I am thinking about changing my cell phone provider from AT&T to T Mobile to save money. T Mobil told me I will have to unlock my phone on the internet before they can change the provider on my phone.
According to AT&T’s website I am eligible to unlock it because I don’t owe any money on the phone itself and I am not in a contract.
My question is if unlock my iPhone will it affect my current service with AT&T. In addition, if I decide to subsequently keep AT&T are there any disadvantages of unlocking it?
Nope. So AT&T sold you a carrier locked phone. Pretty standard procedure just a part of their butchery of the phone, though I don’t think Apple lets 'em do much more. If they could they would put all manner of crapware and make it hard to remove. I quit buying carrier locked phones.
All the carrier lock does is prevent your phone from using any other carrier sim card. Do the unlock and change whenever you like. There is NO downside.
While you are looking at T-mobile, I suggest also considering Mint which has actually been bought by T-mobile. Having just moved to it from CommieCast (xfinity) for essentially the same price of $15/mo +++, I get 5 gb of data instead of 1 gb a month and don’t have to worry about paying more if I go over; it just slows down. Mint is done prepaid, so you don’t even have to give up your socialist number, and they have an Old Goats plan the might help you.
I had my phone unlocked when I went from T Mobile to Visible (Verizon). They have a link to check if your phone number can be moved…if it can, I remember I had to call T Mobile do something to my number so it could be moved. It was pretty easy. Here’s that link to check your phone number Visible | It's Phone Service. In An App.. If it shows it can be moved there, it should be able to move anywhere
FWIW - Visible is unlimited everything for $25 per month. It works well for me. I went with them because T Mobile has plans for two, but not for one. I was paying $55 per month on T Mobile. That was for two lines (that I didn’t need). I like Visible. The only drawback is that there isn’t any “bricks and mortar” stores - online chat only/ But I like them.