Unlocking my iPhone 4S - Does AT&T have any accountability!

[aristizzle]

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Mendigoprofeta wrote:

Sorry, but i refuse to believe that a big company like AT&T will not unlock Iphones in the end of contract.

Why such a big company need chains to unlock customers?marketing control? dont wanna competition? sorry, WE ARE IN 2012.

I'm in Brazil now working, buy my iphone in US, contract is over and my IPHONE 4 is LOCKED. Cannot do nothing with it because AT&T think that is the right thing to do: lock humans at this poor sad company. The Worst type of unsuccessful image in business is doing what you guys do. 

i work with communications and every single person that i talk in US about cellphones is to stay away from AT&T. 

shame on you, AT&T!

Congratulations, half world hates you.

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lol

[vicstone]

I bought my 4th iPhone from AT&T. It is iPhone 4S. I have my old 3 iPhones that I bought from AT&T with full contracts. These 3 iPhone are sitting and collecting dust. I want to unlock them, so I may use them overseas when I travel.

AT&T refuses to unlock any of them even after I completed my contractual obligations and paid thought the nose phone those phones and service. The money that I spent on those iPhones and my monthly bills are much higher then the cost of those 3 unlocked iPhones.

AT&T,

I purchased those 3 iPhones (original iPhone, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4) from you and fully paid for them. Please release the unlock codes so I may use them outside of the US. These phones are not yours anymore, so don't hold unlock codes as hostages.

Thank you.

[Max69 ACE - Wizard]

Read through the many existing threads on the subject. AT&T doesn't unlock the iPhone, period.

Just FYI, there is no unlock code. iPhones are done differently.

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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vicstone wrote:
 

AT&T,

I purchased those 3 iPhones (original iPhone, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4) from you and fully paid for them. Please release the unlock codes so I may use them outside of the US. These phones are not yours anymore, so don't hold unlock codes as hostages.

Thank you.

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When you purchased those locked devices, you agreed to the terms of the purchase, which were that those devices were locked to the AT&T network.

Yes, you really did agree to those terms.

You can sell those devices (they are yours) and buy a sim-unlocked iPhone from Apple, if that's what you desire.

[vicstone]

Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

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email tom cook, he may intervene and get yours unlocked for you also. Until then policy is not to unlock a iphone no matter what. They are not "preventing you from re-using your old device" have done a pass down from my old 2G all the way through the 4 to other lines that are on the att accounts, so the devices are being re-used unlike your claims, in addition you can "re-use" your old iphone and make a bit of coin on ther device by placing it on ebay or craiglist and selling it, the only caveat you have to put on it is for those that try to play the cirrency game with used iphones and explicitly state it is ATT use only. You have two methods to "reduce the impact on the environment" in place already, although neither of them is what you actually are concerned about I suspect.

You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

[anton697]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

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You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

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As limited as their iPhone unlock policies may be...at least they have an iPhone unlock policy, unlike AT&T which continues to refuse to unlock the iPhone under any circumstances.  Why can't people like yourself at least give them some credit for offering an unlock, even if the unlock is limited/partial?

[BadBadLeroyBrown ACE - Warrior]

Why does "credit" matter? If you want an iPhone that's unlocked, either buy an unlocked one or go to Sprint or Verizon. It's really that simple.

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

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You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

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As limited as their iPhone unlock policies may be...at least they have an iPhone unlock policy, unlike AT&T which continues to refuse to unlock the iPhone under any circumstances.  Why can't people like yourself at least give them some credit for offering an unlock, even if the unlock is limited/partial?

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[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

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There is no unlock code, it is a completly different baseband that has to be flashed onto the phone - and when you purchased the phone, you chose the version that is, was, and will always be locked to AT&T.

You picked that one. No one forced you to choose it. It's time to accept responsibility for your choice.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

---

You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

---

As limited as their iPhone unlock policies may be...at least they have an iPhone unlock policy, unlike AT&T which continues to refuse to unlock the iPhone under any circumstances.  Why can't people like yourself at least give them some credit for offering an unlock, even if the unlock is limited/partial?

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suspect you have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is...might want to research it first, it not what you want  it to be oe what you think it is.

