Question Regarding iPhone Purchased at Full Price from BestBuy & Unlock Status

[TheRewardisCheese]

Let me preface by saying I am definitely not a newb or stranger when it comes to phones and unlocking, etc... However, the one area where I am out of my comfort zone is buying an iPhone at full cost, no financing or contracts, and know the status of that phone being unlocked without opening it and putting a sim in it.

So anyways, here is my question. I purchased through BestBuy's website, an AT&T iphone 7 32gb Rose Gold at full retail price. However, what was strange is when you chose the option to pay full price, and add it to the cart, the item description shows iPhone 7 32 Rose Gold - Unactivated. Nowhere does it disclose the model number or carrier.

When I picked up the phone this evening, I checked the back of the box and it shows the model number as A1660 which I know is the iPhone 7 which has the CDMA bands as well as the GSM LTE bands which basically is the version used on Verizon and Sprint. I found it odd that they did not give me the A1788 which is the GSM only version of the iPhone 7.

Anyways, the BestBuy rep at the instore pick up counter confirmed with the BestBuy Mobile people that the phone is for sure unlocked, however, and here is the part I am questioning solely based on the fact I purchased from BestBuy, is she told me that once you insert a sim, regardless of carrier, it will then lock the phone to that carrier of the inserted sim forever. I am taking this with a grain of salt based on my well rounded knowledge of unlock protocols.

In my 12 years of my interest in cellphones and tech in general, I have never heard of this being true. I know that iphones purchased at full cost with absolutely no financial obligation attachments are unlocked by default, and I also know that all Verizon phones are unlocked by default by law due to their agreement with the FCC from some years back.

Since I am planning on gifting the phone to someone, before I do, I wanted to reach out to my fellow iMore community members to see if anyone out there has ACTUALLY had this happen to them (not necessarily just being told this by someone) where the phone actually locked permenantly just as the BestBuy Mobile people say it will.

Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated Again, this is just one area that I have never dealt with as I have always purchased my iPhones from either Apple directly or my carrier store directly.

 

[eyecrispy]

I don't think that's true. If you paid full price it is unlocked. I doubt it will lock to the carrier once a sim is inserted.

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

I don't think that's true. If you paid full price it is unlocked. I doubt it will lock to the carrier once a sim is inserted.

Thanks Eyecrispy. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy considering I have never heard of that happening on any of the forums here at iMore and others in all my years. I am almost positive that if BestBuy's claim were true, this would have been well voiced here in the community over the past few years that they have been selling phones.

I have searched high and low via Google Search and just could not find another sole who has actually had this happen. I dont even know if the sim card inside the phone is Verizon or Sprint since I am going to gift it, and want to let that person open it. If its Verizon, then perfect, since we all know the Verizon phones are unlocked.

Well hopefully this all works out for my giftee Thanks again for chiming in. I definitely appreciate your response. A little affirmation goes a long way.

 

[Alain_A]

Well that depends, I'm Canadian, when I called att for info for buying a US phone through them and paying cash. I was told such phone had to be active on their site for at least 6 months before it was eligible for unlocking.
Unless I got misinformed, that is what I know

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

Well that depends, I'm Canadian, when I called att for info for buying a US phone through them and paying cash. I was told such phone had to be active on their site for at least 6 months before it was eligible for unlocking.
Unless I got misinformed, that is what I know

I can confirm this is true if purchasing an AT&T phone to unlock. 6 months on a prepaid plan, or 60 days on postpaid is required according to several AT&T reps I have spoken with in the past.

 

[Alain_A]

I can confirm this is true if purchasing an AT&T phone to unlock. 6 months on a prepaid plan, or 60 days on postpaid is required according to several AT&T reps I have spoken with in the past.

Yeah, but one paid full price right off the bat, it should be automatically unlocked

 

[eyecrispy]

Yeah, but one paid full price right off the bat, it should be automatically unlocked

True. I've purchased phones outright every year and they've always been unlocked from the start.

