Apple will start selling fully unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models in the United States beginning tomorrow, January 6th, according to several sources. The unlocked iPhones will be available both via Apple’s physical retail stores and online store…
Currently, Apple sells the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in the U.S. either via a carrier contract or unlocked on T-Mobile. Tomorrow’s change means that Apple will sell the latest iPhone models with no SIM-card so that customers can use the phone anywhere in the world on any supported carrier by bringing along their own SIM-card.
The pricing will be the same as an unlocked T-Mobile iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, starting at $649 and going all the way up to $949 depending on screen size and choice of storage space. Apple started selling unlocked iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s models approximately two months following the initial launches in 2012 and 2013, so Apple is running a little behind the pattern this year.
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Great news for those of us looking to pick up a contract free iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. I love my 6, but I’m very tempted by the Plus.
I just bought and returned a 6+. It slows down productivity.
How so? Due to the size?
Sooooo, what’s the point? Is it that hard to order the unlocked one as it is today and throw out the Tmobile SIM card (exactly what I did)?
Probably the T mobile branding may go away
There is no T-Mobile branding. Just on the SIM card which you can just toss out.
That is exactly what I was wondering.
Maybe the unlocked iPhone has CDMA enabled while the T-Mobile one does not? (It has never been completely clear to me what the difference was between the GSM and CDMA models for recent iPhones)
the t-mobile iPhone 6 and 6+ that was sold unlocked on launch day, also had its cdma radio enabled.
as long as you have a verizon sim card that is already activated, if you stick it in an iPhone 6 or 6+ it will work like a verizon iPhone. the only difference is that you cannot activate a new line of service with verizon.
Think of the difference between AM and FM radios. CDMA and GSM are no more compatible than those two formats. While portable radios are outfitted to receive both broadcasts, the transmitters/receivers in cell phones are not. It would be harder to find dual radio phones than it is to find equipment that runs on both AC and DC currents. The systems are mutually exclusive. BTW, CDMA was invented by Hedy Lamarr during WW2, FWIW.
Your T-mobile version is only GSM unlocked; meaning you could only use it on GSM based networks like At&t and T-mobile. This “sim-free” unlocked model is CDMA and GSM unlocked. Meaning not only could you use it anywhere in the world with any carrier (regardless of GSM or CDMA) with full LTE support, but what’s particularly interesting is that if you live in the U.S. you could for the first time use this iPhone to switch between At&t, T-mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.
Also the T-mobile phone (Model A1549) being sold in the U.S. doesn’t have as many LTE bands as this “sim-free” version. Take a look at http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
Your T-mobile phone is unlocked for 3G outside the U.S. but LTE support is limited if not non-existent throughout most of Europe and Asia. Basically, it’s the first global iPhone with no compromises, and now you can switch between carriers like they’ve been doing throughout the rest of the world for years.
T-Mobile/ATT/Verizon phones don’t have full LTE support in Asian countries. Sprint usually does but you’re forced to use Sprint while in the US
Nope, T-Mobile iPhone 6 and 6+ does support all available frequencies in Asia. I am using it with Japanese and Taiwanese carriers without problems
Ken Lee says:
January 6, 2015 at 4:44 am
Nope, T-Mobile iPhone 6 and 6+ does support all available frequencies in Asia. I am using it with Japanese and Taiwanese carriers without problems
Ken – The T-Mobile/ATT/Verizon phones do not support the TD-LTE bands (time division) — so even though it it working there, some other areas won’t work. For a list of which phones support which LTE bands: https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ Only the A1586 and A1524 (the new sim-free phone is this model) supports most of the bands. The T-Mobile/ATT/Verzion phones do not support 38, 39, 40, and 41.
This is the only iPhone that will work with every major carrier plus it has a few additional bands, making it better for international travel.
Will it be the same model of iPhone as supplied with T-Mobile SIM or some special international variant?
Different model. More bands and will activate with both GSM and CDMA (Spring AND Verizon) carriers right out of the box with no hassle.
huh? , bought three phones in Grand Central store over last month, all were unlocked and all worked perfect in Ireland, complete non news
How is it non-news? Unless we are all psychic the only person who knew you bought three unlocked phones in Grand Central is you. Might not be news to you – but to others it obviously is.
No, this is a more versatile phone. More bands and it works with all GSM and CDMA carriers.
