iPhone 5 Verizon iPhone 5's secret feature: It's 'unlocked'

Discussion in 'iPhone' started by jpga13, Sep 22, 2012.

  1. jpga13 Banned

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The Verizon version of the iPhone 5, which went on sale Friday, comes with a secret and unexpected feature: it works on AT&T's network as well.
    Confirming blog reports, The Associated Press found that the Verizon iPhone 5 accepts an AT&T "SIM card" — a little chip that identifies a phone to a wireless network. The phone can then be active on AT&T's network.
    It's the first time Verizon iPhones have been able to access AT&T's network without complicated hacking procedures. The feature may mean little to most buyers, since they're signing up for two years of Verizon service. But it does give them the option of switching carriers.
    It's unclear whether the feature is intended and whether the phones will work with other carriers, such as T-Mobile USA.
    Verizon Wireless referred questions about the feature to Apple, which did not respond. Last year, the first shipments of the Sprint iPhone 4S were "unlocked" and worked on AT&T, but Sprint later issued software updates that turned off that capability.
  2. SteppingSplash Well-Known Member

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    Wow... that's interesting. I wonder if they'll patch it like Sprint.
  3. jpga13 Banned

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    Exactly. Surprised other networks haven't been tested yet.
  4. SteppingSplash Well-Known Member

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    Almost sounds like you're saying "tested" as if this is a disease needed to be exterminated ;)
    I can see why Verizon (and Sprint) don't want the phone to have the capability to work on a different network, because that means the possibility of losing another two years of steady cash coming in from that user because they can switch to AT&T.
  5. Nburnes Well-Known Member

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    Already have multiple threads on this.
  6. jpga13 Banned

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    Well delete them
  7. Zyiros Well-Known Member

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    LOL!
    I wonder if that means I could use Straight Talk on the iPhone 5 since it requires the same kinda stuff as AT&T uses! (CDMA? What is it that AT&T uses?)
  8. Badd_Blood Well-Known Member

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    We knew this yesterday. There was some type of FCC agreement to have them unlocked
  9. jpga13 Banned

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    Can you name "We"?
  10. Zyiros Well-Known Member

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    The forum. Us iFans.