Customers wishing to purchase an unlocked, off-contract iPhone 5s in the United States can now do so sans a T-Mobile SIM card as Apple has put the handset's SIM-free variant up for offer.
Unlocked versions of Apple's new flagship iPhone 5s have been available since the model's launch in September, but previously came preinstalled with a T-Mobile SIM card. The iPhone 5c, in contrast, has been available in an unlocked, SIM-free configuration the entire time.
Both the T-Mobile and SIM-free variants share the A1533 (GSM) model designation, bringing support for all major North American GSM carriers --Â AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada --Â as well as several smaller, regional networks.
Customers who want their device more quickly may be better served to choose the T-Mobile variant for now. Shipping times for the SIM-free version stand at 1-2 weeks against just 3-5 days for the T-Mobile handset.