Apple selling full-priced but crippled iPhone 7s

[mr99]

But that has nothing to do with it being locked or unlocked. If you buy the T-Mobile version full price, it will be unlocked

No kidding.

 

[Florida Gator]

I didn't say carrier locked I said GSM locked

Your terminology is strange. Are you trying to say it can only be used on GSM networks? It's not really locked to anything, it is incompatible with CDMA networks.

There is, or has been, such a thing as being GSM locked. It's when a phone is locked to a specific carrier when using GSM radios, but is unlocked when it comes to CDMA.

 

[mr99]

Your terminology is strange. Are you trying to say it can only be used on GSM networks? It's not really locked to anything, it is incompatible with CDMA networks.

There is, or has been, such a thing as being GSM locked. It's when a phone is locked to a specific carrier when using GSM radios, but is unlocked when it comes to CDMA.

Correct. It doesn't have CDMA antennas.

 

[BorderingOn]

Well, CDMA worked out better in various respects and one of the main reasons that most of the world wasn't really going for it was that the cost of going with it at the time was higher than going with GSM. It wasn't Verizon/Sprint necessarily being arrogant but trying to do what they thought would actually be better even at a somewhat higher price in a sense.

That aside, seems like going for the Verizon/Sprint model is really the best thing, assuming one can get it fairly easily.

CDMA is superior to TDMA which AT&T used initially. I think it was a while before we started seeing GSM in the US.

 

[hellopupy]

Ok I'm just gonna register for verizon and cancel within 14 days and use that purchase to do my pre-order tonight.

Damn Apple for killing all the excitement that I had for pre-order day.

 

[Florida Gator]

Correct. It doesn't have CDMA antennas.

Well saying something is "GSM Locked" implies it can be unlocked. In this case, it can't, it doesn't have the radio equipment.

 

[james92se]

Ok I'm just gonna register for verizon and cancel within 14 days and use that purchase to do my pre-order tonight.

Damn Apple for killing all the excitement that I had for pre-order day.

How is this done exactly? Do you do this on the Verizon website ahead of time? Any particular plan that needs to be chosen?

 

[hellopupy]

This is the solution I'm doing since I registered for Verizon prepaid and didn't get a confirmation. I walked into Verizon before they closed, signed up for a verizon prepaid plan and they said I can walk by in at midnight to pre-order a verizon iPhone 7.

Screw it, it had to be done!

 

[justmewhoelse]

Why does Apple do this? If you shell out full-price for a supposedly unlocked phone, you should get a phone that works with any carrier in the U.S. and any network worldwide. It's not until the "sim-free" phone becomes available that you get this.

So in effect those shelling out full price for the iPhone 7 at launch are getting LESS of a phone than those who wait for the sim-free version a month or so down the road.

It's only the sim-free phone that will work with AT&T, Verizon, T-mobile, Sprint, and other networks in the U.S.; networks in China; networks elsewhere in the world.

It's these sim-free, work-everywhere phones that will have the highest resale value, and with good reason: More people will be interested in them. Bigger audience.

Plus, I like to travel the world. I don't want my full-priced iPhone 7 crippling me from the get-go.

Booo, Apple. Dumb!

Thanks for the info - good to know for family and friends who buy iPhones that are on mixed carrier networks. And ask me for any info before buying. Thanks

 

[gregnauman]

Amen, I got up last night hoping to get a sim free one. No go. Im tempted to just go buy the 6S Plus
[doublepost=1473481287][/doublepost]janeauburn is absolutely correct.

The only iPhone 7/7 plus models that will work on ALL networks are the sprint and verizon phones. The ATT and Tmobile phones do not have CDMA capability.

If you are on ATT you CAN NOT ORDER a Verizon or Sprint phone as they ask for your phone number, I tried it.

Lets hope they do come out with a SIM FREE phone like the Verizon and Sprint one that has the RADIO for ALL US networks

 

[peleincubuss]

You're are confused, but Apple wants it that way. It's trying to have its cake and eat it, too, at the buyer's expense. I would guess it has some agreements in place with the big 4 carriers in the U.S. that prevent it from actually selling the fully capable sim-free version of the iPhone at launch--the better for the carriers to rake in some money. Unfortunately for the consumer who shells out for a full-priced iPhone at launch, the phone isn't really capable of being used on any network, anywhere. Check it out yourself:

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/#iphone-7-iphone-7-plus

If you really want to get the phone you deserve to be getting by shelling out full price for an "unlocked" phone, you must wait for the "sim-free" version to go on sale.

