[gusmd]

> I learned that Google Fi exclusively uses the T-Mobile network for iPhone customers, and activating a Google Fi SIM with an iPhone causes T-Mobile to lock the phone to the T-Mobile network (which is illegal, since the user hasn’t entered into any service agreement with T-Mobile).

This happened to me with an unlocked iPhone, bought at Best Buy, that I activated with a T-Mobile SIM card as well. Tried Apple support first, Apple couldn't care less. In the end T-Mobile themselves unlocked it after 2 full months of calling them almost daily and escalating, reaching out on social media, etc. This has nothing to do with Google Fi, and, if anything, I blame this on Apple for such a stupid fucking design that lets carriers unilaterally lock a brand new phone with no recourse.

[Nextgrid]

At the very least Apple should’ve had big visible warnings displayed right on the boot screen for locked devices so that scummy carriers can’t “accidentally” sell locked phones as unlocked to unsuspecting customers.

But then again it took them ages to even introduce a settings menu to be able to tell which carrier a given phone was locked to; previously there was no way to know without bruteforcing with all the SIMs and Apple Support explicitly refused to tell you.

Apple may look like the good guys on the outside but they’re absolutely in bed with the carriers.