Iphone 12 Pro - payment in full from Apple store

It’s not whether you pay in full, it’s whether you select a carrier. Make sure you buy the SIM card free version. Whether you pay for it in full or finance on Apple’s installment plan, it will be unlocked. You can then use the phone with any carrier’s SIM card. That is exactly how I bought my XR. I just moved the SIM card from my old iPhone.

Not true, at least not anymore.  It’s whether you finance with a carrier.  My current XS Max was a AT&T phone bought through and financed from Apple, not AT&T.  It’s unlocked without me requesting an unlock.  Also, I believe if you buy a phone from Apple and pay full price to Apple, it will come unlocked, even if it’s a carrier phone.

In IOS 14, you can see if a phone is carrier locked or not.  Go to settings-general-about.  Scroll down and under SEID and EID is a line that says Carrier Lock.  Mine says “No SIM restrictions”

@dwill05 Are you saying you selected ATT as your carrier and got the phone with an ATT SIM card and it still stayed unlocked? 

@sandblaster  Yes.

This is what it says on Apple’s page regarding phones coming unlocked.

Every iPhone you buy from us online or in an Apple Store is unlocked, with the exception of a few carrier financing options.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/buy/

I know the bit about having to specifically buy the unlocked phone from Apple used to be true, but they must have changed it.  It makes sense since if you buy a phone and don’t owe AT&T money, then they shouldn’t have any control over whether it’s locked to them or not.

@dwill05 Yes, that does make sense and good to know. So if you buy from Apple, it will only be locked if financed on Next. Just curiosity, did you still get hit with the upgrade fee?

@sandblaster  I don’t remember for sure since it was over two years ago, but I’m pretty sure I did.  AT&T almost never gives up getting that fee, especially if you buy and finance from someone else.

Received phone with pre-inserted sim card. No activation was required. Just took it out and inserted local Europe sim card without any issue.

Thanks all for help.