iPhone: disallow specific carrier?
Sep 19, 2017, 6:43 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Montebello, CA, USA
Posts: 2,365
Sep 19, 2017, 10:36 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta TDK(or care)WIA, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,869
There's also another thread about a universal portable wifi called mypokefi, and if it works well, it's a great solution. Not everybody is satisfied with the speed they're getting in every place they've tried to use it, but it looks very convenient, particularly if you have t-mobile roaming as a backup.
Sep 20, 2017, 8:44 am
#33
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,652
I live within a few minutes of the US/Canadian border and cross frequently. My problem with ATT was that my phone would try to hold a weak ATT signal in the border region and I finally got ATT to push to my iPhone an update which would allow me to manually force my phone to a US or Canadian carrier even when a US signal was detected. I spent hours on the phone arguing with people to get it and customer supported originally denied it existed. I had to remain firm, polite, and a little bull headed to get the update through.
Sep 20, 2017, 12:09 pm
#34
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DAL
Posts: 1,447
I live within a few minutes of the US/Canadian border and cross frequently. My problem with ATT was that my phone would try to hold a weak ATT signal in the border region and I finally got ATT to push to my iPhone an update which would allow me to manually force my phone to a US or Canadian carrier even when a US signal was detected. I spent hours on the phone arguing with people to get it and customer supported originally denied it existed. I had to remain firm, polite, and a little bull headed to get the update through.
Sep 20, 2017, 2:17 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,652
My phone is carrier unlocked. I have TMobile and a Verizon data SIM in it in the US and an Etisilat SIM in it in the UAE. I''m grandfathered on ATT's unlimited international program so it is the exception (not the rule) for me but definitely unlocked. I got the phone unlocked from the Apple store and it isn't ATT subsidized.
ATT still blocked access to that control. Apple gives the carrier a ton of power over the phone.
ATT still blocked access to that control. Apple gives the carrier a ton of power over the phone.
Sep 21, 2017, 5:22 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: *G^2, Bonvoyed, NEXUS
Posts: 3,515
AT&T carrier unlocked your iPhone. We had a similar problem with one iPhone not sending texts in Vancouver with tier 2 tech pushing the change to the phones. Carrier unlocking is the only method to manually select the carrier. All US cell companies except for Verizon will carrier lock the phones sold.
My US iPhone is on AT&T, and I can assure you it is very much locked to AT&T. However I have the carrier selection menu visible at all times, even in the US, because AT&T enabled it for me. This carried over when I upgraded my phone and moved the SIM card across. If I put a different AT&T SIM in the phone the menu disappears.
Sep 21, 2017, 7:00 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
SIM locks on the phone have nothing to do with the visibility of the Carrier Selection menu. It is controlled by provisioning made to the SIM/phone by the carrier itself. This concept goes back to the GSM days.
My US iPhone is on AT&T, and I can assure you it is very much locked to AT&T. However I have the carrier selection menu visible at all times, even in the US, because AT&T enabled it for me. This carried over when I upgraded my phone and moved the SIM card across. If I put a different AT&T SIM in the phone the menu disappears.
My US iPhone is on AT&T, and I can assure you it is very much locked to AT&T. However I have the carrier selection menu visible at all times, even in the US, because AT&T enabled it for me. This carried over when I upgraded my phone and moved the SIM card across. If I put a different AT&T SIM in the phone the menu disappears.
Sep 23, 2017, 11:55 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
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Posts: 13,167
- We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
One thing to note here in terms of software phone locks is that all Verizon 4G LTE smartphones come unlocked out of the box. The reason why is that the spectrum Verizon is using to build its 4G LTE network had restrictions put on it by the Federal Communications Commission, which required the company to allow "open access" to the network. So as part of this provision, Verizon has decided not to lock those devices. That said, its 3G devices are locked.