Apple Now Selling Unlocked iPhones Without SIM Cards

I can’t see a lock from here, so it must be true.

Maybe you’re always traveling to Siberia, Madagascar, Belize and back again. Or perhaps you just hate being tied down with a carrier contract. Apple has either been reading your mind or just decided it’s a worthwhile business move to offer customers unlocked iPhone 5s phones that are SIM card free.

But for those not used to the prices that come with no-contract phones, the sticker shock might prove a bit daunting: The Apple store now lists 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions of the unlocked phones for $649, $749 and $849, respectively.

The phones work on any GSM Network, so if you’re abroad you can probably find a carrier to hitch your phone to while you’re there on your own compatible SIM card, then simply ditch it when you leave.

Of course, if you’re here in the U.S. you’ll still need to sign up with either AT&T or T-Mobile to use these, as they’re the only two carriers on GSM networks. Sprint, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular are all CDMA carriers.

The phones also come in any of the finishes available for other 5s phones — gold, black and silver — and will ship in one to two weeks.

H/T: Unlocked and SIM-free iPhone 5s now available on Apple’s site [Engadget]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist