Apple reveals unlocked iPhone 5 prices in U.S., Canada

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Just hours ahead of the scheduled opening of pre-orders for its iPhone 5, Apple updated its online store's webpage to reveal the prices of unlocked models bound for the U.S. and Canadian markets.

Unlocked iPhone 5
Source: Apple Canada


On Apple's iPhone comparison page, the company lists the prices of unlocked 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPhone 5 models at $649, $749 and $849, respectively for the U.S. Pricing will be similar in Canada, where all iPhones are sold unlocked, at CAD $699, CAD $799, and CAD $899 for the same 16GB, 32GB and 64GB lineup, respectively.

While the prices are out, Apple has yet to announce when the unlocked units will be available for sale, however The Verge has confirmed the handsets won't be available in the U.S. on launch day. This is standard operating procedure as Apple reserves unlocked iPhones for countries where it is the only model for sale, bringing in the unsubsidized devices for the domestic market a few weeks later.

Apple will initiate iPhone 5 pre-orders on Friday at 12 a.m. PDT.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59


    Huh. Store's down. I was just going to confirm those prices, since this morning it said $699 for the unlocked iPhone… That's really cool; it cycles through languages on the icon!



    OH, frig, it's 11:30. It's down for the preorders. Ugh, I'm so depressed… 

  • Reply 2 of 59
    aiaaia Posts: 181member
    Patience my friend.

    I'm wondering if they will update the price of the unlocked 4S (it was $549 yesterday).
  • Reply 3 of 59
    You're asking us if you're depressed?

    And does this standare procedure apply given that there are 3 different iPhone 5's across the world with different radios?
  • Reply 4 of 59
    Shame that Canada tops out with a 62GB iPhone while America get's the 64GB. Yeah USA. :-?
  • Reply 5 of 59
    If someone can tell me, if I buy an unlocked phone what do I need to do to get cellular? Do I just go to a carrier store and pay for a SIM card, are they month to month deals or can I just buy a SIM - use it then buy another whenever I'm ready?

    Thank you.
  • Reply 6 of 59


    I wanted to see what the cost was for buying a smart phone other than Apple's iPhone 5.  I have checked for the Samsung Galaxy S3 unlock prices and didn't see any options that allows you to buy the phone outright from Verizon or ATT.  I did how ever see the Galaxy S3 unlocked on Amazon and eBay.  Their prices are less than iPhone about $100.00 less.  The only problem is the android os.  Not all android devices can be updated to the newer os.  So in my opinion it would be a waste to buy an unlocked android phone in comparison to the iPhone 4 or better.

  • Reply 7 of 59


    I'm ready to pay the $1100 it is going to cost for the 64GB here in India when it is announced. While the Nano-SIM is not yet launched here, I'm sure the carriers are just waiting for the official SIM-cutter to release! When the iPhone 4 was launched, the carriers had the standard SIM, but the cutter to make it fit in the iPhone. It was only later that Micro-SIMs were available. So if the actual usuable area of the Micro-SIM matches the Nano-SIM (and I think the reason Apple's Nano-SIM standard was approved was backward compatibility), then all the carriers need again is the cutter!


     


    The funny thing here is that, even though the phone is not subsidised, it is still "tied" to a carrier. You have to buy it for a specific carrier and the carrier provides special 'iPhone plans' which is nothing but a discount on your monthly tariff that off-sets the cost of the phone over a period of 12 months by a percentage. The plans themselves are nothing spectacular.


     


    It is kind of the reverse of how it is in the West.

  • Reply 8 of 59

    Deleted. Something whacky about the 'Edit' option right now.
  • Reply 9 of 59
    radarradar Posts: 271member


    Perhaps someone here could elaborate on the advantages of buying an unlocked iPhone 5, specifically for people who reside in the US, but live overseas for extended periods of time.


     


    If you buy the unlocked iPhone directly from Apple: 


     


    a) Can you use it overseas without first signing on to any American carrier (AT&T etc.)?


     


    b) Upon returning from overseas, can you then use an American carrier for a month or two without signing on for a full year or two-year plan? (i.e. prepaid cards, plans etc.)


     


    c) Is the iOS security of the iPhone compromised in any way?


     


    This article seems to scream DON'T BUY AN "UNLOCKED" PHONE FROM ANY CARRIER OR BEST BUY, ONLY FROM APPLE DIRECTLY http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcwebertobias/2011/12/22/how-u-s-carriers-fool-you-into-thinking-your-iphone-4s-is-unlocked/ Apparently "unlocked" iPhones sold by American carriers are not unlocked at all, only the ones sold by Apple are. Thoughts?

  • Reply 10 of 59


    Apple Inc. unveiled the new iPhone 5 on Wednesday. It will have a taller screen and can work with faster, fourth-generation, or 4G, cellular networks. Here are some details on its availability.


