can ATT unlock my iPhone 4s while I traveling abroad

acidia · ‎10-20-2011

I know in the last att wont unlock the iphone for customers, However I heard from my friend that both Verizon and Sprint will unlock your iPhone when u r traveling abroad so I am wondering if ATT would do the same now. if not , I may just cancel my current ATT contract , return the iphone and go to Sprint, cus Sprint can unlock and is the only one have unlimited data plan now.

Irish Rose · ‎11-30-2008

Sorry, but at this time AT&T is not unlocking their customers iPhones. Your only option for an unlocked iPhone with AT&T is to purchase it from an Apple store that is currently selling them unlocked at the full retail price. Or go with Sprint or Verizon as you said. Keep in mind though, that you will need to complete a few billing cycles in order to qualify to have your iPhone unlocked that you purchased from them.

BadBadLeroyBrown · ‎07-12-2011

And, to add to this very thorough answer, Sprint has said that while they may sell SIM-unlocked phones, that they may lock them later. Verizon requires new customers to wait and be in good standing at least 60 days prior to SIM-unlocking their phones.

Irish Rose wrote:
Sorry, but at this time AT&T is not unlocking their customers iPhones. Your only option for an unlocked iPhone with AT&T is to purchase it from an Apple store that is currently selling them unlocked at the full retail price. Or go with Sprint or Verizon as you said. Keep in mind though, that you will need to complete a few billing cycles in order to qualify to have your iPhone unlocked that you purchased from them.

iphone5931 · ‎10-24-2011

I think you/we may need to wait a little longer before AT&T may provide the unlock service. Usually they like to see the customers with then a little longer and ingood standing. FWIW, AT&T did unlock my previous Black Berry 8900 for free.

diesel_vdub · ‎10-17-2011

iphone5931 wrote:
I think you/we may need to wait a little longer before AT&T may provide the unlock service. Usually they like to see the customers with then a little longer and ingood standing. FWIW, AT&T did unlock my previous Black Berry 8900 for free.

Like wait until the end of time. AT&T has never unlocked any iPhone and has given no indication that they ever intend to unlock iPhones.

If you want/need an unlocked iPhone, purchase one at full retail directly from Apple

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

AT&T would rather you use their expensive international roaming plan. There really isn't much incentive for them to unlock the phones for international GSM roaming. Remember, Sprint and Verizon are CDMA. They probably don't have international GSM roaming, so it's no loss to them if they unlock the GSM portion for international roaming. You're still locked to them for the CDMA service.

May want to cancel. your contract now

Irish Rose · ‎11-30-2008

iphone5931 wrote:
I think you/we may need to wait a little longer before AT&T may provide the unlock service. Usually they like to see the customers with then a little longer and ingood standing. FWIW, AT&T did unlock my previous Black Berry 8900 for free.

I do not think it is a matter of waiting. With as long as AT&T has had the iPhone, if they were going to have an unlocking policy or the iPhone they would have done so by now.

frnestradaestra… · ‎11-05-2011

when you make a contract with Sprint, the iphone 4s you purchased is already unlocked because I have one and I tested. But Verizon will not unlock it until you have 60 days with them and your account has to be in good standing.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

frnestradaestrada wrote:

when you make a contract with Sprint, the iphone 4s you purchased is already unlocked because I have one and I tested. But Verizon will not unlock it until you have 60 days with them and your account has to be in good standing.

might want to talk to them again:

" Sprint has clarified for us one more time regarding the locked state of their iPhone 4S's: it will be sold unlocked, but will soon be locked, but can be unlocked again, if you ask nicely. The company's statement:

Sprint’s policy is to have the iPhone 4S SIM locked to our network domestically and internationally. At launch, the International SIM will be unlocked. We do expect a SIM lock to be pushed to the devices shortly after launch. We will then allow existing customers in good standing to unlock the SIM for international use if needed in the future.

Customers can sign up for one of our international rate plans and use this phone all over the world. When traveling internationally, there is a setting that must be turned on within the device to connect to GSM. The phone will work with a SIM that is provided within the device out of the box. International voice and data charges are on a pay-as-you-go basis and vary based on the country where the customer is using their phone; a list of rates is available at www.sprint.com/international."

satchow · ‎11-04-2011

AT&T needs to change their policy on unlocking iPhones or else I will be switching to VZW when the next iPhone comes out. With two competitors giving me access to unlocked iPhones at no extra cost and better service, there's no reason I can think of to stay with AT&T since I travel and an unlocked phone is necessary for me. I had to live with the policy when AT&T was the only game in town for an American iPhone, but now that I have a choice the other side seems very tempting.

diesel_vdub · ‎10-17-2011

satchow wrote:

AT&T needs to change their policy on unlocking iPhones or else I will be switching

Then leave. AT&T has not unlocked iPhones in the 4 years they have been selling them and it has not hurt AT&T's business in any way.

