Buying iPhone from Cricket - Is it carrier unlocked?

[Recnelis]

Hello and greetings from Denmark

I'm travelling to the US later this month and saw the news about cricket and the iPhone 4s.

I wondering, does this mean I can buy a unlocked iPhone 4s at 500$ from Cricket, pay a one month 55$ subscription, cancel it and then take the iphone with me back to Denmark and use it there with my local providers since it's unlocked(Denmark uses only GSM networks)?

The iphone starts at 750$ here, so it'd be quite the amount of money I save.

[reddragonprodz]

Hello and greetings from Denmark

I'm travelling to the US later this month and saw the news about cricket and the iPhone 4s.

I wondering, does this mean I can buy a unlocked iPhone 4s at 500$ from Cricket, pay a one month 55$ subscription, cancel it and then take the iphone with me back to Denmark and use it there with my local providers since it's unlocked(Denmark uses only GSM networks)?

The iphone starts at 750$ here, so it'd be quite the amount of money I save.

Wouldn't work because the iphone is CDMA version.. Check to see if it has a SIM Card slot. I don't think the Cricket version will have it. Not 100% sure.

[nTranced]

no sim, CDMA like ths sprint, c-spire, and vzw versions.

[Sepurb]

I thought all iphone 4S have a sim tray. not the iPhone 4.

plus he is going out of the country so he could possibly benefit from this I thought?

[zowwie85]

Hello and greetings from Denmark

I wondering, does this mean I can buy a unlocked iPhone 4s at 500$ from Cricket, pay a one month 55$ subscription, cancel it and then take the iphone with me back to Denmark and use it there with my local providers since it's unlocked(Denmark uses only GSM networks)?

You're almost better off buying it from a Craigslist seller in a parking lot, the service after the sale is pretty much equivalent. I don't know that Apple will honor a warranty either, or that the device will be sold unlocked. It would not surprise me if Cricket had the chutzpah to charge $500 for the phone and still have it locked.

[Sepurb]

You're almost better off buying it from a Craigslist seller in a parking lot, the service after the sale is pretty much equivalent. I don't know that Apple will honor a warranty either, or that the device will be sold unlocked. It would not surprise me if Cricket had the chutzpah to charge $500 for the phone and still have it locked.

seriously doubt there will be any honest craigslister's with one of these Cricket iPhones anytime soon.

I strongly believe that the 4S sim tray will work fine in Denmark since its purpose is for going abroad. it being locked to CricKet becomes a moot point once they return to Denmark.

check to make certain it's a world phone like all the others(iPhone 4S only). if so then you should be good to go, I'd assume.

[zowwie85]

seriously doubt there will be any honest craigslister's with one of these Cricket iPhones anytime soon.

I strongly believe that the 4S sim tray will work fine in Denmark since its purpose is for going abroad. it being locked to CricKet becomes a moot point once they return to Denmark.

check to make certain it's a world phone like all the others(iPhone 4S only). if so then you should be good to go, I'd assume.

My point is, after Cricket has your money - expect nothing, nothing whatsoever from them in the way of help or assistance. Their reps are not empowered nor trained. I hope you get a bargain - but I really think you're going to pay dearly in time and aggravation to be able to use the device at home.

[Sepurb]

My point is, after Cricket has your money - expect nothing, nothing whatsoever from them in the way of help or assistance. Their reps are not empowered nor trained. I hope you get a bargain - but I really think you're going to pay dearly in time and aggravation to be able to use the device at home.

Cricket isn't in Denmark and he'd likely be directed to Apple for technical support. he even said he's canceling after he pays the first month(priority).

ultimately he's knocking off $200 on the cost of a NIB iPhone 4S in his country. For him, this is actually a very good plan if the SIM tray on the Cricket iPhone 4S is the same as the others. I don't see why Cricket would go through the effort to block the phones world abilities when Cricket is not worldwide, not to mention I think Apple is in full control over its products.

world phone abilities is a selling point for the 4S so I think it should be ok.

[reddragonprodz]

Cricket isn't in Denmark and he'd likely be directed to Apple for technical support. he even said he's canceling after he pays the first month(priority).

ultimately he's knocking off $200 on the cost of a NIB iPhone 4S in his country. For him, this is actually a very good plan if the SIM tray on the Cricket iPhone 4S is the same as the others. I don't see why Cricket would go through the effort to block the phones world abilities when Cricket is not worldwide, not to mention I think Apple is in full control over its products.

world phone abilities is a selling point for the 4S so I think it should be ok.

It's the CDMA version so they took out the GSM Radio the tray stays the same but the innards are gutted so with that it will not work overseas.

[i0wnj00]

It's the CDMA version so they took out the GSM Radio the tray stays the same but the innards are gutted so with that it will not work overseas.

No, the CDMA version of the iPhone 4S will work overseas.
Verizon Wireless and Sprint will allow you to use the iPhone 4S overseas, you just have to ask to remove the SIM restriction. Whether Cricket will do this..well it depends what their policy is and if they *pernamently* disabled the GSM radios.

Technically speaking the iPhone 4S can support GSM/CDMA/UMTS, it's just a matter of removing any software blocks which disable the GSM/UMTS portion.

If the OP wants to find an iPhone 4S while in the States for use in Denmark then they need to find an Apple Store and get the unlocked GSM version starting at $649.00 USD.

[Recnelis]

I am exactly hoping to cut 200$ off the price compared to Denmark, yet that'll only work if it has a GSM module and can be used overseas. I really don't want to start jailbreaking on each new version of iOS, as I will be foregoing some things by buying in the US, such as a 1 year warranty instead of 2 and that I'd have to go to the US to get it repaired.

I understand they wont release it till the 22'th june, so I guess there's no way to know if this will be possible before then or if the GSM is gutted?

One thing I don't understand, if there's no contract, and you pay as you go, there should be nothing preventing people from moving from one tele company to another? Or is that what CDMA is for? In EU we only use GSM.

[Morphling27]

Ren,
You're very right, in the USA cdma phones are locked to a specific network. There is no sim card and each phone has its own identity built in.

Also on the topic in general, I'd guess the 4s on cricket will have gsm in it. As people pointed out, whether it's locked or whatnot is another story. I doubt Apple would really change the phone, especially for a smaller regional carrier. Apple likes to keep models simple and the less variety, the better the margins for them.

[Yeswap]

CDMA iPhones for Verizon and Sprint come SIM locked. Both operators will unlock them for active postpaid customers. When unlocked they will only work with non-US SIMs not with AT&T or T-Mobile.

As Cricket is subsidizing the iPhone I'm 99.9% sure they will be locked. I doubt that Cricket will unlock them, especially for non-customers or new customers. They lose money on every iPhone that they sell and only break even after the user has paid for several month's service.

[AppleMac]

After reading all the posts I would recommend buying one at the Apple store. It's $649 so you'll still save $100 and you KNOW it will work in Denmark. Good luck!

[heatra]

It's the CDMA version so they took out the GSM Radio the tray stays the same but the innards are gutted so with that it will not work overseas.

And you... are a tard.