I recently purchased two unlocked iPhone 15s directly from Apple's online store, one green and one blue, both the same model (A2846). When I attempted to activate them with my carrier, US Cellular—who doesn't sell locked phones—the blue one activated without a hitch. However, the green one was flagged as incompatible with their network despite being confirmed as unlocked by Apple Support. A visit to a Verizon store showed the same results; while it appeared unlocked, it was listed as "Locked to Apple," suggesting a mix-up. I returned the first green phone and got a replacement, but it had the exact same issue. Apple insists it should work, but my carrier refuses to help further. I'm worried about returning another phone only to get another one that's also incompatible. Does anyone know what's going on? Is there a chance these phones need to be registered somewhere to work with certain carriers?
2 Answers
Have you tried scanning the eSIM QR code from US Cellular? Sometimes that can bypass the activation issues. Just a thought!
If your iPhone says it's unlocked in Settings > General > About, then it is. Your carrier might be misinformed, claiming it's locked to Apple. Check if there's any variation of the model that US Cellular sells; they may hold back on activating phones they didn't sell themselves. There’s a chance they prefer you to buy directly from them for support reasons.
I asked US Cellular for a QR code when I tried to activate the first phone, but they wouldn't provide one.