OP, I am currently using a Verizon iPhone 7 with an ATT sim. If you'd like, I can put my sister's Verizon sim or my parents' T-Mobile sim in my phone when I see them over the next few days to verify for you that the phone didn't lock itself to att.

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

True. I've purchased phones outright every year and they've always been unlocked from the start.

OP, I am currently using a Verizon iPhone 7 with an ATT sim. If you'd like, I can put my sister's Verizon sim or my parents' T-Mobile sim in my phone when I see them over the next few days to verify for you that the phone didn't lock itself to att.

Actually no I need as I know from all the phones I have purchased at full retail from Apple that they are not locked and don't lock later on when inserting another sim, but I definitely appreciate the fact that you were willing to do that for me The ONLY times I have received a locked from is the very few times I have purchased directly from tmobile and AT&T.

I really was solely concerned about iphone purchased off contract at BestBuy since I have never done that before from BestBuy. BestBuy happened to be the only place with stock. My gut tells me that the people at BestBuy either don't know what they are talking about, or, that they are trained to say that in order to discourage customers from buying phones outright from their supply since they have activation quotas, or something the likes thereof.

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

I think I will just for the sake of doing my complete due diligence, I will call Apple tomorrow to see what their response is to BestBuy's claim.

 

[eyecrispy]

I think I will just for the sake of doing my complete due diligence, I will call Apple tomorrow to see what their response is to BestBuy's claim.

Not a bad idea. I think it's their lack of knowledge.

 

[TwitchyPuppy]

Question Regarding iPhone Purchased at Full Price from BestBuy & Unlock Status

If you bought an AT&T one, it's locked to that carrier. Hence why the "Unactivated" status. So when an AT&T SIM will be put in, it will "lock" to that carrier (even if it's already locked). Unlike Verizon.

That's my understanding of what the BB rep said. And it somewhat makes sense.
Even bought at full price, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Cricket and such aren't factory unlocked.

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

Re: Question Regarding iPhone Purchased at Full Price from BestBuy & Unlock Status

If you bought an AT&T one, it's locked to that carrier. Hence why the "Unactivated" status. So when an AT&T SIM will be put in, it will "lock" to that carrier (even if it's already locked). Unlike Verizon.

That's my understanding of what the BB rep said. And it somewhat makes sense.
Even bought at full price, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Cricket and such aren't factory unlocked.

I figured AT&T iphones sold at BestBuy will be locked, just like if I were to buy it at an AT&T. That was not the issue. BestBuy sold me a Model A1660 which is not the AT&T model, but the Sprint/Verizon model. What I thought was strange is that no one at BestBuy new if the phone was pulled from their Verizon stock or Sprint stock, or something different entirely.

As of today, when my girlfriend opened the phone and put her AT&T sim in, and then when we tried my tmobile sim, it rejected the tmobile sim. I actually thought when BB told me that its basically an unlocked phone but will lock to a carrier once a sim is put in that they were full of it since this particular situation apparently is not common. Never have I ever heard of this happening anywhere. Carriers (except Verizon) sell locked phones regardless if you pay outright. Apple sells unlocked phones by default unless you do a carrier finance/upgrade plan, then those get locked (again, except for Verizon). However, unlocked phones do not ever lock back to a carrier, at least not in my 12 years of dealing with cell phones.

Basically I learned something new in the mobile space today and that is BB iphones, when purchased outright are unlocked until you put a sim in, which tells me that their stock of iphones is truly "unique" in some sort of way, just not sure how to describe it really.

Anyways, all is good since we got AT&T to unlock the phone with a quick email.

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

Not a bad idea. I think it's their lack of knowledge.

