[androidluvr2]

Verizon is SIM unlocking my iPhone 4S for me, so apparently the Verizon iPhone 4S has a GSM radio because it is not a 4G LTE device so there is no reason for it to have a SIM card on Verizon.

My question is, if the iPhone 4S is SIM unlocked, does that mean that it can be used on ATT or TMobile? The reason I am asking is because on some verizon iPhone 4S listings I see that it is unlocked for international GSM carriers only, not ATT or TMobile. How can that be?

[Jaguarr40]

Verizon is SIM unlocking my iPhone 4S for me, so apparently the Verizon iPhone 4S has a GSM radio because it is not a 4G LTE device so there is no reason for it to have a SIM card on Verizon.

My question is, if the iPhone 4S is SIM unlocked, does that mean that it can be used on ATT or TMobile? The reason I am asking is because on some verizon iPhone 4S listings I see that it is unlocked for international GSM carriers only, not ATT or TMobile. How can that be?

The main reason VZW would unlock your phone is so that you can use it internationally. That is the main reason. WHen you called them to ask them to do this I would have asked for an explanation and that way you get it direct from the carrier on what the unlock means for you.

[androidluvr2]

Yes, I am going to call back and get the answer direct from Global Support. In the meantime, looks like the answer to my question is somewhere in this thread for those interested:

https://community.verizonwireless.com/message/696707

1-800-711-8300 Global Support is the number to call.

Anyone who knows more or who has done this, please chime in!

[androidluvr2]

Apparently there is a MCN/MCC restriction in the firmware that prevents using an ATT or T-Mobile SIM in an unlocked VZW iPhone 4S. You can however use a foreign SIM in it and when in the US it will roam on ATT.

[kch50428]

The SIM unlock on a 4S on Verizon is for international GSM only. US-based GSM providers are blocked elsewhere in the radio chipset.

[kch50428]

Apparently there is a MCN/MCC restriction in the firmware that prevents using an ATT or T-Mobile SIM in an unlocked VZW iPhone 4S. You can however use a foreign SIM in it and when in the US it will roam on ATT.

Yep. That's the way it is...

[Jaguarr40]

Yes, I am going to call back and get the answer direct from Global Support. In the meantime, looks like the answer to my question is somewhere in this thread for those interested:

https://community.verizonwireless.com/message/696707

1-800-711-8300 Global Support is the number to call.

Anyone who knows more or who has done this, please chime in!

Very good and I think the link you posted is most helpful and pretty much says everything you need to know. Good luck with the unlock.

[kch50428]

My 4S was unlocked by Verizon just prior to getting my iP5... I restored the 4S via iTunes... and between the restore completing and getting the opportunity to restore from back-up a screen popped up that said I was unlocked...

[androidluvr2]

My 4S was unlocked by Verizon just prior to getting my iP5... I restored the 4S via iTunes... and between the restore completing and getting the opportunity to restore from back-up a screen popped up that said I was unlocked...

Good to know. I was wondering if there were a way to verify that the unlock went through.

I can't see any downside to unlocking your iPhone 4S. It makes it more valuable if you are going to sell it and it doesn't interfere with use in the US.

[androidluvr2]

My 4S was unlocked by Verizon just prior to getting my iP5... I restored the 4S via iTunes... and between the restore completing and getting the opportunity to restore from back-up a screen popped up that said I was unlocked...

I just did that and got the same screen after I went through the VZW unlock and reset/restored through iTunes!

[Abdellah El Jaghnouni]

hello sir i'm from morocco i have iphone 4s i want unlock my iphone but i dont have account can u help me sir for unlocked this phone?

[kch50428]

hello sir i'm from morocco i have iphone 4s i want unlock my iphone but i dont have account can u help me sir for unlocked this phone?

Answered in another thread... but for those who don't want to bother to look for the answer, it's "no".

[Abdellah El Jaghnouni]

shut up dear old poeple will come to help me

[kch50428]

shut up dear old poeple will come to help me

You're not likely to get any help at all with those kind of comments...

The process for unlocking a Verizon phone is such that it is not very easy to do for legit customers to do on their own phones, let alone do it for someone else. Sorry about that.

