Apple begins selling unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 + - good for SBH

JEK

Senior Insider
[h=1]Apple begins selling unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus in the U.S.[/h]Chance Miller
- 34 mins ago

@ChanceHMiller



The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 went on sale nearly a month ago from carriers and on installment plans, but customers interested in purchasing a SIM-free model were forced to wait. That wait is now over, though, as Apple has started selling the SIM-free iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus on its online store.
Now, when you go to the iPhone purchase page, you’ll see a new option in addition to the existing Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and iPhone Upgrade Program. Customers can now choose to purchase an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus without a SIM card at full retail price.
As Apple notes on its webpage, purchasing a SIM-free iPhone means that there’s no contract commitment or carrier financing. Instead, customers can go to the carrier of their choice and pick up a nano-SIM card, assuming that the iPhone supports the wireless bands of the carrier.
Apple notes of the following network compatibility on its website:
[h=3]AT&T and T-Mobile[/h]The iPhone for AT&T and T-Mobile does not support CDMA and will not work on Sprint or Verizon Wireless. It will use 3G cellular technology for voice services and either 3G or 4G LTE cellular technology for data services. However, the iPhone for AT&T and T-Mobile can roam internationally on many GSM carriers around the world.
[h=3]Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and SIM-free[/h]If Sprint or Verizon Wireless is your wireless carrier, your iPhone will work on AT&T and T-Mobile once activated. The SIM-free iPhone will work with any carrier. An iPhone activated on Sprint or Verizon Wireless, and the SIM-free iPhone, also have the ability to roam internationally on GSM networks.
[h=3]International Roaming[/h]All iPhone models are world phones, so you can use them almost anywhere. Which means you can roam internationally on GSM networks in over 200 countries around the world, whether you are a GSM or CDMA network customer. Availability of LTE data varies in some countries and depends on carrier support for certain LTE radio frequencies. For details on LTE network support, please see www.apple.com/iphone/LTE.
As far as availability goes, the iPhone 7 has faster shipping times than the Plus model does, though the Jet Black variant is still hard to come by in either size.
Pricing for the variants is below:
iPhone 7

  • 32GB – $649
  • 128GB – $749
  • 256GB – $849
iPhone 7 Plus

  • 32GB – $769
  • 128GB – $869
  • 256GB – $969
 
Hmmm. I'm not sure what is new about this announcement.

My iPhone 7 (MN9H2LL/A) came SIM-free and unlocked, I moved the SIM from an iPhone 6 into it, restored it from an iPhone 6 backup, and it has worked just fine.
 
You are truly a lucky man . . .

Screen Shot 2016-10-13 at 11.04.44 PM.jpgScreen Shot 2016-10-13 at 11.05.06 PM.jpgScreen Shot 2016-10-13 at 11.05.24 PM.jpg
 
We have the IPhone 6. If we move to the 7 sim free, please translate the above as we are not techies. We use ATT. What will the differences be between sim free and the ATT sim card?
 
We have the IPhone 6. If we move to the 7 sim free, please translate the above as we are not techies. We use ATT. What will the differences be between sim free and the ATT sim card?

Yeah! What Hopper said.

What does this mean in practice? What's the advantage to getting a phone without a SIM card?
 
What does this mean in practice? What's the advantage to getting a phone without a SIM card?

Do you always buy coffee with milk in it, or coffee and milk separately and mix them yourself?

With unlocked, SIM-free phone you'll just buy the phone subscription (=SIM card) separately. The carrier doesn't "own you", you can always walk away and switch to another carrier. Or if you are visiting St. Barth, you can take your home SIM card away and put a local SIM card in while there.

What we usually do is that we have a secondary phone with us and while abroad, put the home SIM card in it and use the local SIM card in our primary phone (or vice versa, depends).


Cost is another thing. Let's say you buy a SIM-free phone for $1000 and then pay $20/month for the subscription. Over two years that will be $1480.
Or you can buy a phone from the carrier, with a subscription for $80/month. Over two years that will be $1920 and you are married to the carrier.

PS. I don't know exactly how carrier locked the US market is nowadays, it used to be among the world's most locked markets.
 
Petri- We think we understand your answer except maybe the part where you said-
"Do you always buy coffee with milk in it, or coffee and milk separately and mix them yourself." ?
Sorry we are not as informed as you on these subjects.

 
Top