Legal challenges have been brought up and AT&T has been found to be well within their legal right to keep the devices locked.

Everyone expected a rush of users leaving AT&T when VZW got the iPhone, it didn't happen.

AT&T has no business or financial reason/incentive to unlock iPhones.

Do yourself and all of us a favor, do not make threats. If you want/need an unlocked iPhone, purchase one directly from Apple or take your business to a company that will provide unlocked devices.

{Please keep it courteous}

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

satchow wrote:

AT&T needs to change their policy on unlocking iPhones or else I will be switching to VZW when the next iPhone comes out. With two competitors giving me access to unlocked iPhones at no extra cost and better service, there's no reason I can think of to stay with AT&T since I travel and an unlocked phone is necessary for me. I had to live with the policy when AT&T was the only game in town for an American iPhone, but now that I have a choice the other side seems very tempting.

why wait, if it is that important, etf out and move now. You might want to review how you utilize your iphone though - cdma iphones do not function the same way as gsm phones.

You might also want to review the unlcok of the gsm policy of the other providers - they are not what you think.

the gryphon · ‎07-06-2010

diesel_vdub wrote:

satchow wrote:

AT&T needs to change their policy on unlocking iPhones or else I will be switching

Then leave. AT&T has not unlocked iPhones in the 4 years they have been selling them and it has not hurt AT&T's business in any way.

Legal challenges have been brought up and AT&T has been found to be well within their legal right to keep the devices locked.

Everyone expected a rush of users leaving AT&T when VZW got the iPhone, it didn't happen.

AT&T has no business or financial reason/incentive to unlock iPhones.

Do yourself and all of us a favor, do not make threats. If you want/need an unlocked iPhone, purchase one directly from Apple or take your business to a company that will provide unlocked devices.

{Please keep it courteous}

Do you really need to be so rude? These forums are a place for folks to discuss their issues and concerns. Insulting people isn't remotely helpful.

pamelaz · ‎07-08-2009

Hello everyone, let's remember to stay on topic and always keep it nice. Thank you.

Remember to always mark items that you find useful as "Accepted Solutions”, you can even mark multiple
posts in a single thread. This will help other users find this information too!!

tafkam · ‎10-09-2011

I ran accross this thread when searching on Google. I just signed up for ATT service with an Iphone 4s so of course I have a 2 year contract. If the phone is still in good working order, I had planned to see if it could be unlocked so I could use it on a cheaper network with data such as the one by Walmart, or another cheaper plan that supports smartphones.

I guess I don't understand why ATT would not unlock one of their phones if I am not going to be their customer anymore? OR does it have to be ATT that unlocks it? I assume once I am done with their contract then it is legal to have it unlocked as it is legally my phone anyway..........

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

tafkam wrote:

I ran accross this thread when searching on Google. I just signed up for ATT service with an Iphone 4s so of course I have a 2 year contract. If the phone is still in good working order, I had planned to see if it could be unlocked so I could use it on a cheaper network with data such as the one by Walmart, or another cheaper plan that supports smartphones.

I guess I don't understand why ATT would not unlock one of their phones if I am not going to be their customer anymore? OR does it have to be ATT that unlocks it? I assume once I am done with their contract then it is legal to have it unlocked as it is legally my phone anyway..........

no it is not a legal requirement in the US to unlock a phone, there is no law requiring it. The Iphone has never been unlocked by ATT since the 2G. If you want a unlocked Iphone 4 or 4S you go to a Appe store and pruchase the unlocked version at full retail cost. Corporate policy at this time in in the foreseeable future is that the Iphone will not be unlocked, maybe by the end of your contract the policy will change.

This has already been tested and the ruling specificly excluded iphones, do a google search on it.

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

tafkam wrote:
I ran accross this thread when searching on Google. I just signed up for ATT service with an Iphone 4s so of course I have a 2 year contract. If the phone is still in good working order, I had planned to see if it could be unlocked so I could use it on a cheaper network with data such as the one by Walmart, or another cheaper plan that supports smartphones.

