Unable to Connect To Sprint Network with iPhone SE

The best practice in cases such as this is always to do a restore as that provides a baseline for diagnosis.

If Apple states the phone has the correct activation policy and you do a restore then the next step is to speak with advanced support at Sprint and have it confirmed that your line is properly provisioned for voice and SMS. Sprint can do that by temporarily swapping in another device. If Sprint confirms the line is properly configured then, by process of elimination, the likely remaining factors are uncommon hardware issues or an incorrect activation policy. Apple can certainly review hardware issues and if there is no problem there then the only likely remaining factor is that the activation policy is not correct.

At that point Apple should be able to resolve the issue.

Verizon and Sprint are both CDMA.

The issue with Sprint is that phones with the necessary CDMA radios that are originally intended for sale outside the US are often unable to "provision" for voice and SMS even though they will "activate" on Sprint itself (if Sprint permits) or a Sprint MVNO. Usually, LTE can be made to work and some have found that an acceptable workaround with VOIP for calling purposes.

Some users have been able to get Apple to change the activation policy on these devices so that they will provision for voice and SMS but it is very much a hit or miss affair as Apple is under no obligation to do so. For most users choosing a GSM carrier is the easier option but if one is truly persistent and patient it can sometimes work.

One other option if you are on Sprint itself rather than a Sprint MVNO would be to contact the manager at a Sprint store and ask for assistance after providing the background information. Specifically, you could request the contact information for the person in the region with DNA/2 authority and ask for assistance. Sprint has an interest in having you remain as a customer and could be an advocate on your behalf.

I would start with Apple and try Sprint only if you cannot make progress. For Sprint a visit to a corporate store would be best.

What you can do is the following.

Contact Apple Support and explain your situation and request that the matter be escalated to advanced support. Tier 1 may not be familiar with the issue but even if it is understood at that level the authority to make the change resides at a higher level.

Since this a "request for an accommodation" rather than the exercise of a right, it certainly would be advisable to be persuasive rather than demanding.😉

I know of a number of cases where this approach was successful but in a few it required several attempts. Some have even managed to arrange this through the Apple Store but with the launch of the iPhone X it probably is not the best time to be going there for that purpose.

When successful, usually takes a few days to process the request.

Good luck!

Sprint is a CDMA carrier. You won't be able to use an iPhone purchased in India on the Sprint or Verizon networks in the US or their MVNO's. Your only options will be AT&T or T-Mobile (and MVNOs that use their networks).

What did Sprint tell you, exactly? They are not under any legal obligation to activate your phone on their network. They would prefer you purchase a phone from them and get locked in for a period of time...

Does that work for everyone? That's some good advice. Aren't Sprint and Verizon CD-MA networks?

I thought so. He'd need a CDMA/GSM phone in order to connect right? My 6S Plus is CDMA/GSM. I know that it's either CDMA/GSM or GSM alone.

Thanks for the correction.