Apple Now Selling Unlocked GSM iPhones in the U.S. - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Now Selling Unlocked GSM iPhones in the U.S.

by

Apple has begun selling unlocked GSM iPhone 5 models in the United States, some two months after it originally went on sale. This is similar to the delay that preceded sales of the unlocked iPhone 4S last year.

Screen Shot 2012 11 29 at 8 26 11 PM
The launch follows the drop of the iPhone 5's estimated shipping times to one week just a few days ago. The unlocked GSM models are available for $649/$749/$849 for the 16/32/64 GB models and also have an estimated ship time of one week. In the U.S., the unlocked models will work on both AT&T and T-Mobile.

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.

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Read Full Article • 151 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 106 comments

Top Rated Comments

N
nfl46
180 months ago
Cheaper than expected.
Haven't they always been these prices?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
iphone495
180 months ago
This is why I love MACRUMORS. Two confirmed rumors in ONE WEEK!!!:D
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
E
eim23x
180 months ago
Is there a possibility of an official unlocked Verizon model?
This would be really popular for LTE seeking travelers, but I guess it won't really be any competition to the gsm model. ::sigh::

Anybody with a good guess with other phones in the same situation?

Verizon iPhone 5 are unlocked from day 1. When you are in the Apple store
tell them to sell you a Verizon iPhone 5 same price as the unlocked model.

----------

As usual, Apple is ripping people off in other countries. Here in Germany, an unlocked iPhone is 679 Euros. An unlocked iPhone in the US is 649 Dollars. 649 Dollars is 500 Euros, 19 % (our sales tax) of 500 Euros is 95 Euros. The iPhone should really cost around 600 Euros here! Having different GSM bands can't make a difference of 179 Euros pre-tax!


Its not Apple ripping you off. Its Germany with their damn tax.
That all over Europe and Middle East.
where i live its 17% Tax and then remember the import fees that
local import takes.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OriginalMacRat Avatar
OriginalMacRat
180 months ago
$650 for a 16gb phone?

How much koolaid does one have to drink to justify spending THAT much cash on ANY phone?!

You'll find that the unlocked price of the Samsung Galaxy SIII is $699.

You might also want to look up the unlocked price on the HTC One models.

This is what phones actually cost.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
Deanobear
180 months ago
well you can get an iPhone in US for about $100 carrier locked. The one advertised in this article is the unlocked one which is same price as Aussie.

What I can't understand is that UNLOCKED iPhones aren't available from day 1 in the US :confused:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Menge Avatar
Menge
180 months ago
Cheaper than expected.
Same price as it's always been. I don't know why it would be more expensive.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments