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Carrier buying Sprint/Verizon phone to use on T-Mobile

A

asbefore

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 25, 2015
15
2
Hi folks,

I'm a T-Mobile customer but I'd like to buy an iPhone 7 on Sprint/Verizon model to have the CDMA capabilities -- T-Mobile is great worldwide, but in certain rural areas of the US it still roams on Verizon's old networks, which is critical for travel.

How is it possible to buy a Sprint/Verizon model and use it on T-Mobile? I walked over to the Apple Store, and they said that if I buy a Sprint/Verizon phone, it will be locked to Sprint/Verizon in the US -- even if I pay full price upfront.

Have any of you had success with this?

Thank you!
 
K

Kahsheh

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2016
239
57
Buy device only (full price) from apple and it is unlocked. You can buy the Verizon phone for Tmobile.
 
Last edited:
T

tjhassan

macrumors member
Sep 13, 2014
73
60
I just came back from the Apple Store. Picked up a Verizon 7+. I'm on AT&T and put in my SIM, and it works - connected to AT&T LTE. I paid full price. You should be fine.
 
A

asbefore

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 25, 2015
15
2
tjhassan said:
I just came back from the Apple Store. Picked up a Verizon 7+. I'm on AT&T and put in my SIM, and it works - connected to AT&T LTE. I paid full price. You should be fine.
Click to expand...
but how? I can make a reservation to pick up a phone only on T-Mobile, it's impossible to order a phone on Verizon/Sprint unless you have a contract with them. And it's a total crapshoot of what they have at the store -- mostly they don't have anything, very rarely a 7+ in stock.
 
se1000

se1000

macrumors 6502
Sep 24, 2014
419
410
LA, CA
Supposedly you can say you're buying it as a gift and they'll sell you one. Not sure if you can reserve. You could also wait until the sim-free model comes out.

BTW, I don't think T-Mobile ever roams on Verizon's network.

I can confirm if you pay full price and buy the Verizon model, it works great on T-Mobile. Everything works including WiFi Calling, VoLTE, HD Voice etc etc.
 
T

tjhassan

macrumors member
Sep 13, 2014
73
60
asbefore said:
but how? I can make a reservation to pick up a phone only on T-Mobile, it's impossible to order a phone on Verizon/Sprint unless you have a contract with them. And it's a total crapshoot of what they have at the store -- mostly they don't have anything, very rarely a 7+ in stock.
Click to expand...

I used this
https://reserve.cdn-apple.com/US/en...1&sourceID=email&rv=0&path=&iPP=U&appleCare=Y

Made a reservation, when I got there I told them I wanted to pay full price. They grabbed the phone and sold it to me. I must have gotten lucky that they had one in stock in MB.
 
eyoungren

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,659
28,436
Verizon LTE capable phones are unlocked out of the box no matter who you buy it from and how much or how little you pay.

Part of an agreement Verizon has with the FCC.
 
A

asbefore

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 25, 2015
15
2
eyoungren said:
Verizon LTE capable phones are unlocked out of the box no matter who you buy it from and how much or how little you pay.

Part of an agreement Verizon has with the FCC.
Click to expand...
What about the Sprint phones, are they also unlocked?
 
A

asbefore

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 25, 2015
15
2
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