Apple closes the loophole that put an unlocked iPhone on a carrier payment plan
In the United States, iPhones financed through AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon at Apple are now locked to that carrier until the device is paid in full. Paying outright or using Apple Card Monthly Installments still delivers an unlocked phone.
Apple has changed the terms attached to carrier financing in its US stores. Until mid-July, customers choosing a T-Mobile Equipment Installment Plan or Verizon Device Payment Program could receive an iPhone that was unlocked from activation, even while the device balance was still being repaid. Apple’s updated language now places those plans alongside AT&T’s: the phone remains tied to the financing carrier until it is paid in full.
The practical effect goes beyond switching a primary line. A carrier-locked iPhone cannot normally activate a second carrier’s eSIM, which can make international travel less flexible. The rule concerns the network lock on the device; it does not erase the customer’s financing obligation, and promotional bill credits remain governed by each carrier’s own terms.
The change is specific to carrier financing in the United States. It should not be generalized to every iPhone sold by Apple or to carrier policies in other countries. Apple says an iPhone bought outright or financed through an Apple financing option is unlocked. The Apple Card Monthly Installments terms likewise state that an iPhone purchased through ACMI remains unlocked, although customers must select an eligible US carrier during checkout.
Apple has not publicly explained why it changed the policy. The safest conclusion is therefore limited to what the store terms establish: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon financing now produce the same locking outcome at Apple, while non-carrier payment routes continue to offer an unlocked device.