I wouldn't touch these full-priced unlocked phones. This practice should end. Apple needs to stop this crap if it wants good will from its knowledgeable users.

Do "sim-free" unlocked phones work on Virgin Mobile in the U.S. ??

 

[Reno Raines]

The SE was sold on day one with a sim free option but then again that was not a major flagship launch.

 

[Jumpie]

Why does Apple do this? If you shell out full-price for a supposedly unlocked phone, you should get a phone that works with any carrier in the U.S. and any network worldwide. It's not until the "sim-free" phone becomes available that you get this.

So in effect those shelling out full price for the iPhone 7 at launch are getting LESS of a phone than those who wait for the sim-free version a month or so down the road.

It's only the sim-free phone that will work with AT&T, Verizon, T-mobile, Sprint, and other networks in the U.S.; networks in China; networks elsewhere in the world.

It's these sim-free, work-everywhere phones that will have the highest resale value, and with good reason: More people will be interested in them. Bigger audience.

Plus, I like to travel the world. I don't want my full-priced iPhone 7 crippling me from the get-go.

Booo, Apple. Dumb!

You're best best is to but a Verizon phones at the store on launch. Verizon phones are always unlocked.

 

[canadianpj]

:Sigh:

I'm done.

Yeah people using logic and reason are not your thing. We get it. Don't worry. Perhaps be a little less high and mighty and condescending next time.

 

[gregnauman]

People were not using logic and reason or reading his posts.

He tried to explain the truth multiple times but people were not listening to him at all or reading his links. Unlocked and Sim-free are in some ways two different things.

Unlocked means you can go to any network that the PHONE SUPPORTS.

This is all different than the iPhone 6S plus and 6s. Those phones had BOTH RADIOS (CDMA and GSM)

The new iPhone 7's are not all the same as far as the hardware. Some will have Intel radio chips only supporting GSM, Some will have Qualcomm radio chips that support GSM AND CDMA.

A Sim Free phone is sold without a SIM chip and therefore has to have the ABILITY to work on any network because it does not have a SIM card PRE-INSERTED. The sim free phone needs to have the capability to work on any networks radio because they do not know what SIM will be inserted into the phone when the user purchases it.

See pictures in my post above.....

If you try to purchase a full price ATT phone right now it will say "Unlocked but tied to ATT" The ATT phone does NOT have a CDMA radio at all so can only be used on ATT or Tmobile, UNLIKE the sim free iPhone 6s

On the other hand the Verizon and Sprint phone DO have dual radios in them one for GSM and one for CDMA. So if you purchase one of those and you get it "unlocked" it will have the ABILITY to go to TMobile or ATT.

Problem is if you are an ATT customer you can't purchase a Verizon or Sprint phone right now you would need to wait for Sim-free phone if you want BOTH RADIOS.

When/IF apple starts selling a sim free phone it will most likely be the A1630 and A1631 models currently sold as Verizon and Sprint phones.


[doublepost=1473519999][/doublepost]

Do "sim-free" unlocked phones work on Virgin Mobile in the U.S. ??

Yes they should

 

[hermitman]

Why does Apple do this? If you shell out full-price for a supposedly unlocked phone, you should get a phone that works with any carrier in the U.S. and any network worldwide. It's not until the "sim-free" phone becomes available that you get this.

So in effect those shelling out full price for the iPhone 7 at launch are getting LESS of a phone than those who wait for the sim-free version a month or so down the road.

It's only the sim-free phone that will work with AT&T, Verizon, T-mobile, Sprint, and other networks in the U.S.; networks in China; networks elsewhere in the world.

It's these sim-free, work-everywhere phones that will have the highest resale value, and with good reason: More people will be interested in them. Bigger audience.

Plus, I like to travel the world. I don't want my full-priced iPhone 7 crippling me from the get-go.

Booo, Apple. Dumb!

The issue is related to the two types basebands ordered with Qualcomm and Intel, respectively. For most people in the states, this is hardly noticeable, since people stucked in the same carrier for a long long long time. But if you travel, you will notice that your LTE phone cannot pick up certain 4G signal in certain country. The classic Apple answer to this will be:


You are using it wrong! Who says the iPhone can switch carriers at your wish!


Seriously, although this issue is not going to degrade the overall quality of the phone, but it does suck for some customers.