Update: Apple was not really sure as to why the BB iphones would lock as soon as a SIM was put in. But I was able to get AT&T to unlock the phone within minutes of emailing them

 

[eyecrispy]

Re: Question Regarding iPhone Purchased at Full Price from BestBuy & Unlock Status

I figured AT&T iphones sold at BestBuy will be locked, just like if I were to buy it at an AT&T. That was not the issue. BestBuy sold me a Model A1660 which is not the AT&T model, but the Sprint/Verizon model. What I thought was strange is that no one at BestBuy new if the phone was pulled from their Verizon stock or Sprint stock, or something different entirely.

As of today, when my girlfriend opened the phone and put her AT&T sim in, and then when we tried my tmobile sim, it rejected the tmobile sim. I actually thought when BB told me that its basically an unlocked phone but will lock to a carrier once a sim is put in that they were full of it since this particular situation apparently is not common. Never have I ever heard of this happening anywhere. Carriers (except Verizon) sell locked phones regardless if you pay outright. Apple sells unlocked phones by default unless you do a carrier finance/upgrade plan, then those get locked (again, except for Verizon). However, unlocked phones do not ever lock back to a carrier, at least not in my 12 years of dealing with cell phones.

Basically I learned something new in the mobile space today and that is BB iphones, when purchased outright are unlocked until you put a sim in, which tells me that their stock of iphones is truly "unique" in some sort of way, just not sure how to describe it really.

Anyways, all is good since we got AT&T to unlock the phone with a quick email.

So weird. So wrong.

So, would a Verizon one lock to a carrier if purchased from BB?

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

Re: Question Regarding iPhone Purchased at Full Price from BestBuy & Unlock Status

So weird. So wrong.

So, would a Verizon one lock to a carrier if purchased from BB?

Yes definitely weird and definitely wrong. Even weirder is that ATT unlocked an iPhone model that they don't even sell lol.

Not sure if Verizon one would lock to a carrier though. But based on my recent experience I would not put it past BB to a Verizon one that would lock itself lol

 

[ame]

IIRC the Tmo is the only "truly" unlocked model.

 

[ame]

So I asked this on a chat with Apple Support since we were trying to revive my new phone, he also said Tmo is the only truly unlocked one at purchase of full price--like a "sim free" version, that is. Otherwise:

"you would need to have the carrier unlock the device and then restore with the new sim card through itunes after the carrier has unlocked it."

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

So I asked this on a chat with Apple Support since we were trying to revive my new phone, he also said Tmo is the only truly unlocked one at purchase of full price--like a "sim free" version, that is. Otherwise:

"you would need to have the carrier unlock the device and then restore with the new sim card through itunes after the carrier has unlocked it."

I am not sure the rep you spoke with was entirely accurate in his statement, only in that our household purchased 2 new tmobile iphone 7 Plus' and 2 new AT&T 7's directly from Apple at full price. I tested both my tmobile sim one of the AT&T phones and my AT&T sim in one of the tmobile phones when we received them last Friday just to make sure they were unlocked, as I do every year when we have ordered directly from Apple. None of the phones ever "locked" to that specific carrier once inserting the sim cards and then switching them back.

I have never had any iphone that we have purchased from Apple at full retail lock to any carrier at any time ever after inserting a sim, in my personal experiences with Apple since the 5S and up.

Not sure why the one I purchased at BestBuy did this, but I will take this as a learning experience and will simply not purchase from BB again when it comes to iPhones. I only purchased this particular one from them as my girlfriend's phone finally stopped working and the BestBuy in my area was literally the only store that had the color and storage size in stock.

 

[ame]

I am wondering if they grabbed the wrong phone, honestly.

 

[TheRewardisCheese]

I am wondering if they grabbed the wrong phone, honestly.

Possibly, but I did ask them several times as to why when online I chose the AT&T model which is model number A1788, they gave me a Model A1660, no body knew as to why their system directed them to pull that model instead of the AT&T one. To be honest, it seemed as if none of the BB Mobile employees knew anything about actual model numbers....basically just did what the system told them to do.