Hacker News Reader

Comment by _zie | Hacker News Reader

"If you’re leasing an iPhone, you’ll need to connect to AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon when you enroll."

Damn, this is the dealbreaker for me.

Leasing an unlocked iPhone and being able to use my current $25/mo MVNO of choice (US Mobile) may have actually tempted me (I currently buy outright and then tell myself I'll sell my current phone when I upgrade, but in reality I just have iPhone graveyard at home.)

View on HN

It's a little unclear; they make you select a carrier, but buried in the fine print is:

"For iPhone only: In order to lease an iPhone, you must select an eligible carrier (but you cannot use a prepaid carrier plan). A leased iPhone is always unlocked, so you can switch carriers at any time, subject to your carrier’s terms."

So it... is unlocked? I am also on US Mobile and don't want to leave it

This is unchanged from the upgrade program terms before. The phone is unlocked, but when you take delivery of the phone you have to activate it on a Big 3 carrier's postpaid plan.

So, the phones arrived locked? You can't use them with any carrier you want?

Phone is unlocked but you have to put in carrier info when you buy the phone. You have to activate a line from one of the big three carriers to use the program at all.

That was never actually enforced on iUP. You could choose T-Mobile and activate with an MVNO; that has worked for me as recently as August, 2025.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com