Verizon iPhone 5 secret feature: It’s ‘unlocked’, usable on AT&T

By Web Desk Sep 23rd, 2012 ( 4 Comments )

New York: The Verizon Wireless version of the iPhone 5, which went on sale on Friday, comes with a secret and unexpected feature: it works on AT&T’s network as well, reports say.

A Verizon representative has also confirmed to CNET, the Verizon iPhone 5 comes unlocked out of the box.

Earlier, the Associated Press, confirming blog reports, found that the Verizon iPhone 5 accepts an AT&T “SIM card” – a little chip that identifies a phone to a wireless network. The phone can then be active on AT&T’s network.

“Today, a Verizon representative confirmed the “3G SIM unlock” capability — and that the Verizon iPhone 5 is unlocked out of the box,” CNET reports.

Of course, there are a bunch of caveats. This “feature” could be “fixed” via a future update. And AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G-class networks achieve different levels of high-speed connectivity.

It’s unclear whether the feature is intended and whether the phones will work with other carriers, such as T-Mobile USA. But Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Raney confirmed to the AP on Saturday that the iPhone 5 models it’s selling are “unlocked.”

That said, iDownloadBlog, wrote on Friday that “the big news here is that we have confirmed that you can use a Verizon iPhone 5 on AT&T or T-Mobile, freely, even if you’re a brand-new customer under contract.”