The same question is asked every year: can I buy the new iPhone in another country? Will it work perfectly in Brazil? What functions will not be available? And 4G, will it work?
The iPhone Blog brought together all the doubts of our readers in a single article, so that everyone is helped in the best way.
Dollar and Euro high up
You cannot start this article without first highlighting that we are going through a terrible time for international shopping. The electoral period and political and economic uncertainties are making the price of foreign currencies break records. So, know that if you decide to buy the new iPhones, they will cost you a lot.
Of course, there are cases and cases. There are those who already have a trip scheduled and want to take the opportunity to buy the iPhone for a lower price than it will be sold here. Or those who have miles saved and can travel for free, still enjoying the ride. Anyway, there may be reasons to buy in another country and this is not absurd.
Always remembering that no one is forced to buy the new iPhones. If it deviates from your personal budget, we suggest not buying it.
Unlocked devices
The main factor for an iPhone purchased abroad to work well in Brazil is to make sure you have purchased a device unlocked, without ties to any operator.
The tip is to always try to buy in an Apple Store official. There the models with full price (full price) are always unlocked for use with any operator. In the United States, the store offers operator models: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint. However, this year it is also offering the so-called SIM-free, which is not associated with any of them. Choose this for your purchase. (* NOTE: initially the iPhone XR does not have a SIM-free option)
“But iLex, last year I bought the one from T-Mobile and it worked normally. Can I buy again?“
ATTENTION! Last year the United States offered two different models of the same iPhone, one equal to the one approved by Anatel and the other different. That’s why we said that anyone who bought AT&T or T-Mobile could use it normally in our country. However, this year the new iPhones come with a new feature: the DUAL SIM. You can place a normal chip in the external tray (as you always have) and another one is built into the device, in the form of eSIM. This eSIM can be blocked if you buy the device attached to an operator.
In Brazil we still don’t have any operator that offers eSIM service for the iPhone (because at the time of writing this article, the device hasn’t even been launched yet), but if one day, it is good that eSIM is not blocked. So choose the model whenever you can SIM-free when buying in the U.S. In other countries, this is the standard model sold.
Be careful not to buy the device directly from operators or other stores, such as Best Buy, as they may come blocked even if you pay full price.
Anatel Models
Anatel has already approved the new models. The ones that will be sold in our country are the same as those sold in the Europe, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Middle East, Singapore, South Africa and Taiwan. . That is:
- iPhone XS: A2097
- iPhone XS Max: A2101
- iPhone XR: A2105
Do you have a problem buying a model that is not the same approved in Brazil? In terms of warranty, none. If you experience a problem with your device within the warranty period, Apple will repair your device free of charge and, if necessary, even change to a national model. This can be complicated for those who choose to buy a model from China, which is the only one to come with support for two physical chips. If Apple needs to exchange the device for you here, it will only have the Brazilian model to supply you.
The only difference between the different models is the *damn* band 28, which we will comment on next.
Compatibility with Brazilian 4G
“Will the new iPhone work with 4G in Brazil?”The simple answer to this question is: YES. We are already using the iPhone XS and XS Max and they are currently connected on 4G in the interior of São Paulo, with the operator TIM.
How to buy an iPhone XS or XR
Sales of the XS and XS Max models are very smooth. It is not being difficult to find the device in stores. The iPhone XR (with launch in some countries scheduled for October 26) promises to have a much higher demand, for its more affordable price and be a considerable evolution in relation to the iPhone 8.
→ Online purchase with delivery to an address
The most common way is to go to the Apple website in the country you are going to travel and buy the model you want online. You can use a Brazilian credit card (enabled for international purchases), but you will have to provide an address in the country of the store, since Apple does not ship the product to other countries. It serves the home of a friend, relative or even the hotel you or someone else is staying at. You just can’t postbox-like addresses, because you need someone to receive the package.
Take care that the delivery matches the period that you or the person is at the address. Remember that deadlines can be brought forward without prior notice.
→ Online purchase with in-store pickup
In some countries there is also the option to buy on the website, but pick up at the store (pick-up), which can be very convenient if you were unable to reserve your iPhone in time for your trip. In this mode you normally pay on the website with your credit card and indicate a store in the city to pick you up at a certain time.
But there’s a problem: you can only dial for the same day. There is no way to book in advance, which forces you to keep an eye on the Apple website every day to see if you have devices available that day, at that store (or another one). Generally store stocks are replenished at 6 am local time.
Fortunately, there are some tools that help you find which store has stock available for pick-up. The website iStockNow monitors the inventory of 3177 stores in 36 countries. You can even subscribe to your Telegram channel to be notified when there is the stock you are looking for.
Do not despair if you have reserved the pick-up but was unable to pick up the order EXACTLY on the day and time scheduled. Apple usually stores your product for a few days, allowing you to pick it up later. But don’t abuse it, or your order may be canceled.
With this information you are already able to buy your iPhone XS (or XR) outside Brazil. If you have other questions, post here in the comments and see if anyone has had the same question as you. ?
