DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I have an older iphone 5s that I used with ATT. I can't seem to find out online if I could use it with Verizon if it is unlocked. At some point, iphones were made universal and could be used with CDMA and GSM, but I am reading conflicting things online about it. My friend lives in another state and I am happy to send her this phone (she is Verizon) as hers is not working, but I hate to spend the money to send it to her if it won't even work and she will have to trash it anyway, if that makes sense. Anyone know? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I have an older iphone 5s that I used with ATT. I can't seem to find out online if I could use it with Verizon if it is unlocked. At some point, iphones were made universal and could be used with CDMA and GSM, but I am reading conflicting things online about it. My friend lives in another state and I am happy to send her this phone (she is Verizon) as hers is not working, but I hate to spend the money to send it to her if it won't even work and she will have to trash it anyway, if that makes sense. Anyone know? I would take it to a Verizon store and ask them if it will work. My experience is a lot of times information will say it will work but it really won't. My sons dad gave him an old IPhone from AT&T. Everything we read said it would work with Verizon. But then I wouldn't. Very frustrating. It was a 3 though, so maybe by 5 they were compatible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 If it is an AT&T phone now, you have to go to their online site and beg them to unlock the phone. You really have to dig to find the location of the place where you do the begging. They say you will get a notice in three days but you won't. But they will unlock it if it is paid for (contract/phone) and not telll you but go to Verizon anyway because then it can be linked to that account. Then in three months you will get a notice saying "Congratulations! Your phone is unlocked." Then about 10 minutes later, you will get another notice saying that they are taking your request to have your phone unlocked under consideration and they will tell you the response in three days. This is apparently how technology has improved our business efficiency. LOL. (ETA: I just did this with a 3G and a 4S that I gave to a couple of friends who needed phones and texting...so all of this happened in duplicate....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 You're saying that your phone is locked/synced with your previous phone company? My dd had an iPhone 5S when she was living in another country that was compatible with AT&T. When she returned to the U.S., she assumed she could use it with our Verizon plan, especially since Verizon and AT&T have merged on some things (I believe they share towers now). But, she wasn't able to use it. (Or Verizon refused to unlock it.) Maybe there is a way to unlock it -- I don't know. All this phone stuff drives me crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 (snipped) Maybe there is a way to unlock it -- I don't know. All this phone stuff drives me crazy! Yup. See my post right before yours. And there is a reason this phone stuff drives you crazy. You're a human being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 The phone you have can work on CDMA and GSM networks? Or, there are different models of that version iPhone, one for GSM and one for CDMA? Possibly that is true, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around that, unless it was a VERY expensive phone when it was new. I suspect that type of cell phone exists, but I'm not positive they exist. Maybe the phone has 2 radios in it, one for GSM and one for CDMA? Or, possibly, the same radio can do both CDMA and GSM? If it can work on GSM networks, it will have 1 or 2 slots for SIM cards. (Our phones are all GSM and all of them have Dual SIM capability) CDMA phones do not have SIM cards. They must be configured by the provider, in the office of the provider. Before sending it to her, I think she should verify what kind of network she will use it on, if you send it to her, and, if it is GSM, if it can be unlocked without the kind of run around I read about when glancing at some of the previous replies. An Unlocked GSM phone will work on the network of any GSM provider IF the phone has the GSM bands that are used by that provider, in the area where coverage is needed. We had CDMA phones, years ago, but I believe CDMA service was discontinued in Colombia. CDMA is better, if one is in an area where the signal from the cell tower is very weak. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 We just did this the opposite way.....a Verizon iPhone 5s to AT&T. It was a simple process. We just took it to the AT&T store. They unlocked it, put an AT&T SIM card in it, and set it up with a new phone number. Took about 15 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Phone is already unlocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 The phone you have can work on CDMA and GSM networks? Or, there are different models of that version iPhone, one for GSM and one for CDMA? Possibly that is true, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around that, unless it was a VERY expensive phone when it was new. I suspect that type of cell phone exists, but I'm not positive they exist. Maybe the phone has 2 radios in it, one for GSM and one for CDMA? Or, possibly, the same radio can do both CDMA and GSM? If it can work on GSM networks, it will have 1 or 2 slots for SIM cards. (Our phones are all GSM and all of them have Dual SIM capability) CDMA phones do not have SIM cards. They must be configured by the provider, in the office of the provider. Before sending it to her, I think she should verify what kind of network she will use it on, if you send it to her, and, if it is GSM, if it can be unlocked