In the past, Apple has allowed consumers to purchase iPhone devices in unlocked and contract-free versions straight from its website. This time, Apple changed that by indicating only the words "contract free" in the options, which cater to those who are not keen on taking the subsidized route.
Users have been asking for an unlocked iPhone 6 that can be attributed to the several features brought on by having an unlocked device. For one thing, an unlocked phone is believed to work with any compatible carrier. In other words, the phone and the carrier must be speaking the same language. These would include the world-dominant GSM, the smartphone staple LTE, and the Sprint and Verizon standard CDMA.
Another feature of an unlocked version is that the device together with its potential carrier should have similar frequencies. T-Mobile is said to have begun lighting up their frequencies as compatible as possible with the older models.
Paying full price for a phone does not guarantee one to get an unlocked device. In T-Mobile, getting an installment plan pricing would be translated as having to wait until the plan ends in order to get the device unlocked.
Users are given several options when purchasing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus flagship devices from Apple. These would include color (Space Gray, Gold, or Silver), wireless carrier (Verizon, Sprint or AT&T), and financing (2-year service or carrier). The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus start at $199 and $299 respectively.
There is also a "contract free" option under the T-Mobile iPhone 6 scheme, which starts at $649 for the standard iPhone 6 model and $749 for the bigger version. This is the part where consumers begin to feel confused. Perhaps one of the reasons is that in the company's previous offering of the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c, the devices are listed as "unlocked and contract-free."
It's not really clear why Apple dropped the "unlocked" label from T-Mobile's contract-free offering. However, some new owners of the iPhone 6 devices have attested that they were able to use their phones with other carriers, such as Straight Talk and AT&T. One just needs to remove the T-Mobile SIM card and replace it with a different choice of SIM.
"This is verified; the iPhone 6 purchased from the Apple Store for T-Mobile is unlocked. I have just used my AT&T and T-Mobile chip in the same phone and gotten LTE on both without issue," one iPhone 6 owner said.
Whether there is truth to the claim or none, users must at least know that buying an iPhone from T-Mobile would be subjected to the carrier's unlocking policy. The user must pay off any remaining installment plan balance and be with the network for the next 40 days.