[vicstone]

Hey johninsj,
You have convinced me to drop AT&T. I will cancel AT&T account for all of my employees. I just upgraded all iPhones to 4S. I do have 30 days to decide. You have helped me to make that decision. I will get Verizon instead of AT&T.
Thank you.

[youngjm ACE - Professor]

Just so you know, the CDMA's carriers unlock process is only for use in international travel. Their unlock will not allow you to use that iPhone on t-mobile or any other us based gsm carrier.

To throw a wrench in this too, I saw an article today about Verizon throttling their unlimited customers too.

Don't choose your carrier based on principle alone. Make sure they have the coverage you need.

[stufried]

Wow ATT has no discretion to unlock the phone, they probably do have some discretion to extend the 30 days to return the phone on under the circumstances. You're bigger issue however is you're paying a lot for phone service that makes no sense. Next time you are in the United States calma port your ATT phone number out to Google voice. It will cost you a one time $20 fee. After that buy a prepaid Sim from T-Mobile put $100 out. It is good for one year and when you return to United States on a visit, two dollars will get you unlimited talking with the days you are here. Alternatively, look at Telna mobile. $19 a year and get you phone service with a per minute rate very good roaming rates, and VoIP on the handset which works quite well with Android.

[Kerry78]

AT&T aren't at fault it's people who buy these devices that are
If you would of researched better then you would of opted for a device
That now works where you now located!

Im outside the US myself same thing happened to me but I wanted that iPhone
For iPod use but as I liked the look of it I parted it for a 4S

I have one that is fully valid (warranty)
And is unlockable via a fee !

Well your iPhones and buy a unlocked one in ur own country it's quite simple
Isn't it not?

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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vicstone wrote:
Hey johninsj,
You have convinced me to drop AT&T. I will cancel AT&T account for all of my employees. I just upgraded all iPhones to 4S. I do have 30 days to decide. You have helped me to make that decision. I will get Verizon instead of AT&T.
Thank you.

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I don't work for either company - if telling you what you already know helped you, great.

[stufried]

There is a glitch with the Verizon iPhones you need to be aware of. If they see a CDMA network, they will lock on to it even if they can't roam on that network. People have complained about not being able to use their Verizon 4s in Taiwan, China, Ukraine, Russia, and India because of this. I would go to the CDMA Association website (cdg.org) and see if there is CDMA where you are visiting. Check out this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1278120-verizon-iphone-4s-international-roaming-iss... There are conflicting reports whether you can force the CDMA to the off position on unlocked Verizon 4s with a third party SIM card in it. Also be aware that you will have problems with many roaming SIMs on Verizon because the dual IMSI SIMs (which are partly a US IMSI) don't play well with Verizon's partial unlock. If I were one of these people, I'd ditch the phone subsidy and buy an unlocked iPhone (or Google Nexus).

[stufried]

It is not possible to convince ATT to do it for you unless you apparently are on good terms with Tim Cook.  There is a new SIM tray out that claims to do it.  It is a scuessor to Gevey.  I am not going to post it here because it is bad netiquette, but you should be able to find it pretty easily.

[stufried]

The cellular providers that do unlock iPhones (including Verizon) do so through iTunes.  Technically it is possible and this aspect of the story doesn't enhance or detract from its credibility. 

[anton697]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

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You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

---

As limited as their iPhone unlock policies may be...at least they have an iPhone unlock policy, unlike AT&T which continues to refuse to unlock the iPhone under any circumstances.  Why can't people like yourself at least give them some credit for offering an unlock, even if the unlock is limited/partial?

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suspect you have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is...might want to research it first, it not what you want  it to be oe what you think it is.

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No I have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is, so why don't you please explain it to me rather than point out my lack of understanding regarding their unlock policy?  Oh wait--you wanted to make sure that you made it known to the entire forum that I had no understanding of what their unlock actually is...

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

---

You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

---

As limited as their iPhone unlock policies may be...at least they have an iPhone unlock policy, unlike AT&T which continues to refuse to unlock the iPhone under any circumstances.  Why can't people like yourself at least give them some credit for offering an unlock, even if the unlock is limited/partial?

---

suspect you have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is...might want to research it first, it not what you want  it to be oe what you think it is.

