Apple to Begin Selling Unlocked iPhone 5 Models in U.S. as Soon as Later Today

iphone 5 black white9to5Mac reports that Apple is set to begin sales of unlocked iPhone 5 units to U.S. customers as soon as later today. Sales are said to begin in the company's online store, with retail stores currently receiving units ahead of an unspecified in-store launch date.

Apple will begin selling an unlocked version of its iPhone 5 through its online store as soon as 9 PM tonight, according to our retail sources. The unlocked iPhone 5 price range will likely be $649, $749, and $849 depending on a choice of either 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage.

While unlocked devices are the norm in many of Apple's markets, Apple typically restricts sales in the U.S. during an initial time period after launch to devices locked to specific carriers. For the iPhone 4S, it took less than one month for Apple to begin selling unlocked models to U.S. customers, but it has already been over two months since Apple began U.S. sales of the iPhone 5.

Apple is also said to be expanding its Personal Pickup program for the iPhone 5, allowing users to reserve a device at any time for pickup the following day rather than having to wait until 10:00 PM when the stores have closed for the day to place their reservations.

Tag: 9to5Mac
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...

Top Rated Comments

adildacoolset Avatar
161 months ago
I don't care just give me itunes 11!

oh wait, people can't complain about that anymore. I wonder what people will whine about next
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
onthecouchagain Avatar
161 months ago
Apple to Begin Ripping You Off as Soon As Later Today.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rot'nApple Avatar
161 months ago
probly not a math major

Probably not an English major either... :rolleyes:
/
/
/
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xizdun Avatar
161 months ago
I've always wondered this, but why are unlocked or off contract smartphones more expensive than iPad/tablets?
You don't know?

Apple's iPhone twice as profitable per unit as iPad (http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/07/27/apples_iphone_twice_as_profitable_per_unit_than_ipad)

iPhones make :apple: 49-58% profit.
iPads make :apple: 23-32% profit.

While you might be paying $199 upfront for a contract iPhone, the carrier is paying the rest ($650 – $199 = $451) to Apple. In other words, you're indirectly paying Apple the remaining ~$451 over the course of the duration of your contract.

With an unlocked iPhone, Apple is looking to make the same amount of profit, thus charging the entire $650.

It's not exactly rocket science.

Contracts, at end of the day, especially in the USA, are absurdly expensive. Why the hell would I want to blow $100+ per month on a cell phone connection? Americans don't know any better. Mobile networks are MUCH cheaper outside of the USA.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
161 months ago
I don't think some people realize how expensive it is to design, build, distribute and support such advanced devices. There's tons of costs that need to be covered that you don't *see*.

And executive bonuses to consider!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisTX Avatar
161 months ago
I've always wondered this, but why are unlocked or off contract smartphones more expensive than iPad/tablets?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)