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SIM-Free iPhone X Now Available From Apple Online Store in the United States

Monday December 4, 2017 4:19 pm PST by Juli Clover
Starting today, Apple is offering a SIM-free version of the iPhone X from its online store in the United States, allowing customers to buy an unlocked iPhone without choosing a carrier.

SIM-free versions of the iPhone X in all capacities list the same ~one week delivery estimate available for other iPhone X devices. SIM-free iPhone X models ordered today will arrive on December 12.



SIM-free iPhone X models will work with any carrier and have full support for both CDMA and GSM networks, much like the Sprint and Verizon versions of the new smartphone. iPhone X models from AT&T and T-Mobile do not support CDMA networks and are not compatible with Sprint or Verizon.

Since iPhone X pre-orders kicked off on October 27, Apple has only allowed customers to buy an iPhone X with an AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon SIM, though models purchased in full are listed as unlocked. At launch, Apple was requiring carrier pre-activation to make an iPhone X purchase, but that requirement was lifted in mid-November.

It's been possible to get the equivalent of a SIM-free unlocked iPhone X ordering a Verizon model and paying full price, but now there is an official SIM-free version.

Now that SIM-free iPhone X models are available, Apple is will also soon allow its employees to purchase the iPhone X through the internal employee site at a discount.

[ 223 comments ]

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JPack
25 months ago

What was the reason for NOT allowing SIM free iphones? Could buy them from day one in Canada.


SIM-free = Qualcomm only

Apple probably had volume commitments to Intel. Most consumers would prefer not to get the crippled Intel version if they had a choice.
Rating: 11 Votes
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citysnaps
25 months ago
Excellent. That's what I was waiting for!
Rating: 10 Votes
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JPack
25 months ago

Question. Can you purchase an unlocked iphone X and activate it WITHOUT signing up to a carrier? I travel internationally a lot, and have a travel blog. I want to use the iphone X as my travel camera. I'd like to use wifi only...but then occassionally pop in a sim when i am overseas. It may sound odd, but i don't want to join any carrier service.

Another question...i also have a grandfathered unlimited ATT data plan for my iPad. Can i pop out that sim and put it into an iphone X? Just wondering.


Yes.

The rest of the world does this. They purchase a SIM-free unlocked phone and use it with whatever carrier and whenever they like. No commitments.
Rating: 9 Votes
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jcshas
25 months ago
Isn't this essentially the same as buying the Verizon iPhone X, without a contract? I did and activated mine on AT&T.
Rating: 5 Votes
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thadoggfather
25 months ago

I simply bought the T-Mobile version on launch day, it's basically like the SIM free iPhone.


You can make it sim free , just remove the included sim and you’re free !

:P
Rating: 4 Votes
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dumastudetto
25 months ago
i hope a lot of people take advantage of the opportunity to own a sim-free iPhone X. It is a truly incredible device that is worthy of the price.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Rigby
25 months ago

So if you plan to use AT&T as a carrier, do you think you are better off sticking with the GSM version? Sounds like CDMA will work, but if GSM is the better network, I can't understand why people would forgoe a better network just for a chipset.

Attempting to clarify this a bit:

- When people talk about GSM today, they really mean 3GPP standards; GSM was the 2G 3GPP standard, today only 3G and LTE/4G are relevant (AT&T has in fact decomissioned GSM a while ago)

- AT&T has used 3GPP standards from the beginnning, from GSM over 3G to LTE/4G. Verizon originally used a different standard (often called CDMA, although that is really a more general term), but they are now migrating their networks to 3GPP standards as well (LTE/4G and in a few years 5G). They are in the process of decomissioning their CDMA network.

- The modem chips used in the current Verizon iPhones support a superset of the functionality of the ones in AT&T phones. Verizon phones support both 3GPP and CDMA networks, while AT&T phones only support 3GPP. So, you can use the Verizon version everywhere were you can use the AT&T version, plus on CDMA networks. In that regard it is a superior phone. But soon that advantage will be irrelevant since CDMA is becoming less and less important (at least in the US).
Rating: 4 Votes
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1080p
25 months ago

Why didn’t you just buy an AT&T iPhone earlier? What advantage did you gain?

You weren’t to obligated to use carrier or Apple financing. I paid full price for mine so I don’t see any difference.

Qualcomm LTE Chips are known to perform better (better reception, faster internet speeds).
Rating: 3 Votes
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mcdj
25 months ago
Can you play the Sims Free on a Sim Free phone?
Rating: 3 Votes
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Bart Kela
25 months ago

Do you think it’s worth it to get the Qualcomm model for use on AT&T and lose $100 on it when I already have the Intel AT&T model?

Probably not. Apple is allegedly capping the transfer speed of the better performing modem so it is relatively similar to the slower-performing component.

Even if there is a 10% difference in cellular data transfer rates between the two models, that's not enough for Joe Consumer to notice.

If one device takes three minutes to download a file and the other device takes 2 minutes 42 seconds to download the same file, would you notice? I wouldn't.
Rating: 3 Votes

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