iPhone Technical Help Thread

[Uncle Ted]

I want to switch over to another carrier, and I paid cash up front for my existing iphone. I have never been on contract with my current carrier, and never financed any of my phones. I verified with TMobile that my iphone was unlocked. However, when I tried to switch over to a new carrier, they checked my existing iphone's IMEI and told me that that particular IMEI was irretrievably linked to TMobile. What? I was never given a discount or anything when I purchased my existing iphone, and I thought it was like purchasing an iphone from Apple directly, but it looks like if I try to take my phone away from TMobile it won't work at all. Isn't that the definition of a locked phone? And why would it be locked in the first place? So now I have a 7 plus with 256 GB that I cannot use?

You should always buy iPhones from the Apple Store and make sure they are "SIM-Free" or not locked to any one carrier. A SIM-Free iPhone works on any of the carriers' networks. In some cases the carrier lock can be removed so it can be used on a different network. It depends on the carrier. SIM-Free iPhones are unlocked from the beginning.

[Uncle Ted]

Did you go through the steps to unlock your phone? We just switched to TMobile, and we unlocked the phones we had purchased through AT&T. It was pretty seamless. My iPhone X transferred right over, though they told us my daughters iPhone 5s couldn't transfer. So I traded in an old iPhone 6 I had been using as an iPod, and got a $450 credit towards a new phone for my daughter. And now I just use the iPhone 5 as the iPod. I have to think you'd be able to trade your 7plus in for some decent value, even if it's true that it can't be unlocked.

Yeah, IIRC, the 5s didn't have the "SIM-Free" option and each one only had the RF modem chip for one (or two) particular carrier. Starting with the iPhone 6 the RF modem supported all the various frequencies for most of the carriers in the world (at least the popular ones). In fact, the modem chip includes support for the frequencies for FM radio but apple chose not to enable those for some reason (at least here in the US). KL should be able to get T-Mobile to network unlock her phone unless they don't like her or something. I have never worked with T-Mobile I have no experience on how they operate.

[old_gregg]

Did you go through the steps to unlock your phone? We just switched to TMobile, and we unlocked the phones we had purchased through AT&T. It was pretty seamless. My iPhone X transferred right over, though they told us my daughters iPhone 5s couldn't transfer. So I traded in an old iPhone 6 I had been using as an iPod, and got a $450 credit towards a new phone for my daughter. And now I just use the iPhone 5 as the iPod. I have to think you'd be able to trade your 7plus in for some decent value, even if it's true that it can't be unlocked.

ok but explain why you need to use a phone as an ipod instead of just streaming music like a normal guy

[Donuthole]

ok but explain why you need to use a phone as an ipod instead of just streaming music like a normal guy

So I can hand it to my 4yo and tell her to play Angry Birds until we get to grandma's house. Also, so I can text my son when I leave him home alone.

[old_gregg]

So I can hand it to my 4yo and tell her to play Angry Birds until we get to grandma's house. Also, so I can text my son when I leave him home alone.

i see