Non-contract AT&T iPhone 5s can reportedly be unlocked via iTunes

AT&T iPhone 5 running on T-Mobile's network after unlock.Source: TechCrunch

First discovered by TechCrunch, the simple unlocking procedure is said to work with iPhone 5s purchased from AT&T at full price, with the process being quite simple compared to the carrier's traditional previous method of submitting an online form, sending a fax and waiting up to a week for a restore.

The publication was able to confirm the easy one-step process with AT&T's technical support and successfully unlocked the device in iTunes.

"After restoring the device in iTunes, the user is prompted with the usual unlocking message: 'Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked,'" the report said.

From that point, according to TechCrunch's Romain Dillet, all that was needed to gain access to T-Mobile's network was the trimming down of a compatible micro-SIM card to fit in the iPhone 5's nano-SIM tray. The device recognized T-Mobile's signal within seconds, allowing both calls and EDGE data to go through without issue.

Dillet explained that when an iPhone is purchased, the handset's IMEI is added to Apple's database, though it appears subsidized phones hold a different status than those purchased at full price without a contract.

While the publication was able to successfully unlock an iPhone 5 purchased through Apple retail, the procedure could not be confirmed on another pre-ordered unit "even though the device was purchased at full price, it was tied to an existing AT&T account during the pre-order process."

It was previously reported that Verizon's iPhone 5 ships unlocked for GSM networks.