I guess I don't understand why ATT would not unlock one of their phones if I am not going to be their customer anymore? OR does it have to be ATT that unlocks it? I assume once I am done with their contract then it is legal to have it unlocked as it is legally my phone anyway..........

You basically said it yourself, but in a different way. Why SHOULD AT&T unlock your phone if you are not going to be their customer anyway?

It isn't illegal to unlock your phone right now, contract or not. It's just that neither AT&T nor Apple will do it for you. All a contract means is that you agree to maintain cell service with them for a certain time period, or pay an ETF if you don't. There is nothing that says your phone is required to be locked. You can even sell your phone and use some cheap phone you got on eBay for the rermainder of your contract. A contract and an unlocked phone are two different things.

haywirex · ‎01-12-2012

I just came across this thread on Google as well. I'm in Africa for a couple years volunteering with a mobile health clinic and have an iPhone 4 I got from AT&T when they first came out, my contract's done and I'm not longer an AT&T customer (had been for about six years or so).

It's just a drag that they won't unlock phones that are completely out of contract, especially when there was no way to buy an unlocked phone when I got this one (and spending another $500-900 now just seems ridiculious), and they don't even offer a "pay this much and we'll unlock it" like a number of UK companies do.

Maybe one day they'll offer some kind of pay-to-unlock service, or simply treat them like other phones and unlock them once they're out of contract since they've already made their money.

johninsj · ‎07-07-2010

Yep, this iPhone lock has been true since the first iPhone (in 2007) and has been reported, covered, and discussed here (since 2007) and in the press, and on the internet, and printed on the box for the phone you bought...

Here's an article from 2007... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/technology/personaltech/01basics.html "except for the iPhone"

And still, people are suprised by this policy.

If you want a non-sim-locked iPhone, you can purchase one, full price, from Apple. If you *have* a sim locked iPhone you can

* sell it or

* get it unlocked with some risks, and voiding the warranty, using info you can find on the internet

AT&T will not unlock the devices.

ScitechFix · ‎04-24-2012

Yup, that's right, it said everywhere that your iPhone will be locked to AT&T, but that doesn't make it right.

Kudos to AT&T for allowing the unlock of the iPhones that are out of contract, it is a step forward. Now I hope that AT&T will make the next step or set of steps, and that they will at least unlock all of the iPhones for international travel.
The reasons why this should happen are multiple, and they include the fact that any other phone can be unlocked for international travel and also both Sprint and Verizon unlock their iPhones for international travel.

I personally will soon take a trip to Germany with my 4S, and for now I'm going to unlock it using a GPP chip and SIM tray purchased on eBay (already tested the method, it worked flawlessly with a US T-Mobile SIM card that I cut; both voice and data worked).

In the future, my wife and I might consider Verizon and Sprint more strongly because of their more favorable unlocking policy. Last time we stayed with AT&T due to the slightly more economic family plans and the higher available network speed (HSPA+). The speed factor might change as the next iPhone will very likely be LTE (as we know, the iPad already is).

And yeah, one way or an other it seems that the pressure is what caused AT&T to unlock the older phones, so I think it is OK to create further pressure in order to determine them to unlock any iPhone. Switching carriers is not a violent threat, it is legitimate "wallet voting" pressure that carriers should care about and the customers should be free to apply.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

ScitechFix wrote:
Yup, that's right, it said everywhere that your iPhone will be locked to AT&T, but that doesn't make it right.

Kudos to AT&T for allowing the unlock of the iPhones that are out of contract, it is a step forward. Now I hope that AT&T will make the next step or set of steps, and that they will at least unlock all of the iPhones for international travel.
The reasons why this should happen are multiple, and they include the fact that any other phone can be unlocked for international travel and also both Sprint and Verizon unlock their iPhones for international travel.

I personally will soon take a trip to Germany with my 4S, and for now I'm going to unlock it using a GPP chip and SIM tray purchased on eBay (already tested the method, it worked flawlessly with a US T-Mobile SIM card that I cut; both voice and data worked).

In the future, my wife and I might consider Verizon and Sprint more strongly because of their more favorable unlocking policy. Last time we stayed with AT&T due to the slightly more economic family plans and the higher available network speed (HSPA+). The speed factor might change as the next iPhone will very likely be LTE (as we know, the iPad already is).

And yeah, one way or an other it seems that the pressure is what caused AT&T to unlock the older phones, so I think it is OK to create further pressure in order to determine them to unlock any iPhone. Switching carriers is not a violent threat, it is legitimate "wallet voting" pressure that carriers should care about and the customers should be free to apply.