 

[alphacen]

I like TMO because I travel internationally quite often and get unlimited data and text in most major countries without needing a local SIM. It's sweet to turn on the phone and just have it work. There were a couple times where the country I was in didn't have this deal w/ TMO so after a quick chat/tweet, they granted me a temp unlock (on plan phone) to use a local GSM sim.

 

[gregnauman]

Basically what apple is doing is LIMITING the CDMA phones to Verizon and Sprint right now.

ALL iPhone 7s do GSM, only some of them do CDMA

ALL iPhone 6s would do both GSM and CDMA
[doublepost=1473521943][/doublepost]Well here is the tell ALL picture I snapped from Apple website. See how the iPhone 7 and 7 plus says "SOME MODELS" under CDMA?
It does not say that under iPhone 6S or 6plus

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

Verizon model will work with both AT&T and T-Mobile.

Correct, but the AT&T or T-Mobile version will not work with Verizon or Sprint unlike the 6 or 6S.
When the sim free version comes out it will likely be based on the Verizon or sprint version. However we don't even know if there will be a sim free version this time around.

 

[Ries]

CDMA is dying anyway, unless you go to South Korea, you'll be fine. In the US just pick a GSM carrier. Verizon is nuking CDMA and most other countries are shutting down their CDMA too. LTE is the new goto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CDMA2000_networks

 

[overfedexed]

Correct, but the AT&T or T-Mobile version will not work with Verizon or Sprint unlike the 6 or 6S.
When the sim free version comes out it will likely be based on the Verizon or sprint version. However we don't even know if there will be a sim free version this time around.

When I spoke to Apple and a Mac Pro, they said that the sim free SHOULD be the 1660 and 1661 model with that number being changed up a little bit. I asked him why they do the sim-free release later and also what would be different between the 1661 and the sim-free. The Mac pro rep said that they do the release like this because of the carriers. On the differences, he said that the sim-free would probably be the same the 1661, but maybe have some different bands.

I told him that I wanted a 7 plus that would do both AT&T AND Verizon, since I have unlimited data plans on both and will be keeping them both for some time I hope.
He said that I should get the Verizon 1661 model and when I receive it from Apple, DO NOT TURN IT ON WITH THE VERIZON SIM IN IT, because the phone will be attached to my Verizon account and they COULD lock it. They probably wouldn't, but he said to do that to be sure.

 

[Harthag]

If you are on ATT you CAN NOT ORDER a Verizon or Sprint phone as they ask for your phone number, I tried it.

Lets hope they do come out with a SIM FREE phone like the Verizon and Sprint one that has the RADIO for ALL US networks

You will be able to do this, just after the phone launches. You're correct you can't do this right now / online. I had AT&T when I bought the 5S and 6. I walked into my local Apple store and bought a Verizon phone at full retail no questions asked. With the 6S I did the same thing. Even though I already had switched to Verizon I requested Verizon model full retail, they rang me up and done without any questions.

 

[Florida Gator]

When I spoke to Apple and a Mac Pro, they said that the sim free SHOULD be the 1660 and 1661 model with that number being changed up a little bit. I asked him why they do the sim-free release later and also what would be different between the 1661 and the sim-free. The Mac pro rep said that they do the release like this because of the carriers. On the differences, he said that the sim-free would probably be the same the 1661, but maybe have some different bands.

With all due respect to you and these Apple employees, none of them know anything about future product launches, even as minor as a SIM-free version of the iPhone 7. This includes people at Apple retail stores and online chat.

 

[Taco1933]

CDMA is dying anyway, unless you go to South Korea, you'll be fine. In the US just pick a GSM carrier. Verizon is nuking CDMA and most other countries are shutting down their CDMA too. LTE is the new goto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CDMA2000_networks

Dying. Not dead. It won't die until most everyone here has a newer phone than the 7.

 

[cwosigns]

He said that I should get the Verizon 1661 model and when I receive it from Apple, DO NOT TURN IT ON WITH THE VERIZON SIM IN IT, because the phone will be attached to my Verizon account and they COULD lock it. They probably wouldn't, but he said to do that to be sure.

Not true at all. When Verizon acquired additional LTE spectrum some years ago, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) imposed a condition of that acquisition: any Verizon phone that is LTE-capable cannot be locked, period.

Any Verizon phone with LTE will always be unlocked and can be used with Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile in the USA and nearly every GSM/LTE carrier in the world.