Anyway to buy iPhone 5 without contract (in the US)?

[slackerinabox]

My wife is on straight talk (gsm, att network) and would like to upgrade to an iPhone 5. Our service is so cheap that I can justify paying the $600+, I just can't seem to find it without attaching a plan to it. I even tried AT&T and, while they have it for $649 without a 2 year agreement they still force you to sign up for a data package. Any alternatives? Or any word when an officially unlocked version will be available?

 

[RedRooster]

The apple website doesn't sell them in the US?
Up here, they sell us unlocked ones from day one.

 

[Durvelle27]

Verizon iPhone 5s come unlocked

 

[jalaram]

From what I've heard, you have to add a plan when ordering it, but you can cancel the plan within 3 days and they won't charge you.

 

[uli2000]

Currently, they're not avalable unlocked until next month sometimes. You could buy an unsubsidized one from AT&T, if they let you. Since it's such a hot seller, they may not allow you to buy one without a contract yet. The Verizon version (maybe Sprint as well) is unlocked on the GSM/HSPA side of things, but wont support LTE on AT&T if and when Straight Talk will use the ATT 4g LTE network.

 

[Anonemous]

Currently, they're not avalable unlocked until next month sometimes. You could buy an unsubsidized one from AT&T, if they let you. Since it's such a hot seller, they may not allow you to buy one without a contract yet. The Verizon version (maybe Sprint as well) is unlocked on the GSM/HSPA side of things, but wont support LTE on AT&T if and when Straight Talk will use the ATT 4g LTE network.

Sprint is locked. 🙁

 

[QuantumPion]

I bought my AT&T one full price on release day but I do have an existing contract. Not sure if that matters or not.

 

[amdhunter]

From what I've heard, you have to add a plan when ordering it, but you can cancel the plan within 3 days and they won't charge you.

Yeah, but you still have to take a credit hit to get approved for a new line. It's annoying. My credit score actually dropped 4 points when I signed up to Verizon for my Galaxy Nexus.

I was beyond heated. It took about 3 months for it to go back to where it was.

 

[AkumaX]

My wife is on straight talk (gsm, att network) and would like to upgrade to an iPhone 5. Our service is so cheap that I can justify paying the $600+, I just can't seem to find it without attaching a plan to it. I even tried AT&T and, while they have it for $649 without a 2 year agreement they still force you to sign up for a data package. Any alternatives? Or any word when an officially unlocked version will be available?

Officially unlocked in November from Apple Store

Best Buy will let you buy out of contract (if they have any in-stock)

Like others said, Verizon comes GSM-unlocked

My only question is, will Straight-Talk ever get 4G LTE?

Do you care if you get the Verizon version? Because Verizon's LTE band is different from AT&T's, so if you get the Verizon version, you won't ever get 4G LTE from AT&T (if you care, that is)

 

[dmw16]

Yeah, but you still have to take a credit hit to get approved for a new line. It's annoying. My credit score actually dropped 4 points when I signed up to Verizon for my Galaxy Nexus.

I was beyond heated. It took about 3 months for it to go back to where it was.

Seems even credit reports know that Android stuff sucks 🙂