Unlocked Verizon Iphone 5S?

[Dave603]

I didn't want to hijack the other 5S thread because this is off topic of his discussion. But any of you overseas people have experience buying an unlocked verizon Iphone? I tried buying one the other day unsubsidized and the guy refused to unlock it for me so I didn't get it. From my understanding from the new law passed beginning of this year making it ileagal to unlock a contracted phone, if you buy it unsubsidized the law works the other way and they HAVE to unlock it for you? Do you have to go to the apple store to get one unlocked? I've also heard that if you buy one through the apple store it has to be a verizon model otherwise it won't work for them? I have an unlocked iphone 5 i got from dubai that I use overseas but it doesn't work in the states, so i would really like to have 1 iphone that I can use anywhere and i thought the 5S was supposed to do that... any thoughts?

[rice_rocket]

Wirelessly posted

From what I heard you are correct.. but obviously he didn't want to do that. I got a friend a Verizon phone and he got it unlocked for use in Cambodia, I'm surprised your unlocked 5 Doesnt work here. .. that phone was a 4s

[SwiftTone]

Might have to do with wireless band compatibility. Most counties use gsm and Verizon uses cdma. Reason why I will never use Verizon

[tsorfas]

That wasnt the law that was passed. The law says that no company is obligated to unlock a phone for a consumer.

[jasnmar]

Might have to do with wireless band compatibility. Most counties use gsm and Verizon uses cdma. Reason why I will never use Verizon

Since going to LTE many Verizon phones have a microsim card. Pop out the LTE card and put in a "local" one and you now have a local phone. VZW has blocked US GSM frequencies from working, so you can't carry it to AT&T, but it works in other countries fine. I've done it. It works great.

I know nothing about iPhones though.

[Dave603]

That wasnt the law that was passed. The law says that no company is obligated to unlock a phone for a consumer.

You might be correct but my assumption was that the law was written to protect the cell phone carriers from consumers unlocking and jail breaking their phone's while under obligation of a contractual agreement. (Thus allowing the consumer to purchase a phone at a discounted rate and then utilizing it outside of the intended network) Purchasing a phone unsubsidized does not yield a contract or any obligation to that specific carrier under any circumstance and therefore should not be shielded by this law. However, I am not sure if the law is reciprocal and requires the carrier to provide the service upon request of unlocking the phone if it was purchased unsubsidized?