3 month old thread?

By the way the unlock is not automatic and promised, if the phone qualifies you get an unlock, if not you don't

Out of the carirers that have the iphone - verizon sprint and att, att is the only one that has a true unlock now, sprint and verizon don;t

invicta7 · ‎04-28-2012

You can unlock your iPhone but you have to do it using third party unlocking providers. I was able to find one in my country in the US but they only unlock at&t iphones so they will not be able to unlock international iphones that are not from at&t, they actually do not even unlock Sprint and Verizon iPhones just AT&T ones.

They were fairly fast, I would say it took about 3 days even if they say that it takes 7 business days it did not take that long for me. The price was pretty good for the service they provide and I belive they are the only AT&T approved vendor for unlocking service or at least in the US, you may want to check out some of the other vendors similar to them in your country.

Cheers.

[Edited to comply with Guidelines]

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

The only AT&T approved vendor for unlocking iPhones is AT&T themselves.

BadBadLeroyBrown · ‎07-12-2011

Beware of third-party unlocking providers. I hope you've tested this "unlock" out. The ability to unlock a phone depends on which phone you're using and which version of iOS you're running. A5-powered devices, like the iPhone 4S, cannot be unlocked on version 5.1 (the latest) of iOS. Simply put, it is not possible at this time, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. The unlocking community has always said they will provide the public with their methods for free, and they take a very dim view of the profiteers who are fleecing unsuspecting people with dubious claims of being able to unlock phones.

As dwill said, there are no authorized unlocking providers except for AT&T themselves.

amtk54 · ‎04-09-2010

Let me add my voice to those who would like to see the unlock policy changed.

Don't get me wrong, I understand AT&T's position - that they have subsudized an (expensive) iPhone and don't want customers to immediately unlock and then move to a different carrier. However, like others have said, I need the ability to unlock for international travel.

I would be happy to agree to a greatly increased ETF ($500? $600?) in order to be able to unlock my phone, as well as agree to keep a data plan on my account the entire term. I'm a loyal AT&T customer, I'm not going anywhere. And I understand AT&T's position on the matter. I have no problem giving them the assurance that I will remain a customer, as long as they give me the ability to use a local SIM the few times I go abroad during my contract term. This is especially important in countries they don't offer an international data plan (ex. Iceland).

I'm really hoping they'll put a new policy in place before the next iPhone comes out. Otherwise, I'm most likely going to have to switch to Verizon - between the unlock policy and their LTE deployment, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to stay with AT&T. However, if AT&T can allow me to unlock when I go abroad, I'd love to stay a loyal customer. AT&T - are you listening?

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

amtk54 wrote:

Let me add my voice to those who would like to see the unlock policy changed.

Don't get me wrong, I understand AT&T's position - that they have subsudized an (expensive) iPhone and don't want customers to immediately unlock and then move to a different carrier. However, like others have said, I need the ability to unlock for international travel.

I would be happy to agree to a greatly increased ETF ($500? $600?) in order to be able to unlock my phone, as well as agree to keep a data plan on my account the entire term. I'm a loyal AT&T customer, I'm not going anywhere. And I understand AT&T's position on the matter. I have no problem giving them the assurance that I will remain a customer, as long as they give me the ability to use a local SIM the few times I go abroad during my contract term. This is especially important in countries they don't offer an international data plan (ex. Iceland).

I'm really hoping they'll put a new policy in place before the next iPhone comes out. Otherwise, I'm most likely going to have to switch to Verizon - between the unlock policy and their LTE deployment, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to stay with AT&T. However, if AT&T can allow me to unlock when I go abroad, I'd love to stay a loyal customer. AT&T - are you listening?

or you can buy a unlocked from from ATT and be done with it. Verizon has some strict policies on unlocking the GSM for international use only and not domestic

shoap · ‎07-17-2012

Interesting, but looks like ATT has now started unlocking iphones which are past their contracts. Check this

http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2012/04/08/atts-iphone-unlock-process-detailed-a-quick-online-chat-appl...

If this works for anyone let me know.

Max69 · ‎06-19-2006

shoap wrote:
Interesting, but looks like ATT has now started unlocking iphones which are past their contracts. Check this
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2012/04/08/atts-iphone-unlock-process-detailed-a-quick-online-chat-appl...

If this works for anyone let me know.

That article is from April. Old news, check this thread for more information than you'll ever need.