Buy an Unlocked iPhone 4S Now from Apple Online or in Stores: $649 and Up

Nov 12, 2011 - 23 Comments

Unlocked iPhone 4S

The unlocked iPhone 4S is now officially available for purchase through Apple through their website and in Apple Stores. An unlocked iPhone is sold at a high price due to the lack of a contract subsidy, but the major advantage is that the phone can be used on any compatible GSM network through the purchase of a microsim card. In the USA, this means an unlocked iPhone would work with T-Mobile, AT&T, and some pay-go plans. Additionally, anyone in possession of an unlocked phone can use the device in another country simply by picking up a local sim card, avoiding costly roaming fees.

Buying an Unlocked iPhone 4S Costs You…

  • iPhone 4S 16 GB – $649
  • iPhone 4S 32 GB – $749
  • iPhone 4S 64 GB – $849

These prices are from Apple in the USA.

Unlocked iPhone 4S prices

Buying one online is easy through the Apple Store, select the color of the phone you want and then select the “Or get iPhone unlocked and contract-free” link near the bottom of the page.

Apple cautions that you can’t use unlocked phones on CDMA networks like Verizon or Sprint. However, if you buy an iPhone 4S from Verizon or Sprint, you can request the SIM card slot be unlocked through them after you’ve had the iPhone within their contract for 90 days.

Unofficially, all off-contract iPhone 4S models have been sold unlocked anyway.

.

Related articles:

Posted by: Matt Chan in iPhone, News

23 Comments

» Comments RSS Feed

  1. Ash says:

    Can anyone tell me whats the actual price of 4s factory unlocked in usa??
    I’m back to my country, i want to buy 4s factory unlocked from usa..

  2. […] you didn’t buy an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple to begin with, the phone is probably locked to its default carrier. In the USA, that is […]

  3. yoselyn says:

    so i go to the apple store and tell them if i want a unlock iphone would they do everything for me ? like the server i would have would be from tmobile. please answer im planning to get one but i dont know how to unlock my iphone to tmobile

  4. bass says:

    im from middle east i want to buy an iphone 4s unlocked cdma and i can switch it to gsm anyhtime ..

    my country provides the two networks—-

    what model from iphone 4s i should buy which have this specfic plz can any one advice me???

    Reply

    • ahm says:

      Buy an unlocked iPhone 4S, you can’t switch CDMA networks only the GSM network is changeable via the SIM card slot. To get this one you just buy one without contract from Apple Stores.

  5. bass says:

    im from middle east i want to buy an iphone 4s unlocked cdma and i can switch it to gsm anyhtime ..

    my country provides the two networks—-

    what model from iphone 4s i should buy which have this specfic plz can any one advice me???

  6. […] iPhone 4S might not be offered officially for T-Mobile use, but if you buy an unlocked device and set it up properly, you can use the iPhone 4S and Siri on the T-Mobile network without […]

  7. Deb Young says:

    i bought my (3) iphone 4s from Sprint Sept 2011, they advertised it was unlocked but guess what…nope… nor will they unlock it though I am relocating to England in May 2012. I have been on the phone with them 2 days and the international department will NOT unlock it and I am a 220$ a month customer in good standing. Now I either will sell it and purchase an iphone right from Apple and drop Sprint, or hope when the jailbreak-unlock comes out see if I can then use my sim slot with a foreign sim pay as I go. Sprint is a BIG rip off anyways I discovered bc though I pay for 3 lines and we have an unlimited data account on all phones, they have blocked the hotspot feature on iphones (Sprint) and tell you to pay 35$ in addition to use that feature! OMG what a BIG RIPOFF SPRINT!

  8. tanya says:

    can i unlocked my iphone 4s its on contract?

  9. Shivam says:

    I want to buy a new lock iphone 4s in another country price for sale call me 917357805404

  10. Homer says:

    Actually what is more interesting in this discussion is that you cannot actually buy the unlocked device… not on the East Coast at least. I have tried a few dozen stores from the mid-Atlantic to NYC and Boston – none in stock. So the discussion may be a moot point in any case… doh!

  11. Johnny says:

    Why don’t you add 25% the TAX they put in your bill every
    month

  12. […] you didn’t already buy an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple or take advantage of Sprint and Verizons 90 day unlock request, you can apparently unlock the […]

  13. Jack D says:

    So does it mean that once you get the CDMA’s SIM slot unlocked you can use any GSM SIM ?

    Can a user switch between CDMA and GSM i.e. have two numbers on the same phone with different carriers?

    • Matt says:

      Yes but only if you have a CDMA carrier to begin with and then use their sim unlock, the unlocked iPhone is GSM only.

      • Bobby says:

        From the info I’ve been able to find, if you get a CDMA carrier’s iphone unlocked, they only allow it for traveling overseas. You can only use a sim from another country(non-us).

        • James says:

          I am using an unlocked Verizon 4S in Cameroon right now. There is a CDMA network here that the phone (and my Droid X and my colleague’s BB) thinks is Verizon. The phone stays locked onto the “Verizon” CDMA signal and will not work. There is NO WAY to manually force the phone to the GSM network. (The BB has a way to do it.)

          After spending 1.5 hours on the phone with Verizon’s Global Support Team (yeah, right), I finally got them to tell me that Verizon had Apple lock this function out. (Another colleague on this trip has an ATT 4S, and it has the option to switch GSM carriers.) Thus, I spent an incredible amount of money on a phone that WILL NOT work!

          There are several countries that have CDMA networks and I am afraid (although, not sure) that the 4S will not switch to GSM when I am in those countries as well. I intend to file suit as soon as I return. The phone is useless.

          Does anyone know of a way to add the capability to change networks (switch from CDMA to GSM) on a jailbroken 4S? I did the jailbreak, but am a noob when it comes to that stuff. Any help would be appreciated.

          • Cammer says:

            If there is a sim inserted in a verizon “unlocked” iphone 4s it will switch to that GSM network (US or Non US). When you remove the sim card it will switch back to CDMA.

  14. Bobby says:

    Verizon
    ———-
    minutes $40, data $30, text $5, ins $5, tax $5=$85/mo
    $85 x 24 months=$2040
    iphone=$200
    2 year total=$2240

    Tmobile
    ———–
    150 mins, unlimited text= $15
    Skype subscription w/ Skype-in number is
    $30/yr + 2.50/mo= $5/mo
    monthly total= $20
    $20 x 24 months=$480
    iphone=$650
    2 year total=$1130

    $2240-$1130= $1110 in the bank, your 401k, IRA, VUL, your pocket, or wherever YOU want it.

  15. JimJim says:

    I don’t think it’s worth the price, especially when you can unlock the SIM slot through VZ or Sprint anyway.

    • Bobby says:

      You’d still be in a contract with them, though. VZ and Sprint’s unlocks only work for non-US sim cards. Its worth the price if you don’t want to pay Verizon’s or Sprint’s prices and you just want a paygo phone. I don’t need $30 internet access in my pocket. There’s plenty of wifi for free. Slap in a $15 paygo tmobile sim, add a $5 skype unlimited voip number and you’ve got a $20/mo iphone that can still use wifi for FREE. Anytime you’re in wifi range, use skype for calls instead of your paygo minutes.

Leave a Reply

 

Shop on Amazon.com and help support OSXDaily!

Subscribe to OSXDaily

Subscribe to RSS Subscribe to Twitter Feed Follow on Facebook Subscribe to eMail Updates

Tips & Tricks

News

iPhone / iPad

Mac

Troubleshooting

Shop on Amazon to help support this site