Sprint iPhone 4S to be SIM Unlocked, Verizon After 60 Days

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2011/10/surprise-cdma-iphone-4s-comes-with-an-unlocked-sim-slot


The days when CDMA iPhone users were at a disadvantage when traveling internationally are long behind us. As just discovered by Macworld, the iPhone 4S is even more of a worldphone than we originally thought.

According to them, not only can your Sprint or Verizon CDMA iPhone be used internationally on GSM networks, but the SIM slot that it comes with is actually unlocked, meaning you can pop in any SIM you want. That’s right, when you’re traveling to other GSM countries, you’ll be able to buy a local micro-SIM card (or a normal one and cut it), and pop it into your iPhone 4S.

While Sprint will be making this a standard, Verizon will still be locking the iPhone 4S SIM slot for new users, and will only grant what they call “international unlock” for folks who’ve been good and around for at least 60 days.

The big unknown, of course, is whether you could actually pop an AT&T micro-SIM into such a device. We’ve tried to find out, but haven’t been able to figure that out yet. If it’s the case, that would be a very interesting feature. After all, since you’re paying for the contract, why should the carrier prevent you from doing what you want with the phone, right? But that’s a whole other debate.

There's a big difference.
Any cellphone can be unlocked in the past 4+ years but the iphone here. So I wouldnt be surprised if our US money hungry carriers wouldnt lock it to their own GSM sims only.

A major reason to use GSM is to be able to swap in local SIMs on long trips.

Verizon has always unlocked the GSM side of their World Phones for customers in good standing. There's no reason to think they would change in this case.

AT&T, like about half the world's GSM carriers, refuses to unlock the iPhones they sell. Worse, they won't even unlock it after it's paid off. They don't want their users jumping to carriers like T-Mobile.

Verizon and Sprint is no better in that regard, of course. They don't let the other's CDMA phones onto their network, for the same reason: they don't want to make it too easy to jump carriers.

So the CDMA iPhones are the actual world iPhones while AT&T is stuck with international roaming (that is until a software unlock comes out).

Fudgin' lucky CDMA users lol

And GSM unlocked is fully GSM unlocked. You can't restrict it. It'll take any sim you put into it.

Soooooo basically... At&t is ****ing lame as usually. Is this correct?

Geesh, FINALLY we get this... all because the monopoly on GSM iphone distribution in the USA is broken.

mods please make this thread sticky!

If this is true, I will be seriously considering switching from AT&T. I don't mind being on contract, but not being able to use my phone when I travel has always been a huge disadvantage.

If a Verizon phone comes with 100% unlocked GSM, that is reason alone for me to switch to Verizon from AT&T.

C'mon people...Sprint and Verizon will NOT work on AT&T or Tmobile....it's unlocked for international use...it is extremely easy to unlock it for overseas travel and yet block US GSM use...how would that work in Sprint and Verizon's favor?

I have two iPhones 3GS with AT&T. The 2 year contract is over by a few months now. I'll upgrade to the 4S but I want to have the 2 3GS unlocked as both now fully belong to me. I called them to have them unlocked. They flat out refused.

This is the sound of an unhappy customer who will be leaving AT&T for either Sprint or Verizon (I do travel internationally). This is good news for me, and bad news for AT&T. They deserve the same fate as Netflix for screwing around.