Everyone is all over the place on answers. I have AT&T service but want to preorder the phone on Friday and want the Verizon version so i can use all carriers. Well my parents have Verizon, so cant i just use their account when i preorder on Friday, receive the phone in the mail and pop in my sim card? I am not doing any payment plans, just buying the phone outright.
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Apple selling full-priced but crippled iPhone 7s
- Thread starter janeauburn
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It changes from year to year. Last year, the iPhone 6S model AT&T covered was the true world phone and had all the radios and LTE bands. This year, it's Verizon and Sprint.
http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/07/apple-inc-iphone-7-specs-suggest-intel-corp-modem.aspx
This is a supply and demand issue, Motorola modem chips versus Qualcomm. There is no iPhone 7 that will work on both CDMA and GSM because of this as far as my research tells me.
Unlocked has different meaning, unlocked means you can use with any carrier in the same network standard.
Most of the rest of the world uses GSM. The global spread of GSM came about because in 1987, Europe mandated the technology by law, and because GSM comes from an industry consortium. What we call CDMA, by and large, is owned by chipmaker Qualcomm. This made it less expensive for third parties to build GSM equipment.
SIM free I don't even know what that means, any GSM "world" phone I've ever used needed a SIM card to pair with the carrier network.
if you have an unlocked GSM phone from Apple, you can use it nearly anywhere in the world... CDMA is 100x more limiting and fading because it's a corporate proprietary technology, not a consortium standard, so there's no future in CDMA outside of the USA and maybe one or two markets where the installed base of CDMA is large enough to make phones to support it... Entire countries have dropped CDMA to adopt GSM.
This is a supply and demand issue, Motorola modem chips versus Qualcomm. There is no iPhone 7 that will work on both CDMA and GSM because of this as far as my research tells me.
Unlocked has different meaning, unlocked means you can use with any carrier in the same network standard.
Most of the rest of the world uses GSM. The global spread of GSM came about because in 1987, Europe mandated the technology by law, and because GSM comes from an industry consortium. What we call CDMA, by and large, is owned by chipmaker Qualcomm. This made it less expensive for third parties to build GSM equipment.
SIM free I don't even know what that means, any GSM "world" phone I've ever used needed a SIM card to pair with the carrier network.
if you have an unlocked GSM phone from Apple, you can use it nearly anywhere in the world... CDMA is 100x more limiting and fading because it's a corporate proprietary technology, not a consortium standard, so there's no future in CDMA outside of the USA and maybe one or two markets where the installed base of CDMA is large enough to make phones to support it... Entire countries have dropped CDMA to adopt GSM.
I'm no apologist. I thought the event today was ridiculous other than the camera and I thought the new air interface was an improvement over the BT experience.
But this thing on the chips in side the phone- I understand why apple has it this way. There's ways around it if youwant a sprint or Verizon account. also CDMA is kinda going away as an air interface.
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yep
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Since Intel did a deal to do some of the chips this year. it varies every year.
you guys are kinda spoiled- it used to be that cDMA and GSM were completely different....Apple's margin on the CDMA phones are slightly less. they are saving a few bucks. there are worse things about this launch to whine about.
No, per the article you posted, it's Intel modems (A1778 and A1784) and Qualcomm (A1660 and A1661).
The A1660 and A1661 (Qualcomm modem, sold by Sprint and Verizon) operate on both CDMA and GSM networks. See: http://www.apple.com/iphone-7/specs/
SIM-free means the phone comes without a SIM card installed. It still needs one to operate and expects you to have one already to insert into it upon arrival. They are unlocked and usually the iPhone model with both GSM and CDMA.
TD-SCDMA, which is not the same as CDMA, is still widely used in China and is only available on the A1660 and A1661 model phones.
Thx for the clarifications, my bad on the Intel/Motorola confusion.
But if what you say is true, there are several carrier unlocked versions of the dual-mode (GSM/CDMA) version of the phone by just buying the Verizon model via upgrade or installment payments or full price.
It seems the attractiveness of the SIM-free version is for resellers who just want to turn it for profit. I mean, most people are buying the phone to use it on at lease one carrier... So having to choose a carrier plan at purchase is designed mostly to stop the people who are lining up with no intention to activate the phone whatsoever... Doesn't really bother me that pirates have to wait a few weeks until the people who are using it have received theirs first.
Model A1778*
Model A1784*
Models A1778 and A1784 do not support CDMA networks, such as those used by Verizon and Sprint.
Model A1660*
Model A1661* these models support all bands, check the specs on the Apple Site...this is your unlocked full price iPhone. Sims do differ between carriers
"Model A1660*
Model A1661* these models support all bands, check the specs on the Apple Site...this is your unlocked full price iPhone. Sims do differ between carriers"
There it is: Models A1660 and A1661 are the phones to buy this year to hedge your bets. Your Global Phone.
For the same money, why would you buy anything else? Only Apple benefits if you don't.
"It seems the attractiveness of the SIM-free version is for resellers who just want to turn it for profit"
We will all eventually become resellers of this phone for a profit. Even if you pass the phone to a friend or family member, or slip it into a drawer for backup, why would you limit future choices.