    COLORS: Black or white.


    MODELS AND PRICES: 16 gigabytes of storage, $199; 32 GB, $299; 64 GB, $399. These prices assume a two-year service agreement.


    At each price level, there will be three different models. The differences between them lie in their ability to connect to different "4G LTE" networks around the world. For instance, one model will connect to AT&T's U.S. network and Bell's Canadian one, while another will connect to Sprint's and Verizon's U.S. networks and KDDI's network in Japan.


    OLDER PHONES: With a two-year contract, the iPhone 4S will now sell for $99 and iPhone 4 will be free.


    DATES: Advance orders begin Friday. The iPhone 5 will be available a week later, on Sept. 21, in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the U.K.


    On Sept. 28, the iPhone 5 will be available in 22 more countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.


    who can tell me the difference between iphone and other android telefonlar

  • Reply 11 of 59
    radarradar Posts: 271member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by djkikrome View Post



    Shame that Canada tops out with a 62GB iPhone while America get's the 64GB. Yeah USA. :-?


    lol, either a typo or the world's first example of gigabyte capacity being tied to an exchange rate. 

  • Reply 12 of 59
    v5vv5v Posts: 1,357member
    Why does an iPhone cost MORE in Canada when the Canadian dollar is stronger than the US buck? That doesn't make sense. Especially that MUCH more! $50?! What gives?
  • Reply 13 of 59


    In some countries 1 GB = 1000 MB. In others 1 GB = 1024 MB. Moving on, 64*1000/1024=62.5 

  • Reply 14 of 59
    Was ready to buy my Black ATT UNLOCKED 64GB model for $849 at midnight only to discover Apple has omitted the buy unlocked option. Only contract iPhones can be bought today. I am super bummed out. Plan to phone tomorrow.
  • Reply 15 of 59
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    This is standard operating procedure as Apple reserves unlocked iPhones for countries where it is the only model for sale, bringing in the unsubsidized devices for the domestic market a few weeks later.

    That's odd for an alleged policy, isn't the difference just a changed firmware or even just a configuration bit somewhere?
  • Reply 16 of 59


    You better check, from all I have read micro-sims CANNOT be cut down into nano sims due to the nano sims are 15% thinner.


     
  • Reply 17 of 59

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AIA View Post



    Patience my friend.

    I'm wondering if they will update the price of the unlocked 4S (it was $549 yesterday).




    $549 is the updated price for the 4s, and the 4 is now $450. (Last week the 4 was $549 and the 4s was $649)

  • Reply 18 of 59

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mesomorphicman View Post



    If someone can tell me, if I buy an unlocked phone what do I need to do to get cellular? Do I just go to a carrier store and pay for a SIM card, are they month to month deals or can I just buy a SIM - use it then buy another whenever I'm ready?

    Thank you.




    You activate it with a carrier. Make sure you research it before you buy the iPhone. The model you get depends on which bands your carrier supports.


     


    here is a good article: http://lifehacker.com/5942614/pick-the-best-iphone-5-carrier

  • Reply 19 of 59

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by v5v View Post



    Why does an iPhone cost MORE in Canada when the Canadian dollar is stronger than the US buck? That doesn't make sense. Especially that MUCH more! $50?! What gives?


    The exchange rate between the US and Canadian dollars is very volatile.  In the past year, it has flipped back and forth between both sides of parity several times, and it is reasonable to assume that it will continue to do so.


     


    Retailers, on the other hand, strive to have prices that remain stable for the medium-term.  They are (justifiably) not willing to assume too much risk in the event that the exchange rate goes too far south.  So, they (understandably) build in a safety margin, to improve the chance that the price they set now will probably remain profitable until their next scheduled round of price adjustments a few months from now.


     


    Don't forget, too, that currency exchanges are subject to entropy.  Every conversion will likely be subject to brokerage fees of, say, 1.5% or so.  Then, the remaining funds would be converted to the foreign currency at the prevailing exchange rate.  Going from CAD to USD, and then immediately going from USD back to CAD again at the exact same exchange rate would always result in a net loss.


     


    Say the exchange rate was 1.00, and you started out with $100 CAD.  Your broker would take $1.50 up front, leaving you with only $98.50 for conversion at the applicable exchange rate.  Your remaining $98.50 CAD would be converted into $98.50 USD, for an overall loss of $1.50.  Apple may get more favorable brokerage fees - because they could probably aggregate many individual sales together into much larger overall conversion transactions - but the same principle would have to apply.

  • Reply 20 of 59


    Why does an iPhone cost MORE in Canada when the Canadian dollar is stronger than the US buck? That doesn't make sense. Especially that MUCH more! $50?! What gives?


     


     


    Could it be import or duty fees? As a Canadian living in the US I don't miss this sort of stuff...

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