Purchasing an iphone 15 Pro outright from Apple as an upgrade

If you choose AT&T as a carrier, it will come with a preloaded AT&T SIM, which means you’ll pay the upgrade fee.  If you choose no carrier, it won’t come with a SIM, and you’ll have to move your AT&T SIM to it.  If you have an iPhone X currently, you only have a physical SIM, so you’ll have to move your SIM as an eSIM.  

https://www.att.com/help/wireless/esim-get-started/

As long as you are paying Apple for the phone, not AT&T, it will come unlocked.

Thank you for your response. I guess that's where my confusion comes in. I have a physical sim and I know the 15 only uses esims. I'm not really sure how that process works.

EDIT: I saw the link you posted. Thanks!

The link posted by @dwill05  will allow you to easily transfer your service from your AT&T iPhone to the Esim on your new unlocked iPhone when it is received

Hey @jgeichho,  We'll be happy to help you set up an eSIM.

You can convert your physical SIM to an eSIM following these instructions: 

1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Cellular.
3. Select Add Cellular Plan.
4. Select Convert to eSIM.
   • Convert to eSIM screen appears advising their plan is associated to a physical SIM that can be converted to an eSIM.
5. Select Convert Cellular Plan.
   • Convert eSIM message displays advising customer once SIM is converted to eSIM it can be removed from the SIM tray.
6. Select Convert to eSIM.
   • Cellular settings screen appears, the phone number (cellular plan/eSIM) displays in the Cellular Plans section with “Request Sent” indicator.
   • The screen refreshes and the “Request Sent” indicator changes to “Activating”.
   • Once activation completes the “Activating” indicator disappears.
     • The physical SIM will be listed in the Cellular Plans section with “Converted to eSIM” indicator.
7. Complete test call to confirm service is working.
8. Discard physical SIM in old iPhone (it is no longer active).

Let us know if you have any more questions.

Thank you,

Scarlett, AT&T Community Specialist

Hi, thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums.

We're here for you, we hear you. Customer must wait 60 days from purchase date to submit an unlock request (Installment Plan pay off & Pay in Full). $35 are upgrade charges, even if you choose no carrier and then connect AT&T there will be an activation fee.

Hope this helped!

Donald, AT&T Community Specialist

Wow that s a load of garbage. $35 dollars for literally doing nothing?! I ll have you know that ATT is the ONLY provider that does this. I checked with T-Mobile and Verizon and they do no charge a fee for activating the iPhone 15. This alone makes me want to switch providers. I hope the greed was worth it

Maybe something has changed with AT&T but the last time I purchased a SIM-less (unlocked) iPhone from Apple I literally walked around the corner to an AT&T Corporate Store (I made sure), had them install a new SIM (for free), activate it to my account and remove my old phone, and walked out. Took about 10 minutes and I wasn't charged anything.

Things aren’t quite the same with eSIM, especially if you are moving from a phone with a physical SIM, but it’s not really clear why AT&T would charge an upgrade fee for a phone not bought from them, other than they just want the money.

@binaryinitials 

You are only charged if you choose ATT as your carrier. This is required if you finance your phone with AT&T or on the Apple card.

Apple provides a $30 connectivity credit when you select any service provider.

Both T-Mobile and Verizon have $30 activation fees if you choose their financing

If you have no signature discount program added to your account, AARP is available to anyone regardless of age and does wave upgrade and activation fees

If you pay for the phone outright, no activation fee.