If you positively gotta have it Release Day, or score some Carrier deal, Intel's got a modem for you.
Model A1661* these models support all bands, check the specs on the Apple Site...this is your unlocked full price iPhone. Sims do differ between carriers"
There it is: Models A1660 and A1661 are the phones to buy this year to hedge your bets. Your Global Phone.
For the same money, why would you buy anything else? Only Apple benefits if you don't.
"It seems the attractiveness of the SIM-free version is for resellers who just want to turn it for profit"
We will all eventually become resellers of this phone for a profit. Even if you pass the phone to a friend or family member, or slip it into a drawer for backup, why would you limit future choices.
If you positively gotta have it Release Day, or score some Carrier deal, Intel's got a modem for you.
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How is this a five page long thread?
Verizon phones are carrier unlocked. Period. End of story. Go buy one and use it on any GSM network. I flip my T-Mobile, Verizon, Safaricom, Vodafone, and other international SIM cards on a regular basis in my iPhone 6s Plus.
The GSM network branded phones do not have cdma enabled. Thus, they are not compatible with cdma networks like Verizon. The CDMA phones have GSM enabled.
Bottom line is the Verizon phone will give you the same benefits of the sim-free device. Been that way for years.
Verizon phones are carrier unlocked. Period. End of story. Go buy one and use it on any GSM network. I flip my T-Mobile, Verizon, Safaricom, Vodafone, and other international SIM cards on a regular basis in my iPhone 6s Plus.
The GSM network branded phones do not have cdma enabled. Thus, they are not compatible with cdma networks like Verizon. The CDMA phones have GSM enabled.
Bottom line is the Verizon phone will give you the same benefits of the sim-free device. Been that way for years.
Were you just born yesterday? Provider locking is the bread and butter of US carriers from, I don't know, cellphones existed. In countries like Hong Kong/Singapore, all phones are unlocked out of the box, even those under contract.
And buying an unlocked iPhone is easier today than before.
1. Buy a Verizon version. It is unlocked out of the box per regulation that Verizon agreed to.
2. Buy at Apple store at full price. Regardless of the carrier, it will be unlocked.
As for china/overseas, show me any other phone with the bands support as extensive as the iPhone. Good luck.
Want sim-free phone? Propose to US government to ban provider locking, just like what the Singapore and Hong Kong government did. Done.
Or are you a chinese scalper?
That is the real question. While I'd prefer a SIM Free option from the beginning, if I can just pay outright for the Verizon it seems like it will end up being that model anyway just with a Verizon SIM included. We probably won't know until tonight for sure as I believe in years past sometimes it did require a Verizon account and in others it didn't.
While I'm on AT&T currently I want/need the the flexibility to go on Verizon or Sprint (or their mvnos) if necessary.
[doublepost=1473340381][/doublepost]Hello everyone, it looks like iPhone 7 model model A 1779 and A1785 will be a sim free later on this year. Normally apple selects a sim free model that has most LTE bands and if you pay attention Japanese model has additional LTE bands. I will wait until a simfree model gets officially released.
A perfect example was 6s att model and iPhone 6 model was also the same way.
Anyway why add band 30 to Japanese model since they have no use for it. It's only for att, the reason why apple doing it because later on it would be sim free
You will be able to buy it, just pay full price, and look at what the model number is that is the same as the one sold in your country and go with that one.
iPhones aren't sold in my country unfortunately... That's why I have no model number to check. I need to be able to use it with the LTE/3G/2G bands and I do not know if it the same as the SIM-free. As per the questions I've done here and replies, and my research, it seems I will be able to use it but I must be 100% sure as if it finally doesn't work I'll lose the money. Also, will I be able to buy even though I do not have a Verizon account?
Buy from the Apple Store if possible, you should be able to buy it without an account since you will be paying full price, trying to buy one in a Verizon store might be difficult if you don't want to have an account, although I'm sure it is possible.
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It's not more capable, it is always just the version with more bands, I'm guessing this year it will be the Verizon and Sprint Model.
I think the attractiveness is for people like me. I'm on AT&T but travel to China regularly and hence need the A1660. I'd rather just buy the SIM-free model outright than have to set up a bogus account with Verizon (and get a hard credit inquiry).
You can buy the Verizon one outright from an Apple Store without creating an account or getting a credit inquiry.
It looks like the Sprint and Verizon Models have all of the same LTE and GSM bands as the T-Mobile and AT&T models, but they also have the CDMA radio needed to work on Sprint and Verizon. http://www.apple.com/iphone-7/specs/
So I'd get a full price Verizon model to get the most options.
Actually, that's incorrect. It looks like the A1779, which is made for Japan, includes LTE bands 11 and 21 (which the Verizon model doesn't) as well as the Type-F NFC they use in Japan. I can't find information stating that it will have all the GSM/HSPA stuff, but I am going to assume it does.
I'm also going to assume this will not be made available outside of Japan, even as a SIM-free model.
Is a SIM-free model listed here?
http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/#iphone-7-iphone-7-plus
I'd like to get a phone for travel that also works on Verizon.
Thanks for that informed post
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