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Topic: Mobility

Verizon iPhone 5 reportedly SIM unlocked out of the box, ready for worldwide use

Summary: There are a few models of iPhone 5 units and it looks like the Verizon model may be one of the best with support for foreign SIM cards and even AT&T/T-Mobile HSPA+ usage.

Matthew Miller

By for Smartphones and Cell Phones |

Last year I purchased the Apple iPhone 4S on Verizon because I had an unlimited data plan I wanted to maintain. It turned out to be a good choice as I was able to easily call up Verizon and get my iPhone unlocked for use overseas with another SIM card. According to iDownloadBlog the Verizon model comes SIM unlocked out of the box this time and even works with AT&T and T-Mobile SIM cards in the US.

When I travel outside the US, I use my Tru SIM card and enjoy life on the go. I do not have this SIM in NanoSIM size so I cannot test out the unlocked status of my Verizon iPhone 5, but am very interested now that I could possibly use my T-Mobile and AT&T SIMs via HSPA+ 3G with this Verizon iPhone 5. As a subscriber to these three carriers, this would make the iPhone 5 the ultimate cross carrier device for crazed smartphone enthusiasts like myself.

According to the Apple website, the Verizon iPhone 5 also supports the following:

CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)

As Europe and other places around the world figure out LTE, the Verizon iPhone 5 may be the best one for world travelers to stay connected.

When Sprint released the iPhone 4S, they had them SIM unlocked out of the box and then relocked the devices. Generally carrier policy allows you to unlock your phone after 90 days of service so even if Verizon kills this with an update we should be able to simply call up like last time and ask to get it unlocked for world travel. Given this world, and even expanded US, functionality I think the Verizon iPhone 5 may be the best of the models. The one thing you cannot do is make voice calls and use data at the same time, but since voice calls are rare for me this is not a factor.

Topics: Mobility, Apple, iPhone, Verizon

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Talkback

6 comments
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  • Carrier-locked phones are evil

    I continue to think that it should be criminal for carriers to keep phones locked after they've been paid for, and I think it's just bad business to block phones from other carriers off their networks. This was the case with the iPhone 4S, which, despite having the same radios, couldn't be purchased on one network and used on another. Hopefully one of the bean counters at these carriers will realize that they're leaving money on the table by not allowing these devices in.
    the.ksmm
    Reply 1 Vote

    • Maybe different in the US

      In the uk, the 4s phones were all sold by apple unlocked and ran on any network - only carriers could lock them; typically for the length of your contract, then you get them unlocked and they again run on any network. All 4s' sold outside of the americas and austrailia were the exact same model and could be unlocked to run on any network. I'm not sure about the model sold in the cdma using countries.

      Unfortunately, as I understand it this model will still not work on all US carriers due to their lte bands - bands are running out. There are two models on sale in the US; the verizon and sprint model and the at&t model. They will not be compatible.

      Fortunately it's not as bad as the iphone 4 situation; where if you accidentally chose a cdma phone, it would never work in g europe. However the post is correct that the iphone or sprint iphone 5 would be the model of choice for travellers as this is the same model shipped in europe - the at&t model wont be; it will work, but not on lte bands.

      All in all it looks as though unless you get a very good deal on an at&t phone, avoid it as it seemingly ties you in by never working on sprint or verizon, and then the lte wont work in europe if you go on hols; this may affect the resale price when you upgrade.

      I've been trying to work out if the verizon/sprint phone will work on at&t... It doesn't look very conpatible, but I can't find a definitive answer - i assume not, or with limited bands otherwise there can't be much reason to have different models?
      MarknWill
      Reply Vote

  • Carrier Locked Phones

    Hey Dude. bean counters have a mind set smaller than a petite green pea.
    GalacticCannibal
    Reply Vote

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    risingspark
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  • Only Problem is

    Only problem is
    With the iPhone
    You will not know where in the world you are.
    Device name should be iLost.
    aaCharley
    Reply Vote

  • I have yet to get this to work

    ATT doesn't have a data plan they can assign non ATT iPhones. Not sure about pre paid, but I speak from Post paid (contract) experience.
    chetelodicofare
    Reply Vote
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