without the kind of run around I read about when glancing at some of the previous replies. An Unlocked GSM phone will work on the network of any GSM provider IF the phone has the GSM bands that are used by that provider, in the area where coverage is needed. We had CDMA phones, years ago, but I believe CDMA service was discontinued in Colombia. CDMA is better, if one is in an area where the signal from the cell tower is very weak. The new phones work on both. They changed it right around the 5s and it looks like some are both and some aren't, but I can't quite figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 I would take it to a Verizon store and ask them if it will work. My experience is a lot of times information will say it will work but it really won't. My sons dad gave him an old IPhone from AT&T. Everything we read said it would work with Verizon. But then I wouldn't. Very frustrating. It was a 3 though, so maybe by 5 they were compatible. It will be a long time before I have time to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 It will be a long time before I have time to do that. I have an unlocked 5s too but what I heard was that the gsm phone model may not have the cdma hardware support. Give Verizon customer service a call and see if they can tell from the imei number of your 5s phone. If not give Apple a call. It is the imei number they need to verify anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 I have an unlocked 5s too but what I heard was that the gsm phone model may not have the cdma hardware support. Give Verizon customer service a call and see if they can tell from the imei number of your 5s phone. If not give Apple a call. It is the imei number they need to verify anyway. Good idea. I may be able to go over Spring Break, but not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 (edited) If it is this phone it is GSM https://www.att.com/cellphones/iphone/iphone-5s-prepaid.html#sku=sku7920691 If it is "Unlocked" one should be able to put in a SIM card from just about any GSM carrier, in North or South America (there are some exceptions) and have it work, without any issues. OT: My old (2014) very low end Samsung Android does not have 4G LTE capability but our nearby cell tower is providing HSPA+ service to my phone. In the below chart, I was very surprised they show that as 4G. HSPA+ is really 3.75 G. Not quite 4G... Wireless Technology 4G-LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20 and 25 4G HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul 3G - UMTS 850/900/1900/2100MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz ETA: I googled Verizon+GSM and got to this Google SERPs page: https://www.google.com.co/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Verizon+%2B+GSM&* Edited March 21, 2017 by Lanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 This article seems to imply "no", but it's complicated. That said, it is likely that it will work on Tracfone, which is pretty cheap and easy to deal with. You'd need a starter kit which has the SIM card and is around five bucks. Then a 60-day card is around $25 and comes with 500 minutes, 500 MB of data, and 1000 texts. If your friend is a moderate user, that may be enough for 60 days; she can then buy another 60-day card, making the cost less than $15/month. If she needs more minutes, data and/or texts, she can buy one of many different cards that meet her needs - $5 for 1000 texts, $10 for 1GB of data, and so on. The minutes etc. carry over and don't expire (unlike Verizon), and while she can buy a physical card in the store, she can also buy what she needs through the super-easy-to-use app. And if she prefers, she can set up auto-refill which actually gives you a bit of a discount over the already-low pay-as-you-go prices. We found that, for our usage patterns, Tracfone is cheaper and also much easier to use than Verizon, and we'll be transitioning everyone in the family over as their contracts run out. (Example - to get 1GB more data than your regular plan on Verizon costs $15, and it expires after 2 months. Tracfone is $10/GB, and it never expires.) Even though we have "unlimited" minutes and texts on Verizon, we simply don't use enough of them to make it cost-effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 This article seems to imply "no", but it's complicated. That said, it is likely that it will work on Tracfone, which is pretty cheap and easy to deal with. You'd need a starter kit which has the SIM card and is around five bucks. Then a 60-day card is around $25 and comes with 500 minutes, 500 MB of data, and 1000 texts. If your friend is a moderate user, that may be enough for 60 days; she can then buy another 60-day card, making the cost less than $15/month. If she needs more minutes, data and/or texts, she can buy one of many different cards that meet her needs - $5 for 1000 texts, $10 for 1GB of data, and so on. The minutes etc. carry over and don't expire (unlike Verizon), and while she can buy a physical card in the store, she can also buy what she needs through the super-easy-to-use app. And if she prefers, she can set up auto-refill which actually gives you a bit of a discount over the already-low pay-as-you-go prices. We found that, for our usage patterns, Tracfone is cheaper and also much easier to use than Verizon, and we'll be transitioning everyone in the family over as their contracts run out. (Example - to get 1GB more data than your regular plan on Verizon costs $15, and it expires after 2 months. Tracfone is $10/GB, and it never expires.) Even though we have "unlimited" minutes and texts on Verizon, we simply don't use enough of them to make it cost-effective. No, her family is on a Verizon family plan. She broke her phone. She needs a replacement for a Verizon phone for her family plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 If it is this phone