Iphone carrier Question

I was on CraigsList and stumbled upon a very cheap white iphone, and i was gonna contact this buyer so i could buy it but then i remember i had virgin mobile!!!! Is there any way at all for an iphone (jailbreaked or non jailbreaked) to have any possibility of working for my carrier here in the us, i know that the carrier type or whatever is different than in verizon so it isn't supposed to work but maybe if it is jailbroken you can somehow can? idk i just want a final answer so i can wish my dreams of an iphone goodbye or pick one up

Virgin Mobile uses the GSM method of transmission same as AT&T. So if the iPhone is an AT&T phone it will probably work on the Virgin network. If the iPhone is from Verizon or Sprint, it won't work with Virgin.

Are you sure they both use Gsm, i read just now on an article that virgin uses cmda. idk if that changes the answer but i hope it doesn't


What is GSM? Definition of GSM: Cell Phone Glossary

First of all, chscag is wrong on this one. Just because Carrier A and Carrier B both use GSM does NOT mean the phones will work interchangeably. Most smartphones (any type) are sold as "carrier-locked" to the original carrier.

The OP never said what type of iPhone or what version of iOS it's running, but if it's not UNLOCKED (this is not the same thing as jailbroken), then it can't run on any carrier other than the one its locked to.

Secondly: Virgin Mobile in the US uses CDMA. AT&T uses GSM. The iPhone 4S can (if unlocked, at present not possible unless it was bought factory-unlocked) use either system, however the iPhone 4 is either a GSM model or a CDMA model and never the twain shall meet.

Long story short: if this phone you want isn't unlocked AND cdma, forget it.

so for example, if i was to go into apple and buy the iphone brand new, which i assume would be unlocked would be in theory available to work for VM?

xAlvarox said:

so for example, if i was to go into apple and buy the iphone brand new, which i assume would be unlocked would be in theory available to work for VM?

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If you went into an Apple Store and paid the full price ($700+ I believe) for an iPhone 4S (the only model this will be true for), you now have an unlocked "world phone" that can be used for just about any carrier anywhere in the world.

But if you walk into an Apple Store and just say "I want an iPhone" their next question after "what model" will be "what carrier" and you will get exactly the same carrier locked iPhone you would have gotten from a carrier, for the same price ($199 or less depending on model).

Mea Culpa, Virgin uses the same transmission as does Verizon (CDMA) not GSM.

As far as using an iPhone from one carrier on another's carrier's band, it is possible as long as they're both using the same method of transmission and the phone is unlocked. A good example of that is right here in the US where literally thousands of T-Mobile subscribers are using iPhones from AT&T. The problem with that is the phones will only work on EDGE not at 3G speeds because of frequency differences.

chscag said:

it is possible as long as they're both using the same method of transmission and the phone is unlocked.

Click to expand...

That's the key part that you left out before (unless I missed it, which is possible).

A good example of that is right here in the US where literally thousands of T-Mobile subscribers are using iPhones from AT&T. The problem with that is the phones will only work on EDGE not at 3G speeds because of frequency differences.

Click to expand...

You're also omitting the fact that one has to get a new SIM card for each different network one might want to use.

You're also omitting the fact that one has to get a new SIM card for each different network one might want to use.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's true. As a T-Mobile subscriber you should have a SIM card for whatever phone that was issued or purchased from T-Mobile. I've swapped SIM cards from various phones both as an AT&T subscriber and now with T-Mobile.

And you're right... in my first post I should have mentioned that the phone has to be unlocked in order to switch it between carriers. That's likewise true with an ordinary cell phone not just the iPhone. One reason why when I shop for a new cell phone, I try to buy one that's been unlocked.