Verizon’s GSM unlocked iPhone 5s are staying that way for good

The iPhone 5s on Verizon’s network are unlocked for use with GSM networks using a nano-SIM card, and they’re not going to be re-locked any time soon, reports the AP.

Late Friday, Jeff Benjamin at iDownloadBlog discovered that Verizon’s versions of the iPhone 5 were unlocked for use with GSM carriers, as well as being locked to Verizon’s CDMA network. This was not a mistake and it’s not going to be changed, according to a Verizon spokesperson.

The implications of this are pretty cool for those of us who travel internationally, as it means it can roam on a variety of 3G GSM networks around the world, all while working on Verizon’s LTE network locally. The Verizon version of the iPhone 5 won’t work on every LTE network around the world, but it does support three bands wich are used in various other countries. So you’ll get at least 3G coverage but at most LTE coverage, depending on where you’re visiting.

So, Verizon gets its two-year lockin for subsidizing the phone, but allows you to roam on any network you want over GSM and you’ve got an unlocked device when your contract is up. At that point, you can swap to any other carrier you like.

Remember, though, that the LTE Verizon iPhone will not work on LTE speeds via AT&T, as they use two different bands for the network.

Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Staff