[Abdellah El Jaghnouni]

God said ( that God is with the patient)

[androidluvr2]

God said ( that God is with the patient)

WTF?

[Peligro911]

Yes, I am going to call back and get the answer direct from Global Support. In the meantime, looks like the answer to my question is somewhere in this thread for those interested:

https://community.verizonwireless.com/message/696707

1-800-711-8300 Global Support is the number to call.

Anyone who knows more or who has done this, please chime in!

Ya that's why it's global support it gets unlocked for international only so any US carrier will not work .. I did this to mine before I sold it to increase the value


Sent from my iPhone 5 from a galaxy far far away (in the USA ) using Tapatalk !

[WhiteSpir1t]

This is not entirely true.

The Verizon iPhone 4S is essentially a GSM and CDMA code added to the baseband.

I have a gevey sim being used in the Verizon iPhone 4S and it works on T-Mobile.

An alternative to not having a gevey sim is to have Verizon unlock the iPhone 4S. Once unlocked, disable the CDMA antenna so it will only default to the GSM signals. To disable the CDMA antenna, 2 plist files must be removed. For some odd reason, both Sprint and Verizon iPhone 4S have each others' antenna file--just remove both of them, or better yet, back them up and move them to a different folder. This way, if you want to return to verizon without having to wipe the phone with iTunes. Needless to say, this would require a jailbreak to access the filesystem of the phone.

here is from another site: How to Unlock Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4s ios 5.01 with REBEL X-SIM - GSM-Forum

- Connect your 4S with iFunbox
- Go to /var/wireless/Library then delete file carrier_310VZW_20404_11.x.plist ----the Sprint file should be carrier_310SPA_20404_11.x.plist
- Go to /System/Library/Carrier Bundle/iPhone delete folder Zeppelin_US.bundle and delete your sim card carrier

of course do not just delete the files. back them up by moving them to a different directory or just rename them

I have done file renaming in addition to using gevey sim imposer since my phone isn't unlocked. If unlocked, you'd still need to move/rename files.

=============
Some people complain of the lack of "Enable 3G" switch in Settings of the phone since being stuck on 3G without the ability to turn it off will drain the battery quicker. This is a feature unique to only T-Mobile and AT&T phones. A workaround is to look for an app on Cydia called DropCallEliminator. DropCallEliminator will enable EDGE as the precursor to 3G--it retains internet connection while conserving battery.

[lissakate79]

Is the card that came in my Verizon 4s a sim card? Can I take it out and use a micro sim card reader to view it on my computer?

[kch50428]

Is the card that came in my Verizon 4s a sim card? Can I take it out and use a micro sim card reader to view it on my computer?

​No.

[WhiteSpir1t]

The SIM unlock on a 4S on Verizon is for international GSM only. US-based GSM providers are blocked elsewhere in the radio chipset.

Nope not in the chip. It's a plist file you need to remove from within the phone.

Of course the question then remains with 3 choices to make this CDMA unlock possible:

1. Jailbreak and use a sim imposer with removal of the CDMA radio file inside the filesystem.

Or

2. Buy a new phone

[yashicat4]

I recently got a used iphone 4s who's network carrier is sprint. it has a clean imei and i was wondering if there is any way at all to switch it to verizon. im getting conflicting reports as to whether one can get one cdma carrier to recognize a foreign imei. most of those forum posts are from 2012 and recently ive been seeing posts saying that can be switched using the r-sim iii or another sim card like that. so is it possible or can i only hope to switch it to a gsm carrier such as metro pcs, cricket etc. I'd appreciate anything that can finally answer what so many contradictory posts can not

[kch50428]

Verizon will not activate an iPhone4S that was not OEMed for them by Apple... there is no way to activate a Sprint iPhone on Verizon.

The GSM part may be unlocked by Sprint for use outside the US... or, use one of those Gevy or r-sim devices for use with US based GSM provider...

[yashicat4]

so by using a gevy or r sim device i can successfully change it from sprint to a us based gsm provider?

[kch50428]

so by using a gevy or r sim device i can successfully change it from sprint to a us based gsm provider?

all I know is what I've read about Gevy/r-sim.... caveat emptor.