is an actual flaw with the phone (bad production run or a lot of bad components, whatever cause) then you should not be stuck with it.

A recipient unable to hear you intermittently isn't a known bug with AT&T. I have AT&T and if it was a known bug I would have this problem also. The Apple support rep was just trying to move on to the next customer; he has no idea what he (or she) is talking about. And, if you read these forums, you see just as many similar complaints from Verizon users, T-Mobile users, Sprint users, 3 users in the UK, etc.

If all other troubleshooting has failed you should ask Apple to replace the phone. Moving to Verizon isn't going to solve it. The most common solution to this issue is to remove the case that is covering the back microphone, the one that is there for noise reduction. Another thing to try is to turn off noise reduction. If you have WiFi calling enabled in Settings/Phone try turning it off. And, if it's off, try turning it on.

Phil0124 wrote:

But activation on their network is not required to use LTE. Just insert the Verizon LTE sim card and you're off to the races.

My experience was that the phone simply won't connect.

The complication is that Verizon's network is not yet 100% LTE. There is still CDMA coverage in some areas, with some partner carriers, and it's also a fallback when LTE is overloaded. And CDMA requires registering the MEID of the phone with the network database. If the phone doesn't support CDMA it can't work on Verizon's network, even in an LTE area.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

The complication is that Verizon's network is not yet 100% LTE. There is still CDMA coverage in some areas, with some partner carriers, and it's also a fallback when LTE is overloaded. And CDMA requires registering the MEID of the phone with the network database. If the phone doesn't support CDMA it can't work on Verizon's network, even in an LTE area.

There was a time when you could activate the SIM on a Verizon phone then pop it into the non-Verizon phone (not necessarily an iPhone) and trick it into working on the LTE network because the system would allow the activated SIM to work without being paired to an IMEI. They "fixed" that.

Briansyddall wrote:

Hi

You need to connect iPhone to your pc running the latest iTunes 12.6.2

To complete the unlocking.

Brian, I think you must not have read the entire thread or you'd realize this answer has nothing to do with the question at hand. An iPhone AT&T iPhone 7, even unlocked, will NOT work on Verizon's network.