iPhone 11 IMEI Check: Locked Share and the Tray Test
About 28 % of the US-and-Canada iPhone 11 units we checked were still locked. The tray lets you test that in person, if you know which side to open.
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An older phone, a cheaper market
Apple released the iPhone 11 in 2019 in 64, 128 and 256 GB with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display and two 12 MP cameras. It has no 5G: Apple's published specifications for the US model, A2111, list FDD-LTE, TD-LTE, UMTS/HSPA+ and GSM/EDGE bands only. For a buyer that means a phone which will connect on any modern 5G plan, but over 4G.
Four years on, the iPhone 11 is the entry point for people buying a first iPhone or a spare. It is also where price-driven buying meets older carrier financing, and where an unpaid or reported phone can be listed under a figure that seems too good.
| A-number | Sold in | Checked on FullIMEI (90 days) |
|---|---|---|
| A2111 | Canada, United States | 239 devices |
| A2221 | Other countries and regions | 45 devices |
| A2223 | Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao | under 10 |
Apple's "Identify your iPhone model" page (read 10 November 2026) is the source for the model numbers and the tray position. Counts are different phones, one IMEI once, for 12 August to 10 November 2026.
What the A2111 checks looked like
Of 239 US-and-Canada units, the lookup read 68 as locked and 12 as unlocked. The other 159 came back unknown. Locked is 28 % of everything checked, and unlocked just 5 %, the highest locked share of the three iPhones on this site.
| A2111 result | Devices | Share of 239 |
|---|---|---|
| Locked to a carrier we read | 68 | 28 % |
| Unlocked | 12 | 5 % |
| Unknown (lock not readable for free) | 159 | 67 % |
Where the checks came from: 46 in Pakistan, 46 in the United States, 25 in Mexico, 18 in Nigeria and 10 in Ghana. An older US-built phone ends up in the same places as the newer ones, which is why the lock is the thing to settle before the sale rather than after the flight home.
The in-person tests the tray gives you
Because the iPhone 11 has a physical tray, a buyer in the room has more options than with a newer eSIM-only phone. In order:
- Eject the tray on the right side. Check the IMEI etched on it against Settings, General, About. Different numbers mean the tray came from another phone.
- Put in your own SIM. If the status bar shows a carrier name and a call connects, the phone accepts at least your carrier. If you see "SIM Not Supported" or "Invalid SIM", the phone is locked.
- Read the Carrier Lock line in Settings, General, About. "No SIM restrictions" is the answer you want.
- Open Settings and look at the top. If an Apple Account other than the seller's is signed in, stop: Activation Lock may be on.
If the swap test fails, the unlock page explains how each carrier's release rule works, and the compatibility check shows whether your network will take the phone at all.
What this page does not claim
We do not say that a locked iPhone 11 is a bad buy, only that it should be priced as locked. Counts are ours and will change. A clean blacklist result is not proof the owner finished paying: the blacklist check lists what each registry does and does not see.
Questions people ask
Where is the IMEI on an iPhone 11?
Settings, General, About, or dial *#06#. The IMEI is also etched on the SIM tray, which on the iPhone 11 sits on the right side of the phone. That is the opposite side from the iPhone 13, so the usual advice to look at the left edge is wrong here.
What are the model numbers for the iPhone 11?
Apple lists three: A2111 for Canada and the United States, A2223 for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, and A2221 for other countries and regions.
Does the iPhone 11 support 5G?
No. The iPhone 11 is an LTE phone; Apple's specifications list FDD-LTE, TD-LTE, UMTS/HSPA+ and GSM/EDGE bands and no 5G. On a 5G plan it connects over 4G, which for most people is fine at this price.
Is it safe to buy a used iPhone 11 because it is cheap?
Cheap phones are where the unpaid ones turn up. A low price on an iPhone 11 is only a bargain if the lock, the blacklist status and the Apple Account are all clear. Run the IMEI and check the Carrier Lock line before you pay.
Can I tell from the free check if an iPhone 11 is carrier locked?
For T-Mobile and Metro, yes. For other carriers it says unknown. Of 239 US-and-Canada units checked in the last 90 days, 80 returned a lock reading and 159 did not.
Why does it matter that the iPhone 11 has a SIM tray?
It lets you do something newer phones cannot: put a SIM from another carrier in and see whether the phone accepts it. That is a quick lock test. Treat "No Service" or an "Invalid SIM" message as a lock result and run the IMEI to find out whose.