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No I have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is, so why don't you please explain it to me rather than point out my lack of understanding regarding their unlock policy?  If you're not gonna be helpful then please try to refrain from pointing out other folks' lack of knowledge regarding certain topics...

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just as easy for you to review Verizons website, I know what the policy is because my verizon issued iphone is currently running a foreign sim while I am overseas and I have posted the information previously in one of the thousands of threads on "unlocking my ipnone", it might even be in this one.

BTW it was also answered in one of the replies to someone recently

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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anton697 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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vicstone wrote:
Yes, those devices were locked to AT&T. Now, I have fullfiled my obligations to AT&T. It is time to release those unlock codes to me.

I does not matter what terms AT&T imposes on their customers. Good business practice rewards customers. Other companies do it - Sprint and Verizon.

If you become too technical then how about AT&T corporate citizenship statement? In addition to causing extra inconvenience and expense, AT&T’s policy will lead to devices sitting unused until they are discarded. Re-using old products to extend their useable lifetimes is one of the most effective ways of reducing the impact we have on the environment. A policy that prevents people from re-using their old devices seems to be at odds with AT&T’s proud commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

---

You might want to examine the "unlock" policies for Sprint and verizon - they are not what you think - they are not complete unlocks, there are requirements that are attached. They are not what you think or hope for.

---

As limited as their iPhone unlock policies may be...at least they have an iPhone unlock policy, unlike AT&T which continues to refuse to unlock the iPhone under any circumstances.  Why can't people like yourself at least give them some credit for offering an unlock, even if the unlock is limited/partial?

---

suspect you have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is...might want to research it first, it not what you want  it to be oe what you think it is.

---

No I have no understanding of what their "unlock" actually is, so why don't you please explain it to me rather than point out my lack of understanding regarding their unlock policy?  Oh wait--you wanted to make sure that you made it known to the entire forum that I had no understanding of what their unlock actually is...

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They will unlock the GSM side for use with non-US carriers. It won't be usable on AT&T or TMobile (apparently)

You will need an international sim/carrier once you unlock the GSM side - native US sims won't work.

So, still mostly useless for US use, but if you spend time overseas and can't just use a cheap world phone, it would work for you there.

[stufried]

The partial unlock offered by Sprint and Verizon also has problems with roaming SIMs like Telna, Truphone, and eKit.

[alamu]

i got no contract  iphone 4 from at&t but still locked i launge a complaint in apple they ask us to do that so that 

i can use my phone

[abelfiz]

Hi,

After near 20 months from I bought iphone 4, I was wondering if I could unlock officially my iphone.

The imei is {Personal content removed for your safety}

Thanks in advance.

best regards, 

Abel.

[kdfederer ACE - Wizard]

Did you read any of the other unlocking posts?
Neither AT&T nor Apple will unlock any iPhone. The ONLY way to get an unlocked iPhone is to buy one directly from Apple and it must be the unlocked version when you buy it.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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alamu wrote:

i got no contract  iphone 4 from at&t but still locked i launge a complaint in apple they ask us to do that so that 

i can use my phone

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no contract does not equte to a unlocked iphone, it just means you paid full price and can get a att carrier plan with no commitment. There is a specific Iphone that is desginated as unlocked, it has a specific skew number, if yo buy that one it is unlocked, other then that sell on ebay or return it if wirhin the first 30 days to get the correct phone. At this time neither apple nor att unlocks a iphone that was not sold as a unlocked version with the receipt

[stufried]

You need to buy an unlocked phone from Apple and make it clear that you want to use it on a third party provider network.  The price is even more than the ATT unsubsidized price. I don't agree with ATT's policy.  I'm just the messenger.

[21stNow]

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stufried wrote:

You need to buy an unlocked phone from Apple and make it clear that you want to use it on a third party provider network.  The price is even more than the ATT unsubsidized price. I don't agree with ATT's policy.  I'm just the messenger.

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Where do you see this?  I see the same prices.

[youngjm ACE - Professor]

The price for an iPhone at the Apple store are now the same for no-commitment and unlocked. Before there was a premium on an unlocked version.

[borys.zinchuk]

Hello, I'm Borys from Ukraine. I bought Iphone 4 in my country, but this phone locked AT&T. Can I pay unlocking AT&T  and get the unlock code?