it is GSM https://www.att.com/cellphones/iphone/iphone-5s-prepaid.html#sku=sku7920691 If it is "Unlocked" one should be able to put in a SIM card from just about any GSM carrier, in North or South America (there are some exceptions) and have it work, without any issues. OT: My old (2014) very low end Samsung Android does not have 4G LTE capability but our nearby cell tower is providing HSPA+ service to my phone. In the below chart, I was very surprised they show that as 4G. HSPA+ is really 3.75 G. Not quite 4G... Wireless Technology 4G-LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20 and 25 4G HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul 3G - UMTS 850/900/1900/2100MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz ETA: I googled Verizon+GSM and got to this Google SERPs page: https://www.google.com.co/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Verizon+%2B+GSM&* The 5s is right about the time they started making phones that could go on BOTH systems, CDMA AND GSM. There seems to be conflicting info about which phones are universal and which are tied to the system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 (edited) The 5s is right about the time they started making phones that could go on BOTH systems, CDMA AND GSM. There seems to be conflicting info about which phones are universal and which are tied to the system. Dawn: If it has 1 or 2 slots for SIM cards, it is a GSM phone. If it has an IMEI number, it is a GSM phone. If it has an ESN number, it is a CDMA phone. Suggestion: Remove the battery from the phone. Then (with a magnifying glass available) copy down the complete model number. If it is like our Android phones, the actual model number will be longer than simply 5s. If you can give us that model number, we can Google it and look at the specs of that particular phone. If it has both an IMEI number and an ESN that will be of interest... I doubt that, but I am not going to say that is impossible. ETA: I googled iphone 5s+CDMA and this was in one of the links in the SERPs: "hey. AT&T and T-Mobile are selling the GSM model (A1533); Sprint is selling the CDMA model (A1453); and Verizon Wireless is selling the CDMA model " Edited March 21, 2017 by Lanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Well, stink. Now I can't even find the phone! I know it is around here somewhere, but I don't have the time to look tonight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Well, stink. Now I can't even find the phone! I know it is around here somewhere, but I don't have the time to look tonight. OK. :-) After I wrote the ETA in post #17, I remembered that many phones now have batteries that are not removable. So, when you remove the back cover of the phone, you may not see the battery there and not be able to remove the battery. If that's the case, hopefully, you will see the actual model number and whether it shows an IMEI number or a ESN somewhere, after removing the back cover. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Dawn: I googled on apple.com and found this interesting. However, possibly Verizon is more accommodating now, than when this thread took place? https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7320823?start=0&tstart=0 "While an iPhone 5 does have CDMA hardware inside, neither Verizon nor Sprint will activate it on their CDMA networks if it was not specifically sold for their networks. Its not a technical issue with a phone its more a policy from CDMA carriers. You can go an plead with them, but don't expect them to activate it." That was written on 03 NOV 2015 so possibly things are different now? (Assuming that the iPhone you have has CDMA capability) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 No, her family is on a Verizon family plan. She broke her phone. She needs a replacement for a Verizon phone for her family plan. My family is on a Verizon family plan too, with a company-affiliation discount. It's still cheaper for me to have my iphone on Tracfone than on the family Verizon plan. Much cheaper. It's worth at least running the numbers, especially if your iphone won't work on Verizon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 OK. :-) After I wrote the ETA in post #17, I remembered that many phones now have batteries that are not removable. So, when you remove the back cover of the phone, you may not see the battery there and not be able to remove the battery. If that's the case, hopefully, you will see the actual model number and whether it shows an IMEI number or a ESN somewhere, after removing the back cover. . On my iphone 4s and my iphone SE, you can find the IMEI number by going into "settings" > "general" > "about". OP, once you have the IMEI/ESN number, Verizon's Bring Your Own Device page is here; your friend can put in her info and see if the phone is compatible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 (edited) To continue with what justasque wrote in post #22. On this URL they show how to figure out if a phone will work on Verizon: https://www.verizonwireless.com/bring-your-own-device/#checkDevice On that page, it includes this for iPhones: "1. From your home screen, select "Settings". 2. Select "General". 3. Select "About". 4. Scroll down to the IMEI, ESN or MEID number." Then, you put the "Device ID" into their form and click to continue NOTE: I tried that, with the IMEI number of my Samsung Android phone, which is GSM. The response I received from the Verizon form was: "The phone associated with the Device ID you entered is not compatible with the Verizon Wireless network." ETA: That message from Verizon is because my Samsung phone is GSM. We use the same bands here that are used by almost all carriers in North America and here in South America. Edited March 22, 2017 by Lanny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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