IT Leadership

Unlocked iPhone 5 For Sale At Apple

You can now buy an iPhone 5 from Apple with no carrier contract committment. There is no CDMA support and what LTE support they have is unclear. The phone should work on AT&T and T-Mobile, but perhaps not on Verizon and Sprint.

Larry Seltzer, Contributor

November 30, 2012

1 Min Read

Apple has begun selling unlocked iPhone 5's on their web site (and presumably in their stores, as 9TO5Mac is reporting).

(click image for larger, more readable version)

The phone comes in black and white, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB, but GSM-only. From Apple:

About the Unlocked iPhone
The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a wireless contract commitment. You can activate and use iPhone on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States. The unlocked iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 will not work with CDMA-based carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint.
If you don't want a multiyear service contract, or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best choice. It does not come with a micro-SIM card for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, or a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5, so you'll need to get one from any supported GSM carrier worldwide. To start using it, simply insert the card into the slot on your iPhone and turn it on by pressing and holding the On/Off button for a few seconds. Then follow the onscreen instructions to set up your iPhone.

Because the phone is GSM-only, in the US it will work on AT&T and T-Mobile, but not CDMA networks like those run by Verizon and Sprint.

According to Engadget, the unlocked iPhone 5 will work on some LTE networks in some countries, but which is not clear.