All Verizon iPhone 4s Now Unlocked

If you have an iPhone 4s through Verizon, then I have great news for you: it’s now unlocked to be used on US and international GSM networks. You don’t have to call customer service and get lost in the black hole of Verizon holding music–it’s all been done automatically. According to Howard Forums users and Prepaid Phone News, the phones should be unlocked immediately, and several people have reported that SIM cards from various AT&T, T-Mobile and GSM-based MVNOs work just fine in Verizon iPhone 4s devices. Here’s a copy of an internal memo I’ve seen posted around the internet discussing the change:

“I wanted to share some important updates with you regarding unlocks We are in the process of bulk unlocking all iPhone 4 & 4s for domestic and international use (iPhone 4 can only be used domestically since it’s not a global capable phone). What does that mean? We have asked apple to unlock all the iPhones behind the scenes so that a customer can either take the device to another carrier (technology might still prevent the device from working), or use a third party international SIM. This process is scheduled to be completed no later than 2/11/2015. If a customer should call you with an iPhone that has already been unlocked, it will provide a message in ACSS that will tell you that the device is unlocked. If they should call prior to 2/11, and it has not been unlocked yet, you might still have to process the request. Unfortunately, the other 3G devices, such as the Samsung Renown or a Blackberry, could not be processed via bulk, primarily because the customer will have to follow certain steps to enter the unlock code. Your expertise is needed in these scenarios.“

Why did Verizon suddenly become so consumer friendly, you might ask? Some people are suggesting out of the goodness of its heart, while others are simply saying that it’s because it was cheaper to mass-unlock the phones. I doubt we’ll ever really know, but I wouldn’t question it. Just enjoy your new-found freedom!]]>