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The price of the US locked iPhone 14 in Vietnam ranges from 8.9 to 9.5 million VND. Photo: SD . |
The iPhone 14 series has not only recorded a sharp price drop for genuine products (code VN/A) but also for hand-carried products from many markets. In Vietnam, the iPhone 14 series hand-carried from the US is priced 9-10 million VND cheaper than genuine products and is called iPhone lock or network-locked iPhone.
iPhone lock price drops sharply
According to Zing , the activated locked US iPhone 14 series costs 9.5 million VND for iPhone 14, 13.5 million VND for iPhone 14 Plus, 15 million VND for iPhone 14 Pro and 17 million VND for iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The prices of the above models can range from 500,000 VND to 1 million VND depending on the form, accessories and not including CNC cutting of the SIM tray. If you want to "upgrade" the device to be able to make calls, users need to spend an additional 2.5-3 million VND. At that time, the price of the US locked iPhone 14 line will range from 12-20 million VND depending on the model.
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The locked iPhone 14 has the same design as the iPhone 13. Photo: Engadget. |
Specifically, locked iPhones imported from the US market will have their SIM trays CNC cut because in this market Apple has removed the physical SIM tray and only uses eSIM. After CNC cutting, the US version of the iPhone 14 will have a physical SIM slot similar to the iPhone 14 sold in other markets.
After the locked iPhone is CNC cut, users need to install a SIM card to use it like the international version. After being "modified", the device will operate normally with a physical SIM card, can make calls, and connect to 4G using the service of a Vietnamese network operator.
"The price of the US locked iPhone 14 line that has been CNC cut is 4.5-6 million VND lower than the iPhone 13 lock at the same time last year. Of which, the iPhone 14 lock is the model with the highest price difference compared to the iPhone 13 lock, at 6 million VND," shared the owner of a locked iPhone store in Ho Chi Minh City.
Unpopular
"The iPhone 14 model has a similar design to the iPhone 13, so there are not many customers. Most customers buy this product to experience the A15 Bionic chip because even though it has been 'tuned' by CNC, it is still nearly 5 million VND cheaper than the iPhone 13," this person added.
This person also said that the price of locked iPhone 14 is low due to limited demand in the market. Users often tend to buy locked iPhone 14 Plus and locked iPhone 14 Pro Max to use.
In addition, although the CNC-cut SIM slot looks similar to the original Apple SIM slot, the finish and color will be different.
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CNC-cut SIM slot (left) and Apple's original SIM slot (right). Photo: Relab . |
"When using a locked iPhone, users are forced to endure battery drain because they have to continuously use 2 SIMs, including a QPE SIM to 'bypass' the network locking software. In addition, each time the device is restarted and reset, users will have to spend time reinstalling the SIM," said Mr. Quach Minh Hieu, owner of HLC Store.
Not only is it inconvenient to use a locked iPhone using a CNC cut SIM tray, the warranty will be denied.
Representatives of Apple Authorized Service Centers (AASPs) in Vietnam said that iPhones that have undergone SIM card modification will not be eligible for warranty or genuine repair and replacement services.
In addition, "modifying" the SIM slot poses many security risks during communication because the iPhone has been tampered with in terms of hardware. In addition, adding a hardware design that does not have a SIM slot makes it more difficult to remove and install the SIM on "modified" devices compared to products with an original physical SIM design.
A locked iPhone is an iPhone sold with a carrier contract (managed by IMEI number, the hardware is exactly the same) so it can only use the SIM of that carrier.
These devices cannot be activated and used with Vietnamese network SIMs. To be able to make calls and use the Internet with Vietnamese networks, users must use a special component called a SIM card to "trick" the iPhone.
In addition to the SIM card, stores selling locked iPhones can also use the ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier) code. This code is a series of SIM numbers consisting of 19 or 20 characters printed on the surface of the SIM and saved in the SIM card's memory. The appropriate code will encrypt the locked iPhone, restoring SIM-related functions.
However, this method is difficult, requiring exploiting a programming vulnerability in Apple. Through an update, the company was able to easily patch the error.
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