The complete unlocked Model will have all 20 bands available, other than T-Mobile version only has 16 bands. so the T-mobile version is not a true world phone, but the complete unlocked version is. If you are not traveling, the complete unlocked version means nothing to you.
Is it confirmed that it will be the international versions of the iPhone 6 (A1586) and iPhone 6 Plus (A1524) with a wider range of supported LTE bands and not the USA versions (A1549 & A1522)?
It is the international version your mention.
doubtful,
you only get 20 lte channels on the sprint version
It actually is the version Sprint has been selling without being tied down to Sprint in any way. Plus, it’ll work with both Sprint and Verizon.
not having channels 38, 39, 40 , and 41 is kind of a bummer, you won’t get the fastest network speeds, but its nothing that will really stop you when traveling out of the country.
Won’t the still give you a free sim of your choice at the store when you make the purchase? That’s exactly how they’ve handled it in Canada for years. The phone is sold unlocked and sim free and they give you a sim of your choice – or you can tell them you don’t want one at all.
The apple store here gave me a verizon sim chip, even though I purchased an unlocked t-mobile phone, it was free, but they did make me go to a verizon kiosk first, after they denied me (wanted me to buy a veiizon iPhone) I went back and the apple store gave me one – it had a $0.00 price sticker on it, and after calling up Verizion care on the phone, it works 100% (it would not activate my IMEI until I called them)
How great is this.
So for once we have an upper hand on the AT&T’s and Verizon’s which have forced down our throats these long term contracts.
When I could buy an Iphone for $199 it was ok to have these contracts. But now that I have to pay full price for phones, we should be able to do whatever we want with the phones.
It’s this way in Europe and people switch their Sim cards all the time to get better discounts and such.
For years AT&T and Verizon has been gauging us on data rates, hope this gives us more power to chose cheaper plans.
Ahem, you always paid full price plus for any phone under a contract. The monthly fee contains a monthly payment for the phone. That’s why you would get a bill for the phone if you cancel early. The company financed the phone for you.
I’m amazed at how expensive mobile phone service is in the US – here in UK I can get a good “sim only” contract for a few pounds GBP per month. And we have at least 6 carriers all competing with each other, but using a common technical system.
Euro plans are cheaper because incoming calls to your mobile costs the person calling you (A LOT in most cases) – however, in the US the incoming calls are free to both parties (except for if you use a landline and have to pay long distance, but that has nothing to do with the type of phone you are calling). So long as you have people who want to call you, willing to pay the surcharge of calling a mobile phone, it works out in your favor, else, you have a phone with mostly only outgoing calls.
I got my iPhone 6Plus on launch date from the Apple Store unlocked. I went to AT&T’s website and unlocked it. I paid full price when I did get it as my iPhone 5s was still in contract so I went through I paid full price. Also to my understanding you can get the iPhone on AT&T next program and pay it in full that day and have it unlocked. On launch day at the store there were many people asking for unlock iPhone from the Apple Store.
Huh? You bought an unlocked phone from Apple and then went to AT&T’s website to unlock it? Must be a typo…
Locked AT&T phone from apple. AT&T will allow you to unlock your phone once you have paid for it in full.
Uhhh … how does this one actually differ from the iPhone 6 I purchased with a T-Mobile sim that I removed and replaced with a Net10 sim?
It doesn’t make much difference, simply 4 bands of LTE are added. Specifically, TD-LTE, which differs from FDD-LTE. TD-LTE is popular in Asia, and the Pacific (Japan and Australia being two other areas). TD-LTE is expected to make up 25% of all LTE by 2016. It was a move on Apple’s part to secure Chinese buyers, who use DoCoMo and China Mobile, which support TD-LTE.
If you have a T-Mobile iPhone 6, you’re good in most of the world, except in a few European, and some Asian/Pacific areas you won’t get the absolute fastest speeds. If you either live abroad, or do a lot of traveling and have a penchant for high-speed data usage with a wallet full of nano-SIM cards from different areas, get the new SIM-free iPhone 6.
What Fred says, plus you can use this with ANY of the major carriers in the USA. That’s a first.
I sold my iPhone 5 for more than I paid for it on http://www.ching4ring.com. They paid my shipping, wiped my old phone and I got on PayPal the same day they got my phone. Will use the money for the new phone!! Very fast transaction, highly recommended!
new phone 07/2015vlike my Asian version LG wine smart are compatible with GSM, WCDMA and LTE all come unlocked as it illegal to sell a locked/propriatary phone in most Asian countries. Uses nano sim.