Apple's thousand-dollar smartphone, the new iPhone X, is now carrier-agnostic, available to purchase SIM-free and unlocked in the United States straight from Apple.
Up until now, Apple fans with deep pockets had to choose a wireless carrier if they wanted to purchase the iPhone X in the United States The smartphone has been available with an AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile SIM for a while now, and it's finally available SIM-free.
Unlocked, SIM-Free iPhone X
Customers who would rather not be tied to a wireless carrier can purchase the unlocked iPhone X at a full price starting at $999, and activate it with their preferred carrier. The unlocked smartphone comes with full support for both GSM and CDMA networks, which means that it will play nice with all carriers in the United States.
As expected, the monthly installment options that carriers offered for the iPhone X are not available for the SIM-free model, but Apple does have such an offer for qualified credit card customers. More specifically, the company is offering the SIM-free smartphone starting at $49.91 per month for 24 months with the iPhone Upgrade Program, available to eligible customers with a credit check and U.S. credit card.
Buy Without A Carrier
Getting the iPhone X unlocked and SIM-free could be the best option for frequent travelers who use different SIM cards from different carriers, including international ones.
The company did not make a special announcement for the unlocked iPhone X launch, but the product page on the Apple online store now shows an option to "buy without a carrier." Selecting this option allows customers to select their desired iPhone X finish (Space Gray or Silver) and color option. The 64 GB model costs $999 while the more spacious variant with 256 GB of storage goes up to $1,149.
Recent reports also indicated that the iPhone X would be facing some shipping delays because of component supply issues. However, Apple is now dismissing such rumors by delivering the handset faster than expected. Interested customers who place an order for the iPhone X now should get it in a week, on Dec. 12. Shipping dates may slip if the demand increases, but for now, the iPhone X is expected to reach new owners in time for the holidays.
Same-day in-store collections for the iPhone X are also available for orders in select regions, but not all. To check if you would be able to get the smartphone in-store on the same day, just type in the zip code to get an estimate for your specific area.
